Writings

A Prayer for Our Offerings

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When I served in churches, I would be asked to lead the prayer after the offering very often. Sunday after Sunday I tried to find a new way to say the same thing. Everything we have is a gift from God and at this point in our worship service we are returning what we think is ours to God. Some weeks I would write out the words before worship. Some weeks I would pray the Holy Spirit would be with me as I closed my eyes and prayed without notes. Some of my churches had the congregation pray the words together which meant they had to be written out and in the bulletin. In my files, I found these words I wrote which sum up what I hope I prayed every week.

 

Gracious God,

We present to you our tithes and offering knowing you have great plans for the money we give.  We, also, offer ourselves for your service knowing you have great plans for each of us.  Use what we have given and use us to share your love with this hurting and hopeful world.  Amen.

Paddington Movie Reflection

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I have fond memories of spending part of every summer with my grandparents. When we would stay with G and P, my sister and I would sleep in the bedroom with the red carpet on the bed that was my Dad’s. I loved this bed because the headboard was a bookshelf. And on that bookshelf was a set of Paddington Bear books. Grandma used to read to us every night. When I got bigger, I got to be the reader. I’m not sure how many times we made it through those books or if we ever finished one before it was time to go home. I remember the note around his neck, “Please look after this bear” and how Paddington would get into trouble accidentally of course.
When the Paddington movie came out a few years ago, I wanted to see it in the theaters. Sadly, I did not see the movie until this week. In the comfort of my own living room I was transported to Darkest Peru where Paddington lived. I saw as he met the Brown Family. I watched him make mess after mess. And I smiled and laughed. It is silly and fun and reminded me of evenings spent reading books at 510. If you imagined what Paddington Bear would look like on the big screen, give this movie a try. You’ll be reminded that home and family do not look the same for everyone, and that’s okay.
The movie ends with this line by Paddington Bear, “Mrs. Brown says that in London everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in. I think she must be right-because although I don’t look like anyone else, I really do feel at home. I’ll never be like other people, but that’s alright, because I’m a bear. A bear called Paddington.”

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?

Psalm 90:2 and a Reflection

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My days are spent visiting people. Some are happy to see me and want to tell me all their stories. Others say very little to me. A recent visit has stayed with me because my hospice patient was so peaceful. When I entered her room she was laying in her bed with her eyes closed and her hands folded on her chest. The expression on her face was one of peace. She wasn’t smiling and she wasn’t frowning. She looked content. 
I said hello and introduced myself. I asked if I might read some Scriptures because I knew from previous visits that this was something she enjoyed. She agreed. When I began to read, she closed her eyes and folded her hands. She assumed the posture of listening and receiving God’s Word. It was inspiring. After reading a few passages, we talked about how we do not spend enough time reading and listening to Scriptures. We talked about all that is contained in this book we love. And she asked me to read more. So I read on and then I prayed for her. 
I left that visit feeling as if her peace had rubbed off on me. I felt calmer. My outlook felt brighter. I wanted to spend more time in Scripture. So today I thank God for the wonderful woman whose peaceful spirit inspired me and urged me to spend more time reading the Bible.
 
Loving God, Thank you for the people who enter our lives to teach us, to inspire us, to guide us, and to love us. Open our eyes to the opportunities we have to teach, inspire, guide, and love each other. It is so easy to get wrapped up in our busy schedules. Slow us down, Holy One, so we may see you in the people around us. Slow us down and bring us your peace. Amen. 
 
Before the mountains were born,
    before you birthed the earth and the inhabited world—
    from forever in the past
    to forever in the future, you are God. -Psalm 90:2

Thank you, God, for summertime!

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Thank you, God, for summertime!
Last weekend, my husband and I went kayaking. Finally the kayak we purchased in the middle of winter left our yard and floated across the water. It isn’t a long trip from our backyard to the water, and yet, it took more than six months for this to happen. As we paddled around our lake/pond (depends on who you ask), we saw turtles, a heron, so many geese, and a frog. It was peaceful and beautiful.
This is my yearly call to go outside. Get out and enjoy God’s amazing creation. Sit and read a book outside. Go for a walk. Head to the beach. Come visit me and we’ll go kayaking together. Take a drive and roll the windows down! Go explore, enjoy, and thank God for the amazing place we get to live.
Creating God, Thank you for this world you gave us to tend and cultivate. Thank you for plants and animals with whom we share this planet. Thank you for days of sunshine and thunderstorms. When the temperature warms up, coax us back outside so we can enjoy and experience the world around us. Thank you for sunscreen and big hats! Thank you for quiet time alone in creation and gatherings with others to celebrate. You have entrusted this planet to us, so remind us to enjoy it and care for it. Amen.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

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Happy Birthday, Grandpa!
Today is my maternal grandfather’s 94th birthday. On my side of the family, he is the last grandparent. All four of my grandparents played a large part in my life. My sister and I would spend a month with each set of grandparents in the summer. With this Grandpa, we’d be on the farm. We would pull weeds from the garden and get paid one penny for every nail we picked up from the driveway or machine shop. We’d can and freeze fruits and vegetables for the winter. We would play with the cats and one dog. Grandma would drive the pickup truck out into the field so we could give Grandpa and the “hired man” a cool drink of water. We would play cards in the evening while watching tv from the satellite dish. We would shoot off fireworks on the 4th of July and ride a bike in the town parade. We would swim in the creek (pronounced crick) and ride the three wheeled bicycle. And every Sunday we’d go to church.
Today the song, Faith of our Fathers, has been playing in my head. And I would have used the gender neutral, Faith of the Martyrs, from the New Century Hymnal, but I wasn’t thinking about those ancestors in our faith. Today, I’m thinking about and thankful for the regular people in my life who lived out their faith and passed it on to the next generation. I’m thankful for my grandfather’s 94 years of life, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to see him soon to celebrate with him.
Faithful God,
Thank you for the people in our lives who live our their faith in quiet, simple ways. Thank you for the people we see in church each week. Thank you for those who take us under their care and show us how to love you. Thank you for grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, cousins, siblings, both those who are our blood relatives and our chosen families. Open our eyes and our spirits to the ways we can share our faith in simple ways too.
Loving God,
Thank you for Grandpa. Be with all the older adults who aren’t able to live in their homes anymore. Watch over them when their families cannot be present. Remind them they are loved by you and by families and friends. We give thanks for those who make it their life’s work to care for others. For another year of life, we give you thanks. Amen.
Grandpa’s First Selfie!

A Prayer for Technology And All of Us Who Use It!

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I wish I could say I’ve unplugged lately because I knew it would be good for me. Sadly, no! The truth is I received a text alerting me that I was nearing my data limit. As someone who refuses to give any unnecessary money to my cell service provider, I turned off my data for the rest of my billing cycle.
Here’s what I learned-
Without my GPS, I had to pay attention. I followed directions, watched for street signs, and kept my eyes open. Also, I turned around in driveways and met a nice man on a quiet street who directed me to his neighbor’s home knowing his neighbor was my new hospice patient. Lest you think this is a HIPPA violation, the man said, “If you are looking for _____’s house, it is right there.”
I reach for my phone whenever I have an extra moment or things are quiet. Without access to social media, I listened more. I looked people in the eye. At first I was picking up my phone all the time until I realized, it was only a phone and I couldn’t access the internet. Soon the habit was unlearned.
As I reflect on my unplugged time, I plan to keep this practice up for periods of time each day. I enjoyed being more engaged with those around me, and I recognize the importance of social media in keeping me connected with those I love.
Loving God,
Help me to put down my phone and see creation and the people around me. Help me to acknowledge the ways technology helps me and hinders me. Grant me discernment so I may use my time wisely. When my plans change, open my eyes to the ways small changes in my life can become life changing spiritual practices. Amen.

A Prayer for The Distracted

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A Prayer for The Distracted
On a recent rainy Saturday afternoon, I sat down with my computer planning to be productive. Not too long later, I was enjoying this video. When I done singing along with the video, I attempted to get back to my original plan. In the midst of working on my project, I did the dishes and laundry as almost anything seemed more enjoyable than what I needed to do.
How do you handle distractions? How can we remain attentive to what we need to be doing? How can we pay attention to what distracts us? Where might the Holy Spirit be working in distractions and calling us to that which is more important? How do we discern what is an interruption that can be ignored and an interruption which requires our immediate attention?
God of All Our Days,
We are busy people with much to do. Disrupt our busyness, so we see you working in our lives. Surprise us! Awaken us to new possibilities. And when we are need to focus, calm the noises and worries before they overtake us. Help us to be present with those who need us when they need us. Guide us, Holy One, for there is much to be done and much we can leave undone. With you, we know the difference. Amen.

Theology of Stuff

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On a recent Sunday afternoon, I did what everyone does on Sunday afternoons. I typed my name into google to see what popped up. Imagine my surprise at seeing something I’d written that was published on New Sacred in December 2015. A lot was happening in late 2015 in my life, and somehow I missed that this piece was published.

Better late than never, we can celebrate the publication of this piece and hope it inspires me to write for them again. Enjoy the Theology of Stuff.

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.