Ideas You Can Use

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!

Take Time for Reflection (Confirmation)

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Too often, we rush from one activity to the next without allowing ourselves any time to reflect on our experiences. We need to slow down and look over what we have done and then move on to the next thing. These are questions I shared at the final session of a confirmation class to give us time to reflect on what we had done together and what we would do next.

I hope you’ll use these questions in your confirmation classes or adapt them to help yourself reflect on an ending before moving on to your next thing.

What is left?

Any last minute questions?

What do you wish we had done?

What was the best part of confirmation?

What was the worst part of confirmation?

What would you change?

What books of the Bible did you read? And what did you think of them?

Say a little something about your time with mentors?

What did you think about the meeting of the church you attended?

What about your service project?

So where do we go from here? After confirmation, you have the opportunity to be a member of this congregation. We’ve talked about what you plan to do as a member. In youth group, we filled out the time and talents surveys.

What are your hopes for your church?

What do you think you’ll remember about confirmation in 10 years?

Celebrating Earth Day with Faithful Families by Traci Smith

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In my work with children, youth, and families, I was always searching for great ideas and resources to share with others. One of the resources that I highly recommend is Traci’s Smith, Faithful Families. In this new book, you’ll find all the information you need to create a variety of spiritual practices for your family or for yourself. My review of the book will be shared soon, and in the meantime, I’d like to highlight one of the practices from the book.

Earth Day is coming up soon and Traci does a wonderful job of helping us combine celebrating Earth Day with God’s love of creation. (In fact, all of the practices are ways of acknowledging God’s presence and our connectedness to God and each other in our regular, daily lives).

Earth Day-Feeding the Birds begins with a brief reflection and introduction. “This practice is designed to help children honor creation every year on Earth day by reading the creation story and making a bird feeder” (56). This practice is recommended for ages 4 and up and can be completed with only pipe cleaners and O-shaped cereal. You can make this bird feeder in about 10 to 15 minutes. You’ll want to gather your family outside on Earth Day with a Bible and bird feeder making supplies. Read Genesis 1 together. Next you’ll talk about creation as a family. You can use the question provided like “What is your favorite part of creation?” (56) or use your own questions. To create the bird feeder you simply string the cereal on the pipe cleaner and bend it into the shape of a ring. Place your bird feeder on a tree and say a prayer together.

Each practice includes notes and variations to help you. The practices are written as a script so you can easily follow along or pass the book to older children or other family members to share the reading responsibility. The script includes options for everything you need to say including prayers, introductions, and questions. As you can see from the Earth Day practice, the intention of the practices in this book is to make it easy for your family to find ways to “create sacred moments at home.”

I hope you’ll spend some time out in creation on Earth Day creating sacred moments. And I hope you’ll add the book, Faithful Families,  to your family library and your church library. For more information about this book and many other resources, please visit http://www.traci-smith.com.

 

 

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of this book.

Look for Jesus This Holy Week

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Look for Jesus This Holy Week
This week can be difficult for people of faith. We know what is coming next Sunday, and we look with joy to Easter. And yet, we can get so busy looking ahead to what comes next that we aren’t present in what is happening now. The stories of this week are familiar to those who have spent their whole lives in the church and less familiar to those who haven’t.
This week I encourage you to look for Jesus. Look for him in celebrations and parades and times of joy. Look for him eating with his friends and laughing. Look for him among those whose friends have abandoned them. Look for him among the dying. Look for him among the lonely. And finally, look for him among the living, in surprising places, and in familiar places. If you keep your eyes open this week, you just might see Jesus in many, many people.
Loving God, We are looking for Jesus this week. Guide our steps, so we may see him in the people we meet, in the people we ignore and overlook, and hopefully in ourselves. Change our paths and routines, Holy One, so we follow where Jesus leads. Be with us this week as it is so hard to understand and comprehend the events of this holy week. Open our eyes to see the beauty and tragedy of this time. In the name of Jesus who first walked this journey, we pray. Amen.