My STAR word for 2015 is MIRACLE. (You can read about our congregation’s tradition in a number of posts at the “STARward” tab at the top of this blog). Since we started passing out words on Epiphany, my words have been PRACTICE ADVENTURE PLEASURE and now MIRACLE I know it is a “churchy” word, describing…
My STAR word this year was Pleasure. I’ve reflected on it here and here. What’s not to love about pleasure, right? It’s been a good word. I had a good life before I drew the word, but I recognize I was more intentional about noticing pleasure in random moments of my life this year. I…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho on Dec 27, 2014. Luke 2:20-40 Sometimes we are sent on the road because Roman authorities demand a census, as we heard about on Christmas Eve. In today’s story, the Holy Family is again on the road, this time headed to Jerusalem to present the…
A sermon preached at Southminster in Boise, Idaho on December 21, 2014 2 Samuel 7:1-11 Luke 1:26-38 (Here’s the video we showed in worship today). King David wanted to build a Temple for God. The Ark of the Covenant was being moved around the countryside, from town to town, but living in a tent, while…
Christmas is in a week. Everyone seems overbooked and overwhelmed. Many of my clergy friends are barely hanging in there. Getting ready for the extra services is just one of a pastor’s worries in these dark days of December. I’m praying with and for my friends as they provide pastoral care to those who grieve…
Today is my “Adoption Birthday”, the day my family adopted me and brought me home. I was a month and two days old. I’m sure it all became legal some months down the road, but December 14 has always been my day to celebrate. Mere mortals get only one birthday. Awesome adopted children get two.…
I’ve not blogged about Ferguson (or any of the many other situations in the news that reveal the way our culture still has so many racial divides). Partly, it’s because I have no idea what to say. Also, I’m a white woman in Idaho. What in the world do I know about racial tensions? Nothing.…
A sermon preached at Southminster’s Sabbath Service on November 22, 2014 Ruth 1:1-19 Tonight we are at the end of a church year. Each liturgical year starts with the first Sunday of Advent, so this is New Year’s Eve for church. A time to pause and reflect on the year that has been and a…
This is part of the liturgy we are doing tonight at Sabbath Worship. In place of the usual Confession sequence, we will be reading this, responsively: Sacrament of Letting Go by Macrina Wiederkehr Slowly she celebrated the sacrament of letting go. First she surrendered her green, then the orange, yellow, and red finally she…
Take a moment and watch this video. I absolutely love it. My STAR word this year has been pleasure. And I thought of my word when I watched the above video. For me, this year, pleasure has seemed to locate itself in my embodied existence. I tend to take being embodied for granted. I don’t…
Glass Overflowing 