Ideas You Can Use

Middle of the Night Prayer

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Recently, I found myself awake and unable to go back to sleep at 3:30 in the morning. I tried all my usual ways to encourage myself to go back to sleep and none of them worked. Instead of fretting over how I was going to make it through the work day with so little sleep, I decided to pray for people I know and those I do not know who are awake at this time of day.
Loving God,
Be with the caregivers of babies and young children who find themselves awakened in the middle of the night. Send your peace to mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and all other people who are awake because the schedules of babies and small children do not fit into a neat box. Grant them your compassion when they are exhausted. Grant them good rest for the times they get to sleep. And surround them with kind people who will help them through the difficult nights and days.
Be with those who work the overnight hours to keep us safe, healthy, warm or cool, and fed. Be with the night owls who enjoy the overnight shifts and be with the people who take those shifts for the extra money to try to make ends meet. Keep them safe on the roads and in their places of work. Help them to know that their hard work is appreciated.
Be with the caregivers to the ill and dying who are awake in the night. Send your peace to the caregivers and the ones receiving care. Send people into their lives to support them in this challenging time. And help them to hold onto hope for healing in this life or the next life.
Be with all who are awake because of worry or anxiety or stress or racing thoughts. Calm the mind and spirit. Send your spirit of peace upon all who are seeking peace this night. Remind each one that they are loved more than they know and you are always here.
Be with all who are awake and don’t even know why. Give them strength for the coming day.
God, for all who find themselves awake before the sun, we ask your blessing. Hear their prayers and answer them. Send your spirit of peace upon them and grant them a good rest soon. Amen.

It’s Okay to Cry

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It’s Okay to Cry
In my work as a hospice chaplain, I have the privilege to spend time with a variety of people. I learn from them. As I was sitting with a man who is reflecting on his life as his death nears, I asked him about his life. He shared-
God is good.
Time goes by so fast.
And I wonder if I always remembered to tell my people I love them.
Those are three good lessons to ponder and live.
And here is a fourth. I was sitting with a woman who has dementia and whose husband is dying. She has difficulty finding the words she wants to say. She is aware of the changes she is seeing in her spouse of many, many years. And as I was talking with her she began to cry. I said, “It’s okay to cry”, and she repeated the phrase over and over.
So today I hope you find strength, peace, and hope in the words of our elders who are nearing the end of their journey. I hope you’ll read these words and share them with others who need to hear them.
God is good.
Time goes by so fast.
And I wonder if I always remembered to tell my people I love them.
It’s okay to cry.

Bread for All!

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Today’s Gospel lesson begins this way, “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” -John 6:35. When I hear these words or gather around the communion table with a community of believers, I remember a story. One Sunday morning I was serving communion by intinction (each person gets a piece of bread or cracker and dips it into a cup of juice or wine). I love serving communion this way in my own community because I can call each person by name and remind them that this meal is for each and every one of them. A father and son came up to me and did not take bread and had nothing to dip in my cup. Thinking they were a little confused by the process I started to encourage them to get some bread for dipping. The Dad said to me in a very quiet voice, “We cannot take communion, so we come up and pretend. We cannot have gluten.” These words broke my heart. I continued to serve communion to the rest of the people in line, and yet I couldn’t get his words out of my mind. This table (Jesus’ table) is a place where no one should need to pretend. Each person is invited to come as they are and know they are loved. And we were not able to welcome these two.

Immediately after worship, I began an important conversation with people able to make the necessary changes. Conversations about the best way to move forward occurred. And it was decided that we should not single out those who need gluten-free bread, we would only offer gluten-free bread. It was not a smooth and easy process, and yet it was the right thing to do. I am thankful that after this change when I stood at the table and invited all to come forward I knew I meant it. No one would need to pretend.

This story reminds me that I need to look for roadblocks that I am causing others. I need to mean what I say. I need to accept people as they are and where they are. I need to remember when Jesus says, “I am the bread of life”, it means bread that all can eat and enjoy.

Hosea 10:12 Calling Us to Worship and Sending Us out to Serve

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Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap steadfast love;
Break up your fallow ground;
For it is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. -Hosea 10:12

Hosea appears four times in the lectionary. The verse I am referencing today does not appear in the lectionary. That means you could attend church every Sunday for three years and never hear this verse. This verse is just one example of why some pastors decide to go off lectionary and explore stories and verses that are seldom heard.

Hosea (like all the prophets) is not an easy book to read. Hosea speaks to the people who have been unfaithful to God. When I read this book, the verse I kept coming back to was Hosea 10:12. Maybe it is because I grew up in farming communities and have relatives who farmed. Maybe it was the action verbs calling me into service. I read this verse over and over and over. And I pondered how to use it and how to share it.

This verse would make a perfect call to worship or benediction as it challenges us to examine how we are living and return to God. It would be a great discussion verse for a Sunday School class of any age or youth group night. It would be a great verse to read while breaking ground at a community garden. For self or group reflection, you might turn the verses into questions-Where can I sow righteousness? How can I reap steadfast love? What fallow ground do I need to break up? How, when, where, and why is it time for me to seek the Lord?

I encourage you to spend some time with these words and see how they can influence you.

 

Seeing Psalm 23 with New Eyes

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Seeing Psalm 23 with New Eyes
When we hear something familiar, sometimes we stop listening. We think I’ve heard this before and I know it. In church we might think, I don’t need to listen because I grew up with this text. I understand. Our sacred texts were not meant to be read once or twice and ignored forevermore. Instead we were meant to immerse ourselves in these words and see what new meaning comes to us. We need to listen with our ears, our minds, and our hearts to hear and learn how God is revealing God’s own self to us in this place and time.
When I first thought about this way of looking at the Scripture, I thought it would be good for a kid’s time (children’s sermon) during worship. As I reflected on it more, I thought youth and adults need to have fun with Scriptures too. This could be applied to youth group, any age Sunday School class, a Bible Study group, in your own personal devotion time or even in place of the sermon one Sunday. So many options exist.
My idea is simple with so many ways to change it up to fit your circumstances. The simplest application is giving everyone a sheet of white paper and some crayons. Encourage them to listen while you read the Scripture (in this case, Psalm 23) and then use the paper to capture their illustration. You might read it a few times. You could read it a verse at a time and encourage everyone to keep adding to the illustration.
Of course, you could do this with play dough or pipe cleaners or fabric scraps or magazines and scissors or out in nature with leaves and sticks or with trash you collect while walking outside. The whole point of this idea is to take something that seems so familiar and help ourselves to see it with new eyes.
Make yourself new to us in old, familiar words. Open us to seeing you in new ways. Give us the courage to be creative and listen to our hearts. Lead us where you want us to go and at the end of the day bring us to a place of rest beside green pastures and still waters. Amen.

Getting Back on Track This Lenten Season

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Today is Ash Wednesday. This is the first of our 40 day journey toward Easter. There are many ways to observe this season, and I invite you to consider waiting, using post-its, or whatever method works for you to use this time intentionally to grow in your faith. I will be removing 40 things from my home as I do each Lent. And, I will be getting back on track with a few spiritual practices that I have been neglecting. So on this Ash Wednesday, I ask for forgiveness for the ways I have fallen behind in what I intend to do. This Lenten Season will be a time to reset, begin again, and extend the same grace to myself as I extend to others.

However you plan to observe this season I hope this time will help you grow in your faith and strength your relationship with the Creator. Peace be to you, this Lenten Season.

I Love Lists!

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I admit it. I love lists. I love making lists. I love crossing things off my list. On my computer and on my google drive are countless lists from days gone by. I came across this list from 2012 that made me smile.

To Do This Year!

 

Clean out master bedroom closet

R’s life insurance

Clean out guest room closet

Clean out cabinets under bathroom sinks

Find solution for office!

Clean out drawers in island

Clean out drawers in coffee table

love your husband

buy him awesome presents

 

Since we no longer live in that same house, you might guess that I have accomplished all those things simply by moving to a new location. Not true. The closets need to be cleaned out again. Rich’s life insurance should be investigated and possibly updated. Our office space needs decluttering and a solution. We no longer have that same island, and the coffee table drawers are full of a variety of surprises. And it is obvious that my husband found my list and added the last two items.

I share this with you to make your smile, and as a reminder that things change and things remain the same. No matter how many lists I make I will always need to clean out a closet or two. No matter what house I place my coffee table in, those drawers are going to need to be cleaned out. If I leave a list out, my beloved husband is going to add his two cents to it. So embrace the new and the old. Make a new list or add on to one that already exists.

As this new year in the church begins on Sunday, remember you are loved more than you know. Go out and share that love with everyone you meet! Be loved and be love! Notice those around you this Advent season, so we may be prepared for the arrival of the Savior in just a few weeks.

Letting Go of the Stuff We Love

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This week a fixture in my living room for the last 13 years moved on to a new home. I wrote this on Facebook to commemorate the occasion.

After 13 years of faithful service, it is time to say good-bye to my dear friend, the purple sofa! Thanks for being a comfortable place to sit, sleep, watch tv, read and enjoy many a cup of tea! You were sat upon by friends and family and were the site of our first kiss! Although my husband never loved your delightful purple color, I will miss you and fondly remember all the times you were present for life’s important moments!

The act of giving away my lovely sofa made me reflect on all the stuff I have and my attachment to it. Don’t worry! I am not getting rid of everything or encouraging you to do the same. Instead, I am thinking about the season in which things are with us and how we discern when it is time for them to move on or be with someone else.

As you look around your home, what do you see? How long have some of these things been part of your life? What moments have they witnessed? Do they still bring you joy? How is your stuff part of your story?

Creator of All, We are attached to our stuff. We move it. We live with it. We love it. Help us to be thankful for what we have for the time we have it. Help us to be responsible citizens of creation who share with others and do not waste. Help us to pass along what needs to find a new home. God this is hard, holy work and so we ask for your help. Deliver us from our stuff and help us to know when we have enough. Amen.

Youth Ministry Overnight Essentials

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Years of working in youth ministry have taught me many lessons. I’ll share one with you. Invest in the necessary items to make sleeping away from home easier. This will be slightly different for each person. Here are some essentials for me.
-A fun sleeping bag. This Star Wars Tauntaun sleeping bag is a gift from my husband. When I use it while not sleeping at home, it always makes me think of him while staying warm.
-A good air mattress. Do not try to rough it by sleeping on the floor at a lock-in or mission trip. Buy a good air mattress and use it.
-Comfy Pajamas. Sleep in comfort and style with sleepwear that makes you smile. Remember to pack something that will keep you warm or cool (depending on the season) and still be appropriate for spending the night with a crowd. I’m enjoying these pajamas which are a souvenir from last summer’s Alaska trip.
-Board Games. Nothing says quality time with youth like a board games. I recommend you keep your own personal board games at home and only bring what you want to be used.
-Secret Snack. Whatever you need to help you through the overnight and next morning, bring it. Coffee, tea, chocolate, etc.
What would you add to this list of must haves for a night way from home with a crowd of your favorite youth?

Youth Ministry Conference Questions

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This weekend I and a good friend are leading a workshop entitled “Balancing Marriage, Ministry, and Bi-Vocational Life” at a Youth Leader Conference. This week I have been pondering these questions as they relate to my ministry. I encourage you to consider how you would answer them (change the wording if needed) as you seek to live our your faith in the world.

What do you wish you could go back in time and tell yourself?
What do you wish you had known?
What is the best part of youth ministry?
What is the hardest part of youth ministry?
Why in the world are you still doing this?
What wisdom have you gleaned from your difficult days and years of experience that you want to share with others?
What gets you through the hard days?
Any tips or tricks you’d like to share?
How does your work affect your family/spouse?
Talk about what it is like to do this work while single.
What boundaries/time management skills are essential for this work?
What surprised you most about youth ministry?
Blessings on your week as you spread joy and love in your corner of the world.
Photo taken on youth ministry beach retreat where I was very cold, and
some of my youth were probably swimming in the ocean!