Prayers and More Prayers

A November Ritual

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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.

Prayers for Our Veterans

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Recently, I was asked to pray at a local service for veterans. These are the prayers that I shared for that gathering.

Holy One,
We are thankful to call this country home. Today we gather to honor and remember those brave individuals who kept and continue to keep this country free. Most of us will never be able to understand the challenges faced by those who serve. Open our ears to hear the stories of those in our armed services when and if they want to tell their stories. Open our eyes to notice the needs of our veterans. Open our hearts to welcome the veterans back to this country we all love. Be present with us in this time, Holy One, as you are present with our veterans and those currently serving. Amen.



Eternal One, we are grateful for this time today to be able to remember and give thanks for all of our veterans. Remind us to be thankful for our veterans everyday not just on special days like today. Send your blessings and love on our veterans and their families as we continue to acknowledge the gifts that they shared for our country. Thank you, Eternal One, for your love for all your beloved children and may we share that love and compassion with each other. Amen.

Celebrate with Me!

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Today I am celebrating 15 years of ordained ministry.

On this day 15 years ago, I was surrounded by family and friends and colleagues in ministry in one of the churches that raised me. After years of hard work, education, and training, we gathered together to worship and give thanks to God for my call to ministry. While I planned the service (including music and Scripture I love), the service was a time of worship with a focus on God.

In the fifteen years since that day, I have served three churches in three different states and now am serving as a hospice chaplain. I have led confirmation retreats, stayed up too late during youth lock-ins, laughed with children, preached countless sermons, served communion while reminding each person present that each one is welcome at the table and a beloved child of God, taught many Sunday School and youth group lessons, listened to so many stories and kept confidences, been invited into people’s homes where I was treated like family, and also participated in more than a few meetings. How do you sum up 15 years? I have been privileged to watch children grow into youth and now into adults. I have cried with you when loved ones have died. I have baptized children and youth and officiated wedding and funerals. I have been inspired by the faith I have witnessed in people of faith of all ages.

And despite that long list, so many things and events went unmentioned. I could talk for hours about mission trips or games of sardines or most memorable memorial services. Instead, I will thank you for whatever part you have played in this journey I have been on for these past fifteen years. Thank you!

God, I am grateful for my call to ordained ministry. It has been a challenge and a joy to serve so many different people over these past fifteen years. Thank you for the strength to continue on and to follow where you lead. Thank you for the surprises that meet me each day. Continue to be with those you love who have been part of my journey. With gratitude for all that has happened that has made me who I am today, I look forward to the next fifteen years knowing you, Gracious God, will be sustaining and equipping me. Amen.

Praying for Sleep

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For as long as I can remember, I have been a great sleeper. Not just good, a great sleeper. I would fall asleep quickly when the lights went out and sleep until morning. I could take a nap on the weekend and still sleep at night. I could sleep in the car, on a train, or an airplane. Sleeping came easy to me.
Now I find myself in a season of life where this is not the norm for me anymore. I am up in the middle of the night most nights lately. Sometimes only for a short while and other nights for hours. While I hope this is a passing phase, I am missing my identity as a great sleeper. 


In the middle of the night while I am awake, I alternate between trying to go back to sleep and attempting to be productive. I read. I write. I pray. I worry about things outside my control. I ponder how to fix major and minor problems. I get up for a drink of water or cup of tea. And I hope for the time when a full night of sleep will become a regular occurrence again.


God of all hours, you hear our prayers no matter what time they come to you. Bring precious sleep to all in need of it. Soothe our worries and calm our fears. Fill us with the peace that passes all understanding. Hold us in the palm of your hand until rest returns and when morning comes may we wake feeling refreshed and ready for the new day. Amen.

Prayer of Confession (Luke 17: 11-19)

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Call to Confession-Like the ten with leprosy, let us cry out to Jesus to notice us and have mercy on us.

Prayer of Confession (in unison)-Jesus, we need you today. We need you to see us. We need you to recognize the real us. You know our faults and our failures. You know the things we did that we wish we had not done and the things we neglected to do that may have lightened the load for another. See us as we are. And then, Jesus, we cry out to you “have mercy on us”. As we pray for your mercy, hear now the silent confessions of our own hearts. (time of silent prayer). Jesus, you hear us and you see us. You hear what we are willing to say out loud and the prayers that we hold in our hearts to afraid to let anyone else know. You see and hear and you love us still. Have mercy on us, Loving Savior. Amen.

Words of Assurance-Like the ones who were healed, we have a choice. We can return to Jesus and say thank you for the gift we have been given or not. The good news I share with you is this-you are a beloved child of God who is seen and heard and forgiven. The mercy of Jesus has been poured out upon you. And now, it is your time to decide how you will respond to that gift. Using the example of the one leper who returned, you too can lead a life steeped in thanksgiving and gratitude for God’s love and forgiveness in your life.

Laugh Everyday

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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

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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

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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.


Early Morning Memories

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If you know me in real life, you know I am not a morning person. I can get up early in the morning, however, I prefer to wait until the sun is up before I get up. This morning I was up before the sun as was my hard working husband. We leave for a much needed vacation soon, and have a long to do list that must be accomplished before we leave. So in order to check things off that list, we got up before dawn.

One important task for me was to ensure that my Woodstock Windchimes from my best friend were carefully moved before work on the deck began. I don’t know how long ago she gave these to me. I do know that they have hung outside my each place I have lived and called home. When I hear them, I think of her and I smile.

So taking them down is one way I say good-bye to a home. We have purchased a new home where new memories will be made. Our move is just across town to a beautiful new place that will be a lovely home for myself, my husband, and my wonderful mother-in-law. We have much to celebrate as we prepare to create new memories, and we all will be bringing with us (too much stuff and) many memories. This morning as I packed my wind chimes I gave thanks for the people who have walked this journey with me as well as the people who will join me on the next chapter of my journey.

Creator God, You made us in your image and you gave us the ability to be in relationship and to remember. Thank you for those amazing gifts. In changing times, you are our constant companion. In challenging situations, you seek to steady us. Thank you, God, for memories and for the time to make new ones. Thank you for this day, and thank you for the gift of life. Amen.

A Day of Rest Prayer

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Life has been very busy lately. I haven’t taken the time to write on this blog. My to do list keeps getting longer and longer. Major changes are happening in my life (good ones which will be the focus of other writings). So with all this to do, guess what I did on Saturday? I went to the beach with a friend. We sat together with our toes in the sand. We talked, and we sat in silence and watched the waves and all the people.

Some might say this was a wasted day. Sure, I did not cross one thing off my to do list, and yet I do not consider it a waste at all. If God took a day off to rest, then we should too. (Genesis 2:1-3). I came back from my day of rest renewed. I heard music that made me smile and saw dolphins swimming in the ocean. I sat in wonder amazed at creation and God’s love for all of us.

Life is busy and we all need time to rest. So find your time. Mark it on your calendar if needed. And rest in a way and a place that is meaningful to you.

God of All Creation, You created this amazing world and all who live in it, and then you rested. Why do we think that we are more important than you? Why do we think there is no time for rest? As those created in your image, remind us to rest. Remind us to find those things or places or people that bring us calm and joy and to seek them out regularly. Open our eyes to all that may renew our spirits whether it be prayer and quiet time, a walk in nature, loud music to sing along with in the car, a good meal with friends, a good book, or anything meaningful to bring rest. With you as our example, Loving God, we will strive to find more regular times for rest. Amen.

My niece in 2017. We were preparing to get off our cruise ship, and she jumped on the chair and closed her eyes. She said-I just need to relax one more time before we leave the boat.