Holidays

20 Years of Ordained Ministry!

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20 years! What an amazing journey this has been. I have served in four different church positions and been a hospice chaplain. If you had told me 20 years ago, that this is where I would be today…I probably would have answered like Sarah with laughter (Genesis 18:12).

As I read over the words of the service of Ordination to Ministry from the UCC’s Book of Worship, these words caught and held my attention.

“Will you seek to regard all people with equal love and concern and undertake to minister impartially to the needs of all?”

And I answered, “I will, relying on God’s grace.”

It has been a joy and a privilege and a challenge to answer and live into the call to ordained ministry these past twenty years. I give thanks to God regularly for those who nurtured my call when I was young, those who stretched and molded my faith, those who welcomed me into their lives as their pastor and chaplain, and those who supported and those who continue to support me on this journey.

I love that I was ordained on Reformation Day as it reminds me of the many that have gone before in the faith. And the Scripture that was read and preached that day continues to bring me hope and strength and challenge, Luke 24:13-35. It is the story of the road to Emmaus. I’ll sum it up for you. It is the day of the resurrection and Jesus walks with two of the faithful. They do not recognize him. He tells the story of faith and still they do not recognize him. When do they finally know it is Jesus? When he breaks the bread at the table with them, they finally know this is Jesus. I love the beauty and simplicity of this story. Where is Jesus among us and I don’t recognize him? When I gather at Christ’s table are my eyes and heart open to see who is standing beside me?

These last 20 years have been full of every single emotions. As I look back at where I have been I will not even try to guess where I will be 20 years from now. I am thankful that God keeps me guessing and always keeps the journey interesting.

For All the Saints

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November 1 or the Sunday closest to it is the day that we remember and give thanks for the saints in faith who have lived and shared God’s love with us. We would not know of God’s goodness unless we had been told by those who have gone before. I love this special, holy day when we say thank you for their lives and remember those who names we know and treasure as well as those who we never knew.

I invite you to light a candle or multiple candles for the saints who have supported you in your faith.

God of All Ages, We give thanks for your saints today who are now with you.

For the saints who loudly proclaimed your word, so we might know you better, we give you thanks!

For the saints who sang your praises and taught us the songs of faith, we give you thanks!

For the saints who showed up each time the church door was open and volunteered by making snacks and counting the offering and mowing the lawn and cleaning the bathrooms, we give you thanks!

For the saints who held babies in the nursery, made crafts with the toddlers, read stories to the children, attended lock ins with the youth, and ensured that no matter the age that everyone knew they were safe and loved at church, we give you thanks!

For the saints who loved you quietly and worked behind the scenes to see that the church was beautiful and ready each Sunday, we give you thanks!

For every single person of faith who preserved in keeping their faith even when times were hard, we give you thanks!

Thank you, God, for all of your saints. Give us strength to be the saints of today who are sharing your love with all those in our lives. Amen.

A Prayer for the Week Before VBS!

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VBS (Vacation Bible School) is one of the best weeks of the year. The church is filled with laughter, singing, people of all ages, and so much love. It is also (usually) hot, hot, hot! And someone is going to have a meltdown. It might be a child. It might be the person in charge of ensuring all goes well at VBS!

So as churches prepare for the biggest week of the year, join me in praying for things VBS.

God, it feels like this prayer should come with hand motions or decorations or lemonade as it is a prayer about VBS. Help all of us to remember what is most important is that every person who comes through the church doors needs a reminder that you love them. This is true for the kids hustling into the room and the kids hiding behind a parent. You know this is true for the person who brings the snacks, leads the singing, helps with crafts, and the brave one who agrees to keep games under control. The whole point of this week is for everyone to know you love them. You created each one in your own image. So no matter what happens at VBS, remind us that you love us. Give the adults strength for the week. Give your children of all ages open hearts to experience your goodness. And when Bible School is over, give us all good rest after a wonderful week of loving each other and you well. Amen!

Missing Loved Ones at the Holidays

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The Holiday Season is hard. We are faced with so many expectations of what we should do. Pressure comes from all directions about how to have the perfect celebration. Add in grief and things get so much more challenging.

Sadly, this is my third Christmas without my Mom. I am writing this curled up under a blanket made of her shirts, drinking a cup of hot chocolate, and eating a peanut butter blossom cookie.

Our memories of loved ones come back to us in so many ways this time of year. I remember a loved one when I add an ornament to the tree that used to hang on their tree. I keep my grandparents’ Christmas tree that sheds more needles than a real tree because my grandfather’s handwriting is there telling me how to assemble it. And I think of my Mom when I bake peanut blossom cookies.

You see this is my Mom’s recipe. It is called Peanut Blossom Cookies. And it comes with the side note that the peanut butter is optional because Mom hates peanut butter cookies. This is such a perfect memory of my Mom. She was a picky eater. She would change recipes by leaving out what she didn’t like. For example, her version of apple salad or only turkey breast at Thanksgiving are famous and true stories in our family. And I would happily leave out the peanut butter to share a cookie with her. Since I cannot, I will stay under this blanket a little longer and give thanks for my Mom and all my loved ones who I miss especially this time of year.

Loving and Faithful God, At this beautiful and holy time of year, we are filled with a range of emotions. We joyfully prepare to welcome baby Jesus and our hearts ache as we miss people we love. We remember how it has been on Christmases past and know that we cannot recreate those memories. Send the Prince of Peace among us to provide the peace we need today. Send the Holy Spirit to be our comforter and companion. And bless all of us who are missing someone special this Christmas. Amen.

Remembering the saints in prayer

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I have always loved the celebration of All Saints Day in the church. In churches I have served, we would give thanks for those who had died from the congregation in the past year. As I was thinking about this holy day, I am thinking of the people I love who have died this year and in years past. For me, this day is a reminder that we are here today because of the people who paved the way for us. I know that I am person of faith because I saw faith lived out in so many wonderfully ordinary people from my first memories until now.

God of All Ages and Times, Your story is told and lived out by your people and today we give thanks for each of them. From the saints who lived centuries before to the saints who recently died, we are thankful for each one of them and how their lives reflected your love. Sometimes it is easy to overlook the regular people who sang the songs and told the stories, and yet they are saints just as much as the people whose names are famous. Today, we remember and give thanks for the cloud of witnesses who faithfully passed down the old, old story to us. Give us the strength, wisdom, and courage to share the story with the next generations. And as we do remind us that this did not begin and will not end with us. We are connected to all who came before and all who will follow. One day each of us will be remembered in prayer by the ones we are teaching today. For these connections, we give thanks to you, God of our Ancestors and God of Today and Tomorrow. Amen.

My Lenten Practice for 2023

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When I started working with hospice in 2015, I received a name badge. Nothing out of the ordinary as it is one way to identify myself as I go into people’s home and facilities. Earlier this year, my original 7 year old name badge broke. Instead of getting a free new name badge, I placed my old name badge into a plastic holder that was too big and wore it. I did this for weeks until one Friday afternoon I looked down and saw this!

My first question was how long had I been walking around wearing this with no name badge. I retraced my steps to see if it had just happened. And found nothing. So, I did what I should have done weeks earlier and got a new one!

And that seemed like the end of the story. Until I was given an envelope a few days later. Inside was a note saying found near such and such address and…

My original name badge was back. Someone found it on the street. This person then took the time to mail it to my work address. They got a stamp, addressed an envelope, and placed it in a mailbox. They could have ignored it. They could have picked it up and planned to return it. No, this anonymous individual went out of their way to do something kind.

This experience has inspired my Lenten Practice for this year. I want to be more aware of opportunities to be kind and more aware of seeing kindness lived out in others. So, I am keeping myself open for opportunities for kindness. I would like to express thanks when kindness is extended to me and offer kindness when the opportunity arises. And this idea all began when someone took the time to notice a name badge on the street.

Originator of Kindness, You created us to be in relationship with each other and with you. This Lenten Season open us to opportunities to receive and share kindness. Ignite our awareness of the people around us and how we may meet a need in their life. Surprise us with the kindness we can live out. With thanksgiving for the many ways you share your kindness in our lives, help us to notice and do and say thank you. Amen.

2 Years Without My Mom

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Today is a sad day as it has now been two years since my Mom died. As I think about the last two years, sometimes it seems like so long since I last talked to Mom and other times it is like two years flew by. And that is grief.

As I have been thinking of this day, a quote from Frederick Buechner kept returning to my mind.

“When you remember me, it means you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me. It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.”

When I think of the marks of my mother that she imprinted on me, the list is long.

She taught me to love music-playing it and hearing it. She said it was important to practice too and she liked practicing as little as I did.

She was always reading multiple books at once. She kept books and her reader in different places so she had something close by to read whenever she had a free moment. She was always happy someone was reading no matter what they were reading! She loved to give book recommendations and loved to give a book to another reader (usually me) as soon as she finished!

My Mom found so much joy in seeing happiness in the people she loved. She loved to hear about my day, my work, and what was going on in my life. She was genuinely happy when her people were happy.

My Mom liked to eat foods that made her happy. No one who met Mom will argue with the fact that Mom was a picky eater! And yet, she was happy to eat her favorite meals and snacks over and over again. Two of the last things Mom ate were a homemade cinnamon roll and a lemon Bundt cake to celebrate my birthday! Potlucks and church suppers were never her favorite because someone might try to sneak some mayonnaise or a scary vegetable into her meal.

I could go on and on sharing ways that my Mom has left her mark on me. In memory of my Mom, could you take a few minutes today to tell someone special in your life that you love them and how they have left their mark on you?

“It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.”
— Frederick Buechner

A Prayer for the Week Between Christmas Day and the New Year

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Whether you are working or taking this week off, it is a unique week as we await the new year. Some people are rushing to complete tasks before 2022 ends. Others are trying to do as little as possible to conserve energy for the new year. Wherever you find yourself in these final days of the year, know you are loved!

God of All Time, We find ourselves nearing the end of the calendar year. The new year is coming soon and yet we must remember the current year has a few more days remaining. Slow us down from rushing to the flip the calendar into a new year. Whether we are working or using up some vacation time, help us to use this time wisely…which doesn’t mean that every minute must be filled. Help us to use this time and all our time wisely by giving thanks to you for the time we have. Seeing each day as a gift is what you ask of us. For the gift of this day, we thank you. For the gift of this year, we thank you. For the gift of our lives, we thank you. Even when life isn’t going according to our plan, we thank you for walking with us and supporting us. So make us aware of your presence this week, we know you are with us and sometime just need a reminder. Thank you for this week before the new year. Amen!

December is Here!

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Happy December! Amid all the joy that many are feeling in this holiday season, be aware of those among us who are feeling a variety of emotions. This is a reminder to be kind to yourself with whatever emotions pop up around the holidays.

Just recently a friend told me her primary mood lately has been melancholy. Another friend’s Mom is nearing the end of her life and receiving care with hospice. I am aware of my own grief that my Mom won’t be physically present with us as we gather as a family this year.

And I can tell you just as many stories filled with joy and excitement for people I know who are delighted this holiday season.

We, humans, are amazingly able to experience more than one emotion at a time. You might be crying and suddenly burst into laughter. A long forgotten photograph might inspire a variety of feelings. Cooking a family recipe might bring back memories of the last time you ate this food gathered around a table filled with family. Unpacking Christmas ornaments might remind you of the loved one on whose tree they used to hang.

As we flip the calendar to a new month (yes, I still have a paper calendar), let us be kind to ourselves and each other. This month may be your favorite and someone else may just be hoping to “make it through December”. You can love the holidays. You can dread the holidays. And you can do both at the same time.

Creating God, you sure did fill us with lots of emotions. And no other month brings those emotions to the surface as fast as December. So remind us to be kind to everyone this month, especially ourselves. When our feelings bubble up to the surface, may we have courage to let them out. And when our feelings linger just below the surface, give us patience with ourselves as we await the time we are ready to share how we are feeling. In joy and sorrow, you Loving God remains our constant companion. Amen.

8 Years Yesterday! Happy Anniversary Tea and Theology!

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It has been 8 years since I began writing here. Of course, so many things have changed in the last 8 years. I have moved from a time of sabbatical to youth ministry to full-time hospice chaplaincy. I have physically moved from the apartment where this blog was born to a lovely home and then a different lovely home. I think of the adventures, joy, and sorrow of the last eight years too. Thank you to the readers who quickly jumped on board and all the readers who have joined along the way. Thank you all for reading and being part of this journey.

It all began with these words-

“Welcome to my new blog.

Here you will find book reviews, worship words (liturgy), and recommendations for a good cup of tea. I hope you’ll find books you’d like to read. I hope you’ll find words that help you connect with God. And, I hope you’ll find a new tea to enjoy. I’m looking forward to walking this journey with you.”

So thank you all for reading, commenting, sharing, and growing with me these past eight years. Blessings to each of you and know I will give thanks for you when I have a cup of tea today.

Peace and Love, Susannah