Can We Start By Being Kind?

This is an adaptation of a reflection I shared in the daily call for prayer and inspiration which is led every weekday morning for volunteers and staff of Coastal Hospice.

What a different place and space we find ourselves than when the Spiritual Counselors began hosting these calls a few months ago. Whatever you believe about COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter and the stock market and our elected officials and how we best educate our children and so many other things, we are not where we were a few months ago. Things have changed and each one of us has changed. Don’t hang up because you think I am going to tell you how to think about a specific topic on the news. I’m not. Instead I’d like to encourage you to think about how you react to another person who has a different view than you hold. Because we are a healthcare organization, I’m going to focus on our reactions to COVID-19. Even on this call, I am going to make an educated guess that we have different responses and feelings to where we currently are with this virus. Some of us might think that everything should be opening up and people should be able to make their own choices with what to do. Others of us might think that we should have continued with stay at home orders in this state for a longer period of time. Like all of you, I have my own feelings on this based on my life experiences. Again, I want to say I’m not trying to change your mine on this. What I would like to call to your attention is how you react to someone who feels differently. How do you respond to someone who has a different view? What emotions bubble to the surface when someone is doing something that you disagree with? My reflection today is a call for kindness. We don’t have to agree. We can be kind. We don’t always understand what is going on in someone else’s life. We can be kind. We may worry about the future or not have a care in the world. We can be kind. I may not like what you do. I can be kind.

As you go about your day and into the weekend, don’t rush to judgment, bite your tongue when necessary, and believe in the good of other humans. Response with kindness in your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Lest you think this is Susannah calling us to all be Pollyannas, being kind is hard work. So be kind to each other and especially yourself!

Hear these words from Colossians 3: 12, “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”

God of Love, Fill us with your love this day, so we may be kind to ourselves and each other. And when that proves to be difficult, give us strength to try again. We are thankful to be called your beloved ones. Teach us your kindness. Amen.

A Prayer for the Easter Season

However you celebrated Easter Sunday, I am guessing it didn’t look like a typical Easter Sunday for you. Here’s a bit of good news. Easter is not over. While we may not be gathering to celebrate in person, the resurrection has happened and is happening. Signs of rebirth and renewal are all around even amid the sadness.

This Easter Season I encourage to you to notice and name the places and times you see resurrection, renewal, new energy, goodness at work in the world. Look for tiny Easters all around and you will see them.

God of Big Surprises and Ordinary Days, walk with us through this Easter Season. Open us to see you in each other and your creation. Remind us of your promises while surprising us as we experience new things. Our lives are not what we expected, Holy One, and we ask that you use us in this time to share your love with others. No matter what tomorrow brings, we will trust in you and give thanks. We know you are making all things new, and so we will wait and be ready. In the name of Jesus who lived and died and lives with you, we pray. Amen!

Maundy Thursday Prayer

Holy Week has long been one of my favorite weeks of the year. As a pastor, I loved gathering at the table with the congregation on this Holy Thursday. I was reluctant to write a prayer for today as this day will not include gathering around the communion tables at our churches. And then I realized I need this prayer because things are different. I need a reminder that Jesus will be there at all our tables dining with us no matter where we are. So wherever this Maundy Thursday finds you know that you are not alone because Jesus is with you and we are all together in spirit as we join in this sacrament at our own tables.

Loving God, Eveything feels different today. We aren’t in our churches or Fellowship Hall gathered around the communion table ready to hear the familiar words and taste the bread and drink from the cup. We miss that time to gather. We miss that sacred time to be together. We miss being called to come to your table.

And yet, maybe this unique Thursday is another opportunity to meet Jesus. We can meet him at our tables for one or two or three or twelve. We can meet him in our homes with whatever food and drinks makes up tonight’s communion.

So we ask your blessing on this food and drink that it may be for us the body and the blood of Jesus. We ask your blessing on us that we may be Jesus for each of us and for those in need.

We come to our tables asking for forgiveness for those who we have wronged. We come to our tables with hearts heavy for those we will not see tonight-send your healing to all who are ill. Send your spirit of peace for all who are weary. Send your love to all who are lonely. Come, Holy Spirit, come and be with us tonight.

In remembrance of you and your love for us, Jesus, we gather around our tables tonight praying for the time when we can gather together again. Hear our prayer, Gracious God. Hear our prayer. Amen.

Hope in Uncertain Times

Before this Lenten Season started, I planned to write a prayer each week of Lent and then special prayers for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Things in the USA are so odd that it seems wrong to write these words and pretend that we can or will celebrate as we usually do. And yet, we know that Easter will come without a full church and lilies and children searching for eggs and choirs singing their long practiced anthems and sunrise services and all the other traditions that make Easter so special. Easter will come as it came the first time…quietly and without fanfare. It is hard to prepare ourselves for that when that doesn’t sound like the Easters we have known. I am thinking of all who are currently serving churches. They are helping their congregations to do church in new ways and trying new things to meet the needs of those they serve. Keep them all in your prayers.

So where are you finding hope in these uncertain times? I’ll share with you what I am doing and also admit that it doesn’t always work. I have moments of fear and dread for those I love, for the work I love that I am doing in a new way, and for people around the world that I do not know and God has called me to love them anyway.

-Put down my phone. Shut off the tv news. The amount of information to which we have access is amazing and overwhelming. I am working on staying informed by checking the news in the morning and in the evening. I enjoy seeing what friends and family are doing on Facebook and also find it upsetting with all the news that is shared there, so sometimes I use my phone as a phone and call someone. Limit the information you view in a way that works for you.

-Spread Hope and Joy. I love getting mail, so I decided last week to start sending mail more regularly. Each day I am writing a card/note and sending it to someone. This daily ritual is bringing me hope and joy as I think of this special someone while writing to them. My hope is that receiving actual mail will bring joy to the receivers as well.

-Keep on Living. My husband said this to me last night when I was having a difficult moment. Then we spent the next half hour deciding where to hang some paintings and pictures in our home. We have lived here since Thanksgiving and have not hung anything on the walls yet. Doing something normal like this eased the worry and helped me to keep on living. (Also, please note we talked about where to hang things and nothing has yet been hung up, so this is not a call for perfection!).

Whatever you are doing in this time, it is enough. Be kind to yourself and each other.

Loving God, We are living in strange and frightening times. We know we are not the first people to live in times like these. Calm our fears. Send us your peace. Inspire us to do good however that is possible. Nothing seems normal, God, and we need you to assure us that you are here and we are loved. Hear us when we call out to you. Amen.

Maybe this will be hanging on the wall by the time you read this post!

Lent is Coming!

The season of Lent begins in a little over a week as Ash Wednesday is February 26. I looked back at how I have been practicing the season and what I have encouraged you to do in past Lenten Seasons. Now, is a good time think about how you will observe the season. Giving away 40 things in 40 days and not eating meat on Fridays have become customary practices for Lent in my household. This year I am also planning to return to my regular writing practice. Each week of Lent there will be a prayer posted to this blog to help all of us navigate this Lenten Season. I thank you for reading and praying with me as we once again follow Jesus through this important season in the church year. And I’d love to hear how you plan to observe the season of Lent.

Sleep Countdown

What rituals and family activities are important in your life? When I was growing up, my paternal grandmother taught us to count down the time to important events with a sleep countdown. She would ask how many more sleeps until we come visit or you come to visit us. I have passed along the sleep countdown to the next generation and taught Grandma’s great grandchildren to count down how many more sleeps until the big event. It does my heart good to continue my Grandmother’s method of counting down and to share it with her legacies.

So, as I countdown to a visit with my niece and nephew, I am thankful that my memories of my Grandmother live on in me and in others who carry on her traditions. I’d love to hear about the rituals and family activities that frame your life.

My grandmother holding her great granddaughter.

A November Ritual

Each year on November 14, I light a candle on a piece of dessert. It isn’t my birthday, and yet I blow out the candle. I do this for my best friend. November 14 is her birthday and for the last seven years she has not been alive to celebrate her birthday. So, I celebrate it for her. I make or prepare a dessert. I light a candle. I remember her and give thanks for our friendship. Then, I blow out the candle and enjoy that dessert. I tell stories about her to anyone who will listen. I laugh and cry. I miss her and wish she was here to enjoy her birthday dessert with me.

I share this with you because this yearly ritual is healing and helpful for me as I continue to grieve my friend. I encourage you to remember those you love who have died and find meaningful rituals to help you mark important days. If you have a special way you remember a loved one, I’d love to hear about it.

Loving God, When our hearts are breaking and we miss our loved ones, you are here. When another special day comes and our loved one isn’t here to celebrate, you are here. Be with us as we remember and give thanks. Be with us as we cry and ask why? However we honor those we love, be present with us, Gracious God. Amen.

This year’s birthday dessert.

Laugh Everyday

In the chaos of life, we all need reminders. This week my reminder came from a coloring book. Life is busy with many things that need doing. It can be easy to forget to stop. This week I colored this paper, and I laughed. So I encourage you to laugh everyday, it is good for you.

Creating God, What makes you laugh? Does a good joke make you laugh so hard you cry like it does for me? Is it children speaking their minds and saying what adults won’t say that make you chuckle? How about a prank or a gag? God, remind us of what makes us laugh and help us to laugh. When life is good, we need to laugh. When life is hard, we need to laugh. Inspire us with laughter today. Amen.

Liturgy for Luke 13: 10-17

Call to Worship

One-You are welcome here.

All-We are welcome here.

One-Jesus calls us to come as we are.

All-Jesus asks us to open our hearts and be ready to let him change us.

One-Come to this time of worship not knowing how God will speak to you today.

All-We come ready to hear God’s word and to follow Jesus where he leads.

Invocation-Too often, we put you into a small box and pretend we can easily describe you, Amazing God. You created the heavens and the earth. You love humans and you love fish, birds, and animals. Why do we try to shrink you down to a more manageable size when you are bigger than we can imagine? Help us to see you in each other and to hear your words in the music of this place. Help us to know you better through the Scriptures and the wonder of creation. Shape us and mold us, O God. Amen. 


Invitation to Offering-All that we have and all that we are is a gift from our Gracious and Loving God. Each week when we collect our offering we have an opportunity to respond to God’s goodness in our lives. Let us now give with kind and generous hearts trusting that what we give changes us and those who receive it.


Prayer of Dedication-Receive these tithes and offerings, Holy One, as a thank you for all you have given to us. We do not know the impact these gifts will have on people here in this place and our siblings around the world we will never meet. Multiply and use these gifts just as you use us to do your work in this your world. Amen. 

Hearing What Needs to Be Heard and a Prayer

This week I was talking with a friend who asked me how things are going. I replied with life is hard. And she said every time I have talked with you lately you said life is hard. She wasn’t arguing with me or disputing what I was saying. She was pointing out that she has been listening to me and has heard a common response from me over the last few months. 
This was a wake up call for me. It was a reminder to be aware of my words and outlook. I made myself step back and see why I kept saying the same thing. 
Since that time, I have been more aware of my answers. I add and plus a second word to describe how even in the midst of challenges life is good. Life is hard and beautiful. Life is hard and funny. Life is hard and wonderful. This small change has changed me and encouraged me to look for the good among the hard.
Gracious and Loving God, Thank you for the people you put into our lives to keep us on track. Open our ears to words we may not want to hear. Open our eyes to see the wonder of creation and the gift of life you give us each day. Open our mouths to sing your praises as we thank you for the hard and beautiful lives we lead. Give us the strength and courage and motivation to keep moving forward for you. Amen.

A beautiful art therapy project by my dear friend, Susan Harry.