When the Chalice Burns Low
|
|
- Derek Nicholson
- 5 years ago
- Views:
Transcription
1 When the Chalice Burns Low A Sermon by John Parker Manwell The Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church February 22, 2009 Reading by Wendell Berry (Hymnal, #483) When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. Sermon Rachel Remen, the pediatrician turned counselor to those living with cancer, tells this story: Josh, a highly skilled cancer surgeon, came to her seeking help because he was depressed. I can barely make myself get out of bed most mornings, he said. I hear the same complaints day after day, I see the same diseases over and over again. I just don t care anymore. I need a new life. Yet, Remen thought to herself, through his extraordinary skill, he had given just that to many hundreds of others. Sometimes, she reflects, new life comes to us simply in seeing our existing lives through new eyes. She therefore suggests to people like Josh that they take time at the end of each day to review their day, and record in a journal the answers to three questions: What surprised me today? What moved me or touched me? And what inspired me? She suggested that to Josh. He was doubtful. But when she reminded him that it would be cheaper than Prozac, he agreed to try. We ll come back to Josh later in the sermon. 1
2 * * * I know that some of us here today struggle with depression, like Josh. But more of us may be at our wit s end in other ways. Sometimes, as for Wendell Berry, it s our despair for the world we re leaving to our children. Will global warming change their world beyond recognition, bring catastrophe? What about nuclear weapons? Are our efforts for justice really making any difference? Sometimes, as for Wordsworth, it s our realization that we ve become so wrapped up in our material world that we ve lost our connection with the natural beauty all around us. In the text of our anthem this morning, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers. Our eyes are absorbed by the glitter of celebrity and advertising, and there s always music in our ears. We re caught up in getting and spending, always feeling we need just a little more to keep our lives together. Sometimes, it s just the sheer pace of our lives, as we rush from event to event, as we shuttle our children from lesson to lesson, sport to sport. We can t even relax in the comfort of our homes, for we re occupied with task after task we ve taken on for the groups we belong to, even this church. And sometimes, as with Josh, it s our sheer exhaustion at trying to help more people than we can handle deal with needs which seem more than anyone can handle, with no end, no change in sight. New cases keep coming in even as old ones are closed, and the world seems unaffected by what we do. All too often, it s more than one of these things that press in upon us until we are ready to collapse. We are burned out. Like Wendell Berry, we need the rest and respite of still waters, far from the busy-ness of our days. 2
3 Our situation may at first seem uniquely a product of our times, but it was seven hundred years ago that the poet Rumi warned, Sit down and listen You are drunk And this is the edge of the roof So it is for us, today, so very often. We feel pushed to the very edge of the roof, if indeed we re not ready to jump of our own accord to escape it all. How can reclaim our dreams, and our very lives? There are no easy answers. Burn-out always confronts us with the challenge of taking a fresh look at our lives. Why are we doing what we re doing? What s most important in our lives? The good news is that if we can find the courage and the discipline to take this fresh look, we ll understand our situation better. Getting in touch with our hearts, we ll be able to put first things first, and drop or turn down things we now see as less important. We ll find ourselves seeing other people with fresh eyes. We ll rediscover the hope that first led us into what we do or where we are. Best of all, we ll realize that we need time and space in our lives so that we can reflect on these things not just when our lives are so far gone that we face burn-out, but every week, maybe every day, maybe even throughout the day in everything we do, so we won t have to cope again with burn-out. It s this spiritual challenge which I want to address this morning. When I feel pushed to my limits by the demands of ministry, I try to remind myself why I do it. Always the answer comes back to me as I recall how thrilled I was by the call to ministry I felt as I first set off to seminary, some twenty years 3
4 ago. I wanted to grapple with the great questions of religion. I wanted to listen, deeply, to people s stories and their hopes. I wanted to build strong and close religious communities. I recall this excitement, and I feel fresh energy. I realize that it is when I have failed to keep these possibilities foremost, failed to attend to the hopes that bring us together, that I have felt most weary and frustrated. A calling may lead us into a new career, but more often it may lead us to bring new eyes to the work we already do and the life we already live. Not all of us may even think in terms of calling, but all of us can think in terms of longing, the longing of our hearts. What drew us to have children? To take up the work we do, or to keep coming to this church? What dreams called out to us and kept us going? Thomas Kelly, a Quaker philosopher, wrote about the struggle we so often feel to set priorities among the many issues of injustice which surround us. Every social concern, he said, has a foreground and a background. In the foreground is the special task, uniquely illuminated, toward which we feel a special yearning and care. In the background is a second level, or layer, of universal concern for all the multitude of good things that need doing. Toward them all we feel kindly, but we are dismissed from active service in most of them.... We cannot die on every cross, nor are we expected to. 1 Thus, when we feel overwhelmed by the world s demands, we would do well to ask ourselves, what among them calls uniquely to us? What, for us, as novelist and minister Frederick Buechner once famously asked, is the place where [our] deep gladness and the world s deep hunger meet? It s when we find that place that we feel called. 1 Thomas R. Kelly, A Testament of Devotion (New York: Harper & Row, 1949), p
5 Kelly s invitation to listen to our hearts can also help us in sorting out other pressures in our lives, for example those that appeal to our vanity or need for material security or escape. Is that longing we feel for the latest toys from Apple, a fancier SUV or a seductive GPS, really our deepest longing? Or on deeper reflection will we find that the lure of more of whatever the world is pushing upon us is outweighed by a deeper longing for that place of deep gladness in our hearts, as we connect with some small piece of the world s great need? When we truly listen to our hearts, we may realize that we can take joy in helping people, one at a time, even though we can t see any measurable reduction in the world s great suffering. We may resonate with the parable of the person encountered on the beach, throwing stranded starfish back into the ocean. When asked how she could possibly make a difference when the beach was littered with so many starfish, she responded, Made a difference to that one, didn t I? Listening to our hearts can help us sort out even the conflicting demands we may feel right here at Paint Branch. We may wonder, how can we say No when the need is obvious and it s our friends who ask? Folks in my generation may feel it our duty. But it s not our duty to ignore the call of our hearts. Always we ll be happier and more effective, if we listen to our hearts, and respond to the church s many requests with a passionate yes to those things which feed our souls and tap our gifts and sometimes a regretful no to things which feel more like duty than yearning. If all of us do this, the church will work pretty well, for between us all we usually have the time and the gifts that are needed. Listening to our hearts may be new for a lot of us, as it was for Josh. But Josh did not give up. He kept on looking for those things in his daily round which surprised him, touched or moved him, or inspired him. His story continues. * * * 5
6 Remen tells us that he called her back just a few days later, and he sounded irritated. Rachel, he said, I have done this for three days now and the answer is always the same: Nothing. Nothing and nothing. I don t like to fail at things. Is there a trick to this? I laughed, she writes. Perhaps you are still looking at your life in old ways. Try looking at the people around you as if you were a novelist, a journalist, or maybe a poet. Look for the stories. There was silence. Right, he said, but it was several weeks before he mentioned the journal again in their sessions. When he did, he said that at first, the only thing that might surprise him was that a cancer had grown or shrunk by a few millimeters; the only inspiring thing was that an experimental drug had worked. But eventually, he began to see people who had found their way through great pain and darkness by following a thread of love, people who had sacrificed parts of their bodies to affirm the value of being alive, people who had found ways to triumph over pain, suffering, and even death. She found herself moved. Gradually, he began to notice these things not just at the end of the day, looking back, but as they happened. He found his relationship with his patients changing. Maybe that showed up in my tone of voice.... People seemed to pick up on it because their attitude seemed changed, too. And after a while, I just began talking to people about more than their cancer.... I began talking about what I could see. He spoke of a young woman with ovarian cancer who had undergone major surgery and debilitating chemotherapy. In the midst of a follow-up visit, he said, he saw her as if for the first time, with her two young children around her. Both were well-scrubbed, well-fed and obviously well-loved. Aware of how she was suffering, he found himself deeply moved, and told her what a great mother 6
7 she was. There is something very strong in you. I think that power could maybe heal you some day, he told her. She smiled at him, and he realized he had never seen her smile before. Thank you, she said. That means a lot to me. Soon he began to ask other patients questions like, What has sustained you, and where do you find your strength? questions he had not been taught to ask at medical school, yet things he now really wanted to hear about. I knew cancer very well, he told Remen, but I did not know people before. Remen writes: He has always been a superb surgeon whose outcome data are remarkable, but in the past few months for the first time people have begun to thank him for their surgery, and some have even given him gifts. He sat in silence for a few minutes, and then he reached into his pocket and brought out a beautiful stethoscope engraved with his name. A patient gave me this, he said, obviously moved. I smiled at him. And what do you do with that, Josh? I asked him. He looked at me, puzzled, for a moment, and then he laughed out loud. I listen to hearts, Rachel, he said. I listen to hearts. Often, Remen concludes, finding meaning is not about doing things differently; it is about seeing familiar things in new ways. Just so, my message to you this morning is, it can be with us, too, in our struggles with burn-out, as each day we take time to ask ourselves, What surprised me today? What moved me or touched me? What inspired me? It can be that way with us, as we think back to remember what it was that led us into the work we do, as we bring back our early dreams for what we want out of life, or as we remember why it was that we had children or kept coming back to this church. As we begin to listen in these ways to our own hearts, we will find ourselves listening to the hearts of others. With fresh eyes we will see our lives differently, see others differently, see our world anew. We will find ourselves rearranging our priorities and living more intentionally. The pall of burn-out will 7
8 begin to lift, and we ll be able to step back from the edge into the mainsteam of life and love. May we find a place of still waters in our lives, in the landscape we inhabit and, yes, a place we carry with us in our very souls, a place to which we can turn as we may reflect each day on the call of our hearts and the dreams that illumine our lives. May we listen, and may we follow, as we now live from the call of our hearts. Benediction (Richard S. Kimball, Hymn #83, adapted) May the winds that trouble our hearts be still. May our storm clouds pass and silence come, May peace grace our lives with harmony. Fly, bird of hope, and shine, light of love And in calm may we find tranquility. May it be so for all of us. 8
Sermon Creation Sunday/Pet Blessing October 6, 2013 William Bradbury
Sermon Creation Sunday/Pet Blessing October 6, 2013 William Bradbury Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm 148:7-14 Galatians 6:14-18 Matthew 11:25-30 Wendell Berry begins his poem The Peace of Wild Things by saying, When
More information3 rd Sunday in Advent 12/14/14 Canticle 15 - The Song of Mary Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55
3 rd Sunday in Advent 12/14/14 Canticle 15 - The Song of Mary Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55 Wendell Berry is a fellow Kentuckian that I often turn to for inspiration when the world feels a little out of control,
More informationOctober 5, 2014 I ve known the song Spirit of Life,
A Renewal of Faith Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson October 5, 2014 I ve known the song Spirit of Life, by heart, for longer than I can remember. Spirit of life, come unto me. Sing in my heart all the stirrings
More informationChaos and Comfort Message for 24 July 2016
Chaos and Comfort Message for 24 July 2016 Greeting: The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry. When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life
More informationPEACE ON EARTH, GOOD WILL TO ALL! a response to the shootings at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut
PEACE ON EARTH, GOOD WILL TO ALL! a response to the shootings at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut A Sermon Offered by Rev. Tim Kutzmark December 16, 2012 Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading
More informationPENTECOST 19B 9/30/18 The Church as a Healing Community (James 5:13-20)
PENTECOST 19B 9/30/18 The Church as a Healing Community (James 5:13-20) When you are sick or suffering from some kind of disease or ailment or illness or physical injury, you go to the doctor, right? That
More informationCALLED TO SERVE. A Sermon by Phyllis L. Hubbell and John Parker Manwell The Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church September 14, 2008
CALLED TO SERVE A Sermon by Phyllis L. Hubbell and John Parker Manwell The Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church September 14, 2008 JOHN: When I was a boy, I idolized my grandfather, for whom I am
More informationIt's called FIRST SNOW by (from her 1983 collection American Primitive)
Dark of Winter A sermon preached by the Reverend Diane Teichert Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church December 6, 2009 We are quickly approaching the longest night of the year. Now that the full moon
More informationAnd there is the kind of silence when a full room becomes totally quiet. Listening for a soft voice to speak Or anticipating a concert to begin
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Asheville, North Carolina 15 November 2015 Sermon: Draw Me Near Kristy Roberts Farber 1 I Kings 19:9-18 Isaiah 40:27-41:1 There are so many kinds of quiet in this world.
More informationThe Poetry of a Woman s Heart
The Poetry of a Woman s Heart Quotes, Stories, Poetry and Passages For Contemplative Meditation Practice Namaste, Beth She s turning her life into something sacred each breath a new birth, each moment,
More informationElijah had to find a place beyond the storms, beyond his own words, beyond a multitude of distractions for him to be able hear God s Word.
FINDING GOD: BY LISTENING July 2, 2017, Fourth Sunday after Pentecost First Samuel 3:1-11, First Kings 19:9b-15a Douglas T. King, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York As I turn fifty this
More informationMESSENGER OF PEACE Luke 1:68-79
MESSENGER OF PEACE Luke 1:68-79 Kelly Boyte Brill Avon Lake UCC 9 December 2018 I invite you this morning to try to experience a state of peace within yourself. For a few moments, I want to focus not so
More informationLife on the Water: I Am Mark 6:45-52
July 1, 2018 Rev. Ellis White Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church Life on the Water: I Am Mark 6:45-52 Good morning/evening! Welcome to Chapel Hill! My name is Ellis and I am one of the pastors here. I m so
More informationHANG LOOSE! II Kings 4: Ephesians 4: 1-6 John 6: 1-15
HANG LOOSE! II Kings 4: 42-44 Ephesians 4: 1-6 John 6: 1-15 In our American culture of fast-paced living, instant gratification and high-level competition, there is no doubt that there is one expression
More informationEarth My Body. Rev. Lyn Cox April 22, 2018
Earth My Body Rev. Lyn Cox April 22, 2018 Unitarian Universalists affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of which we are a part. On Earth Day, we remember that the concept of the interdependent
More informationWorship Service: PEACE
Worship Service: PEACE Welcome: Welcome! It s so good to be together to celebrate faith and community today. My name is and I ll be leading our worship time today. Our theme today is Peace. What do you
More informationYou Want Me to Give Up What? Mark 10: This past week has been interesting. On one hand, it was a precious time of catching up
1 You Want Me to Give Up What? Mark 10: 17-31 This past week has been interesting. On one hand, it was a precious time of catching up with my sister, of sharing memories, of celebrating our similarities,
More informationIn a Dark Time Rev. Ken Read-Brown First Parish in Hingham (Old Ship Church) Unitarian Universalist December 11, 2016
In a Dark Time Rev. Ken Read-Brown First Parish in Hingham (Old Ship Church) Unitarian Universalist December 11, 2016 Readings Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down
More informationUntil We Meet Again Rev. Meghan Cefalu January 20, 2013 UUCM
Until We Meet Again Rev. Meghan Cefalu January 20, 2013 UUCM Now that I ve been back here with you all for this short period of touching base I ve had time to reflect some on the new thoughts and ideas
More informationBetween Faith and Fear
Roanoke, Virginia April 29, 2018 Between Faith and Fear Matthew 14:22-33 George C. Anderson The Gospels tell stories within decades of when Jesus lived. You can be sure there remain strong memories of
More information124 Prayers for Caregivers
124 Prayers for Caregivers Joan Guntzelman Liguori, Missouri For my mother, Eleonora Pharo Guntzelman Imprimi Potest Richard Thibodeau, CSsR Provincial, Denver Province The Redemptorists Published by Liguori
More informationM: Therefore, I say to you, don t worry about your life, what you ll eat or what you ll drink, or about your body, what you ll wear.
A n s w e r i n g W i t h a L i l y 1 First Presbyterian Church Middletown, OH July 8, 2018 Sermon: Answering With a Lily Michael G. Isaacs Matthew 6:25-34 Focus: Worry is the great strangler of faith.
More informationHelpful Elements: Purple tablecloth (Lenten color) Burlap and/or gray table runner (Ash Wednesday only)
Worship Service Theme: Sunday before Ash Wednesday (use this service if you do NOT plan to have a separate Ash Wednesday service) Helpful Elements: Purple tablecloth (Lenten color) Burlap and/or gray table
More informationStrengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4
WHAT DID YOU GO OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS TO SEE? Isaiah 35.1-10; Matthew 11.2-11 December 11, 2016, Advent III Tim Phillips, Seattle First Baptist Church Isaiah 35:1-10 35The wilderness and the dry land
More informationAccording to the official website of the International Olympic. Committee, the Rio Summer Olympics have 306 events in 42 sports. I
1 The Olympics: Sailing Mark 4:35-41 August 21, 2016 [HAVE UP RIO SLIDE.] According to the official website of the International Olympic Committee, the Rio Summer Olympics have 306 events in 42 sports.
More informationWhat Makes Your Heart Sing September 25, 2011
What Makes Your Heart Sing September 25, 2011 Rev. Walter LeFlore Some time ago, I was given a wonderful gift, this little book of poems. A woman I didn t know very well thought I d be inspired by these
More informationDiscovering Your Voice in the Second Half of Life. By Richard J. Leider May, 05
The Purpose Project Discovering Your Voice in the Second Half of Life. By Richard J. Leider May, 05 Each of us is an experiment of one! There is no other human being on earth with our unique purpose. To
More informationLIFE GROUP LESSON. Message: Keeping Our Focus in a Distracted World Passages: Luke 10:38-42
LIFE GROUP LESSON Message: Keeping Our Focus in a Distracted World Passages: Luke 10:38-42 Message Outline: How can we be fully present in a world full of distractions? 1. Recognise the Consequences of
More information15. Why Men Hold Back
15. Why Men Hold Back _ Many times, I have heard you tell me that you can t feel me fully with you, truly seeing you and loving you. But I do love you. I can feel my love for you, and I can feel your love
More informationCeltic Spirituality And Poetry
Celtic Spirituality And Poetry www.wordspa.net AskKimLangley@gmail.com 216.226.3351 When we approach with reverence, great things decide to approach us. Our real life comes to the surface and its light
More informationWorship Service. Prelude. Preparation for Worship:
50 Copyright 2004 The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University Worship Service B Y K Y L E M A T T H E W S Prelude Preparation for Worship: Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves
More informationOpenness of Heart the Reverend Meg Anzalone First Parish in Cambridge
Rev. Meg Anzalone 1 Thought for Contemplation: You that come to birth and bring the mysteries, Your voice thunder makes us very happy. Roar, lion of the heart, and TEAR ME OPEN! Rumi Reading: Openness
More informationSermon Transfiguration 2017: Transforming Moments, High and Low Introduction: Faith not Feelings
Sermon Transfiguration 2017: Transforming Moments, High and Low Introduction: Faith not Feelings This Sunday is the last Sunday in the Season of Epiphany; This season of stories for our souls that give
More informationLike a Tree Jeremiah 17:5-8 February 17, 2019
P a g e 1 Like a Tree Jeremiah 17:5-8 February 17, 2019 A month ago today, the world lost a beautiful voice, the voice of a gentle poet. She died in Provincetown, on the Cape, where she had lived a quiet
More informationSynod Closing Mass Homily Saturday, September 19, 2015 Webster Arena. An ancient Chinese proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a
Synod Closing Mass Homily Saturday, September 19, 2015 Webster Arena An ancient Chinese proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. We find this to be true in our personal
More informationAsh Wednesday Worship Service
Ash Wednesday Worship Service Helpful Elements: Purple tablecloth (Lenten color) Burlap and/or gray table runner (Ash Wednesday only) Ashes mixed with a little olive oil (not water) Wet, soapy towel and
More informationFAITH GROWING IN YOUR FAITH Matthew 14:22-33
FAITH GROWING IN YOUR FAITH Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus chastises Peter for his little faith. He says, Why did you doubt? After I pray, we are going to be looking deeper into verses 22-32, but the context of
More informationMeditation and Healing Service Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston, VA The Rev Sydney Kay Wilde and The Rev. Dennis J. Daniel Co-Ministers
THE TIME OF GATHERING Chimes and Lighting of Candles Meditation and Healing Service Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston, VA The Rev Sydney Kay Wilde and The Rev. Dennis J. Daniel Co-Ministers Sept.
More informationPawn Stars Theme: Spiritual Focus: Biblical Text: Pastor Bob Biblical Focus: Luke 15:1 Scripture Lesson: Luke 15:1-10 Traditional Worship Service:
May 25 th, 2014 R. U. Real Sermon Series: Pawn Stars Theme: Finding Lost Treasure: God desires to find us and begin a relationship. Spiritual Focus: Parable of the lost coin. Biblical Text: Luke 15:1-7
More informationGOOD NEWS FOR A BAD DAY! Matthew 6: 26-34
GOOD NEWS FOR A BAD DAY! Matthew 6: 26-34 Anyone who has lived on planet earth for some time have had good days and bad days. Good days are those days when most things in life seem to be in order and what
More informationAsh Wednesday Worship Service
Ash Wednesday Worship Service Helpful Elements: Burlap and/or gray cloth for altar Ashes mixed with a little olive oil (not water) Wet, soapy towel and dry towel, for cleaning hands Welcome: Welcome! I
More informationAsh Wednesday Worship Service
Ash Wednesday Worship Service Helpful Elements: Burlap and/or gray cloth for altar Ashes mixed with a little olive oil (not water) Wet, soapy towel and dry towel, for cleaning hands Welcome: Welcome! I
More informationNo More FOMO It s Sunday. It s the Sunday before Thanksgiving. We get to share in one of our larger fellowship opportunities after service.
No More FOMO It s Sunday. It s the Sunday before Thanksgiving. We get to share in one of our larger fellowship opportunities after service. We get to talk about Rest and Play and Gratitude and Joy today.
More informationUNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SPIRITUALITY AND BELIEFS!
Rev Bob Klein First UU Church Stockton September 25, 2016 UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SPIRITUALITY AND BELIEFS! Some people think that Unitarian Universalism is only interested in matters of social justice.
More informationT H E S T O R Y. Before the Meeting SESSION 24 LEADER GUIDE
T H E S T O R Y SESSION 24 LEADER GUIDE Before the Meeting Remind group members to bring their Participant s Guide. Walk through the material on your own prior to the meeting. Send a list of group participants
More informationSoulCare Foundations I : The Basic Model
SoulCare Foundations I : The Basic Model Knowing What You're After and What It Takes to Get There CC201 LESSON 02 of 10 Larry J. Crabb, Ph.D. Founder and Director of NewWay Ministries in Silverthorne,
More informationHealing Conversations 2011 Session Five
Healing Conversations 2011 Session Five 1. Chalice Lighting/Opening Words: 2 minutes. A poem by Rumi: This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some
More informationUntitled By Kelly Brennan First Place
Untitled By Kelly Brennan First Place I stand in the clearing where I ve been for awhile This is my safe haven, yet I can t smile I watched her stumble through the words, lost I want to run in and help
More informationHymn: Breathe on Me, Breath of God Book of Praise 389; Common Praise 649; Glory to God 286; New Century 292; United Methodist 420; Voices United 382
June 4, 2017 Fresh Winds Blowing Pentecost Intergenerational Worship Outline Intergenerational Worship Preparation: You may wish to invite the congregation to wear red to celebrate Pentecost. Bring enough
More informationWellesley Village Church Traditional Worship February 17, 2013 Rev. Jocelyn B. Gardner Spencer Luke 4:1-13 Words to Live By
Wellesley Village Church Traditional Worship February 17, 2013 Rev. Jocelyn B. Gardner Spencer Luke 4:1-13 Words to Live By Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit
More information2018 Smythe Street Cathedral - Do Not Copy Without Permission
The following document is a rough copy of Pastor Drost s sermon notes of his message, preached August 12 th, 2018 2018 Smythe Street Cathedral - Do Not Copy Without Permission Sometimes we feel like we
More informationMessage: Calm in the storm It s a beautiful day! The sun has risen on a gorgeous day in southern California. The birds are singing, the morning is
Message: Calm in the storm It s a beautiful day! The sun has risen on a gorgeous day in southern California. The birds are singing, the morning is cool and the day promises to be sunny and warm. We have
More informationse-ren-it-ty the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness
Living the Serenity Prayer se-ren-it-ty the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness The Serenity Prayer is a beautiful way of asking God to bring peace, calmness and serenity into
More informationSHINE Lyrics.
SHINE Lyrics The Call Seek Me For Just A Moment Maybe Tomorrow Here Comes The Light Love Song (Cover Song) Shine Live To Love Trust In Me Eclipsed In My Heart The Call Words and music by Christine Yandell
More informationFrom Bethlehem to Bedlam. from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom
From Bethlehem to Bedlam (LUKE 2:1-7 NRSV) In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius
More informationThis poem by Rachel Carson was submitted by Ruth Crowe. And from Fran Warner we have a number of pieces.. Australian Grail publication
September 2015 Welcome back to our spirituality resource leaflet which we are currently sending with the Australian Grail Newsletter. In it, we hope you ll find something for your contemplation, ideas
More informationOverwhelmed: 1) Crazy Busy Psalm 46, Luke 10:38-42 August 6, 2017
Overwhelmed: 1) Crazy Busy Psalm 46, Luke 10:38-42 August 6, 2017 Thursday s Lodi News Sentinel had an advice column by Annie Lane. The headline read Feeling overwhelmed by too many responsibilities. Here
More informationFaith in the Dark 1. Sunday, June 2, 2013
Faith in the Dark 1 Sunday, June 2, 2013 There was a man named Jairus... who somehow made his way to find Jesus... and when he found Him, he threw himself at Jesus feet... maybe touching his forehead to
More informationDr. Mark Owen Fenstermacher Where Is the Lord? June 30, Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
Dr. Mark Owen Fenstermacher Where Is the Lord? June 30, 2013 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 First United Methodist Church 219 E. 4 th Street Bloomington, IN 47408 Something is about to happen in this friendship,
More informationLook, and Listen Sermon by Rev. Peter Shidemantle Transfiguration of the Lord February 11, 2018 Mark 9:2-9
Look, and Listen Sermon by Rev. Peter Shidemantle Transfiguration of the Lord February 11, 2018 Mark 9:2-9 There s a story of a little boy, around the turn of the last century, who lived far back in the
More informationWe sang, There s a river flowin in my soul, and it telling me, that I m somebody. There s a river flowin in my soul. (singing)
Life on a Mobius Strip Reverend Jill Cowie Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha s Vineyard September 25, 2011 Reading by Victoria Safford Not long before he died, William Sloan Coffin, the great preacher
More informationQuiet Day: Centering Prayer Practicing Unkowing and Patience
Quiet Day: Centering Prayer Practicing Unkowing and Patience Saturday, February 2, 2008 St. Mary s Episcopal Church 815 Lincoln St., Cadillac, MI 49601 Church Office: 231.775.9641 www.stmaryscadillac.com
More informationThanksgiving Day Sermon, Year C, RCL, November 28, 2013
Thanksgiving Day Sermon, Year C, RCL, November 28, 2013 St. Alban s Church of Bexley The Rev. Dr. Susan Marie Smith Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Psalm 100 Philippians 4:4-9 John 6:25-35 Almighty and gracious Father,
More informationwas coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.
February 22, 2015 Genesis 9:8-17; Mark 1:9-15 Somewhere Over the Rainbow Pastor Sally May Genesis 9:8-17 8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 As for me, I am establishing my covenant with
More informationIn Search of Blessing. Luke 24: May 4, 2008
In Search of Blessing Genesis 12: 1-3 Denise Cumbee Long Luke 10: 1-6 Binkley Baptist Church Luke 24: 50-53 May 4, 2008 There was once a little girl who visited her grandfather every Friday afternoon.
More informationSermon, May 28, Peter 1:5:6-11 & John 14:18-21; The Tomb is Still Empty: A New Peace Reverend Cheryl Foulk
Sermon, May 28, 2017 1 Peter 1:5:6-11 & John 14:18-21; 25-27 The Tomb is Still Empty: A New Peace Reverend Cheryl Foulk For many years, the tales of Winnie the Pooh, a lovable bear and his friends, has
More informationFinding Balance Sermon Delivered on Sunday, March By Rev. Donna L. Martin
Finding Balance Sermon Delivered on Sunday, March 2 2014 By Rev. Donna L. Martin There is an old joke about a pastor giving the children's message during church. On this particular Sunday, she was using
More informationOne person s wilderness is another person s Garden of Eden.
WELCOMING WILDERNESS SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 2:15-17; 3:1-7; MATTHEW 4:1-11 GRACE COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ASHEVILLE, NC March 5, 2017 The Rev. Dr. Marcia Mount Shoop, Pastor The Peace of Wild Things,
More informationMatthew 6:25-33 do not worry worrying worry Therefore do not worry So do not worry worries Today s trouble is enough for today
4.19.09 Facing Our Fear of Scarcity Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 23:1-2; Matthew 6:25-33 Douglas Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church Matthew 6:25-33 (New Revised Standard Version) 25 Therefore I tell you, do not
More informationLoss and Grief: One Size Fits All
Loss and Grief: One Size Fits All By Kit Coons https://morethanordinarylives.com/ Loss and Grief: One Size Fits All I remember the day clearly. For everyone else, the day was just like any other. For me,
More informationSeeing Christ Again. April 1, 2018 Easter Sunday Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:13-35 The Rev. Dr. Seth E. Weeldreyer
Seeing Christ Again April 1, 2018 Easter Sunday Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:13-35 The Rev. Dr. Seth E. Weeldreyer Last night while preparing for this morning, I went to a Bible app on my phone. That s when I
More informationdoubt and fear 1. LEADER PREPARATION
doubt and fear Week 2: Jesus Will Help You Face Your Fear This includes: 1. Leader Preparation 2. Lesson Guide 1. LEADER PREPARATION LESSON OVERVIEW Life can bring some scary moments our way: a parent
More information40 Ways. To Spend 5 Minutes With God
40 Ways To Spend 5 Minutes With God 40 Ways To Spend 5 Minutes With God Revision E October 2018 If you have found this prayer guide helpful, visit The Invitation Podcast invitationpodcast.org where you
More informationPrayers for. Husbandsand wives. to pray with and for each other
P R A Y E R G U I D E Prayers for Husbandsand wives to pray with and for each other Prayer Guide for Husbands and Wives Copyright 2011, PrayerPower, Dallas, Texas prayer guide Prayers for Husbandsand wives
More informationSUFFERING UNIQUE TO CHRISTIANS
SUFFERING UNIQUE TO CHRISTIANS Everyone suffers. Years ago, I finally realized the universality of suffering. Non-Christians suffer. Christians suffer. Everybody suffers in this life. Therefore, I decided
More informationLearning to Listen Led By Rev. Steven Protzman October 12, Learning to Listen By Rev. Steven Protzman October, 2014
Learning to Listen Led By Rev. Steven Protzman October 12, 2014 First Reading: "Listening" by Rachel Naomi Remen 1 Second Reading: "Deep Listening" by John Fox 2 Learning to Listen By Rev. Steven Protzman
More informationPeace of the Ultimate Sunday Sermon, Skinner Chapel, Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota, June 21, 2009 By Ajahn Chandako
Peace of the Ultimate Sunday Sermon, Skinner Chapel, Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota, June 21, 2009 By Ajahn Chandako Thank you. You know, I really don t go to church all that often so it is a real
More informationGlobal issues. the arms trade child labour disease endangered species famine global warming war. homelessness pollution poverty racism terrorism
Unit 8 Global issues the arms trade child labour disease endangered species famine global warming war homelessness pollution poverty racism terrorism Going green atmosphere burn decompose energy environment
More informationBecome Awestruck Rev. Joan Montagnes I once found myself in a small Hindu temple in a remote village in India. At the center of the temple was an
0 Become Awestruck Rev. Joan Montagnes I once found myself in a small Hindu temple in a remote village in India. At the center of the temple was an altar with a god robed in crimson and saffron. Hanging
More informationLANDSCAPES OF OUR LIVES A Sermon by Reverend Lynn Strauss
LANDSCAPES OF OUR LIVES A Sermon by Reverend Lynn Strauss Do you love mountains, forests, or rivers? Did you grow up under a city skyline, or in a suburb of green lawns, or in a small town? Have you traveled
More informationColossians 3: Julie Hester
Colossians 3: 12-17 Jesus Julie Hester 12-28-14 During 2014 the clergy have been preaching on one word a week. Words that every Christian needs to know. And I get the last word! Usually we let Steve have
More informationThis morning I want to look at the different places where we go when we need to regain a sense of balance, to get back to that center which helps
When the Center Does Not Hold A Sermon offered by Rev. Kathleen C. Rolenz Sunday, August 28, 2016 Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Appleton, WI fvuuf.org Did you ever have one of those weeks
More informationCreative Responsibility
Chapter 10 Creative Responsibility We are responsible for life! However, much of our reality is caught up in making others responsible for what happens to us instead, especially if what happens causes
More informationAnd then Jesus emerges as a man with a mission, The time is now, the Kingdom of God is upon us, repent and believe!
Mark 1:9-13 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending
More informationI want to begin with a reading from To Re-Enchant the World by Richard Grigg
All That Is, Is Holy Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson April 19, 2015 I want to begin with a reading from To Re-Enchant the World by Richard Grigg That which cannot be seen shows itself. What Grigg is talking about
More informationDo you know the Sources?
Do you know the Sources? A traveler couldn t find the local Unitarian Universalist church. After looking in the center of town, in the suburbs, and out in the surrounding countryside, the traveler asked
More informationWhat s your name? Colour in Gip and Perky and Kolo.
Hello I m Kolo koala. My name is Gip. I m a goanna. What s your name? Colour in Gip and Perky and Kolo. Thank you Father God that you know my name. The Bible says The Lord (God) says.. I have called you
More informationDOING LOVE September 28, 2008 First Presbyterian Church -- Post, Texas Matthew 21: 23-32
1 DOING LOVE September 28, 2008 First Presbyterian Church -- Post, Texas Matthew 21: 23-32 How many times has a church lost members because it emphasizes the importance of having the right beliefs rather
More informationGOD S BIG SHOW Psalm 8
GOD S BIG SHOW Psalm 8 Kelly Boyte Brill Avon Lake UCC 10 July 2016 Next month will mark the 100th anniversary of America s national parks. The National Parks Service oversees 84 million acres, land in
More informationSo let s start our Sabbath reflection with some musical memories.
WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH? SABBATH AS A LIFE PRINCIPLE Season of Creation, Week 2, Sunday Sept 18, 2016 St. Paul s Cathedral, Kamloops BC The Very Rev. Ken Gray So let s start our Sabbath reflection with
More informationDon t Bless the Mess: We Need Something More
SoulCare Foundations II : Understanding People & Problems We Need Something More CC202 LESSON 10 of 10 Larry J. Crabb, Ph.D. Founder and Director of NewWay Ministries in Silverthorne, Colorado Almost everybody
More informationFlowers in the Desert A Spiritual Journey Karl Weston. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Dieguito Solana Beach, California March 30, 2008
Flowers in the Desert A Spiritual Journey Karl Weston Good Morning Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Dieguito Solana Beach, California March 30, 2008 A few months ago, I was scheduled to give a
More informationIs It Possible To Change Your Life in Just 8 Days?
Is It Possible To Change Your Life in Just 8 Days? All of us have genius and potential that longs to be tapped. What if you could tap this potential? How would it change your life? Could it help you in
More informationA true story about real forces of darkness and the light that always prevails
A true story about real forces of darkness and the light that always prevails 2017 by Shelly Morrow Whitenburg. All rights reserved. Published by Redemption Press, PO Box 427, Enumclaw, WA 98022 Toll Free
More informationAN INTERVIEW WITH FRANK OSTASESKI
caring The Art of IN BUDDHISM, WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT ENLIGHTENMENT OR AWAKENING, BUT WORDS LIKE THAT FEEL FAR AWAY TO ME. I SPEAK ABOUT INTIMACY. AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANK OSTASESKI In his new book, The Five
More informationRide the Waves or Control the Ocean? Reflections from Matthew 14 By Mark L. Vincent
Ride the Waves or Control the Ocean? Reflections from Matthew 14 By Mark L. Vincent Life is an ocean and we meet it at its pounding surf. The waves never stop. Eventually they will overwhelm us and we
More informationSongs for Folk Mountain Gospel Children s CD
Songs for Folk Mountain Gospel Children s CD Pure In Heart (Don & Donna Mohl) David had a sling for a toy, Joseph was a shepherd s boy, Daniel and his 3 best friends, had to go to Babylon. They were faithful
More informationPHILIPPIANS 4:2-7 6/4/08
PHILIPPIANS 4:2-7 6/4/08 On November 19 th 2006 we finished going through the book of Philippians at chapter 4:1. Despite what others may think I like to imagine I have a tidy mind and for the last 16
More informationI remember when I was the last one at home living with my mom, every. time she finished talking to my brother on the phone she would complain about
SERMON: The Living, Piercing Word of God TEXT: Hebrews 4:12-16 I remember when I was the last one at home living with my mom, every time she finished talking to my brother on the phone she would complain
More informationSilence as a Gift A sermon preached by the Reverend Diane Teichert Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church November 21, 2010
Silence as a Gift A sermon preached by the Reverend Diane Teichert Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church November 21, 2010 In the Adult Religious Exploration program called Living by Heart that I
More information