Congregational Stewardship
“God is the Lord of angels, and of [people]—and of elves. Legend and history have met and fused,” wrote J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings fantasy series. Each time I read from them, I see more connections with our modern-day world. – March 25th is National Tolkien Reading…
Leslie Weatherhead, whose birthday is Oct. 14th, is another unofficial saint of mine. An English theologian in the liberal Protestant tradition, he was right up my alley.His book The Will of God changed my understanding of how God allows free will and works with us when we choose wrong. “God’s circumstantial will” can work with…
“Saints” are not bloodless figures in stained glass windows. They’re real people in the past or present who have encouraged our personal faith. This weekend Christians are celebrating the saints in our lives. November first is “All Saints Day” for Protestants and November second “All Souls Day” for Roman Catholics: days to thank God for…
Author Madeleine L’Engle’s birthday is Nov. 29th. She was a vibrant writer and a strong person of faith, seen in both her fiction and nonfiction. A Wrinkle in Time and the rest of her science fiction books affirm children, their willingness to care, learn, and risk their lives for one another. Her nonfiction gives even…
“Radical amazement”—Rabbi Abraham Heschel may have coined that term. January first is his birthday. He was an incredible Bible scholar and theologian whom I first met through my seminary studies. Here’s his basic response to life and to God: Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement… Get up in the morning and…
One tradition of Advent, the four weeks before Christmas Day, has long held a particular mystique for me. It’s called the “O Antiphons.” “Antiphons” are short prayers that are chanted, said, or sung. Ever since the 8th Century CE, Roman Christian brothers and sisters in the Religious Orders (monks and nuns) have said this special…
GREETING (responsively) The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you And also with you. The risen Christ is with us. Praise the Lord! OPENING PRAYER (all) Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our being, you created us for yourself, So that our hearts are restless until they…
Response to “Leading Worship” course November, 2024 Name: Local Church: 1. What I most appreciated (or) found most meaningful was: 2 What I’d like to say to Betsy Schwarzentraub as teacher: 3. What I’d like to tell others about Betsy’s book, Tossed In Time Expanded Edition: 4. After participating in this planning retreat, I’d like…
I was moved by Rebecca Janzen’s article, “Healing from the ground up,” in the Nov. ’24 issue of The Christian Century. In it she reviews a new book called The Understory: An Invitation to Rootedness and Resilience from the Forest Floor. In The Understory the author, Lore Ferguson Wilbert, moves back and forth between personal…