Water
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Paper-Making and Jeremiah
11 I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29.11) Some dear friends of mine and I planned and led worship for Synod School in Storm Lake, IA. It’s a Presbyterian Church (USA) denominational conference.…
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Interactive Prayer Stations on Baptism & Epiphany
“11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2.11) Below are ideas for interactive prayer stations merging Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord Sunday. You can view…
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Interactive Prayer Stations on Forgiveness (Matt 18)
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’” (Matthew 18.21-22) Below are ideas for interactive prayer stations focusing on that parable of the unforgiving servant. You can…
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Lent through the Eyes of Luke
1 Many people have already applied themselves to the task of compiling an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2 They used what the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed down to us.3 Now, after having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, I have also decided to write a…
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Worship that Journeys through the Seasons
With my friends and colleagues Rev. Corey Nelson and Rev. Adam Fischer, we had the pleasure of planning the worship services for the NEXT Conference in Charlotte. The theme was John 3.1-21 and this is what it says on their website: NEXT Church has been asking the question: What’s next? We have been asking God, ourselves, and each…
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A Sunday (35) in Life of a Pastor/Mother: RIP
Today was the last day that children’s sermons take up space in worship. Beginning next Sunday, worship will move to being more intergenerational. These next two months, we will experiment with music, seating layout, preaching styles, and liturgy. We will explore ways that are inviting to all ages, extroverted and introverted, cerebral and tactile, and…
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A Sunday (34) in Life of a Pastor/Mother: Roller Coasters
I love roller coasters, especially the old ones where the tracks are still made out of wood. As you ride you can hear the wood warping and creaking at every turn. Don’t get me wrong, I like the new ones too that whip you in circles and up and down. The problem is I’m the…
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A Sunday (33) in Life of a Pastor/Mother: Not Drinking the Water
Every summer at my church, it seems a handful of babies are born or about to be born. With 160 members and 90 children, you would think that there is something in the water or maybe the coffee we serve during fellowship hour. It is not unusual to hear the noises of babies and wandering…
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The World Is Flat or Is It? – Changes in Presbytery & GA
9 The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. (John 2.9) Jesus chose as his first miracle to change water into wine. Seems like a mundane trick to choose as your first “hey guys, look what I can do”…
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Interactive Prayer Stations on Baptism
8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1.8) The Baptism of the Lord is a wonderful opportunity to remember one’s own baptism. They may not be able to remember the actual moment, especially if they were baptized as an infant. However, they have an opportunity to remember the meaning…
Still Waters 