Liturgy God in heaven, you number the stars.You hold the pillars of the earth firm.You have searched each of us and known us.The inmost being of every personHas been created and gently held by you. We look to you and your strength,Seeking your face always. We see only from where we are,Guessing whether the other is friend or foe.Sometimes looking […]
Stories tagged:
hope
Promise Keeper
What hope might you create space for in order to stay close to God’s promises? Virginia Cumberbatch opens up about audaciously holding on to hope through seasons of challenges, disappointments, and injustice. [Psalm 105:1-5] Reflection What would it look like to create space to reflect on the promises God has kept? How can the uncertainty or mystery of our human […]
Liturgy, Reflection, Benediction 2023.6.25
Liturgy In a world riddled with grief and uncertainty—What words do we speak to soothe our spirits, oh God? Smoke fills the air, violence fills our public space,illness lingers—Where do we go to feel safe, oh God? We are seeking restoration,longing for connection, yearning for joy—How do we reach for flourishing, Oh God? Be with us in our questions.Draw your […]
Into the Midst…
Have you ever had to push through discomfort to stand in your beliefs? On the last weekend of Pride, Amy Wolfgang recounts their own journey of integrating their faith with their queer identity. They challenge us to imagine and live into a hopeful and creative stance toward our collective future. [Matthew 10:27-39] Reflection Is there a hurtful or violent theology […]
Liturgy, Reflection, Benediction 2023.5.28
Liturgy We sit here on the edge of summerAnd we long for signs of home.We want to be invited onto the porchAnd offered a cool drink of lemonade.God, we are looking for the familiar. We are all together in one place nowAnd we hear the whisper of a wind comingWe are filled in surprising waysAnd made into new people.God, we […]
Returning Home: Beyond Nostalgia
How might we stimulate one another to bring to today, the best of what we can from the past? On this Pentecost Sunday, Christopher Mack ponders how Mother Holy Spirit might animate our nostalgia to empower us in challenging times. [Acts 2:1-8, 12-13] Reflection How might you find a sense of home in some new and unexpected development? What might […]
Liturgy, Reflection, Benediction 2023.4.23
Liturgy Breath of Life, wake us up.Open our eyes to you, andpull us out of the darkness.We feel our bodies shake against the discomfort.Birth is painful, and waking up feels like relivingthe cold push into this world. Hold us fast, hold us close, pull us through.We yearn to hear your voice. We long for thefamiliar touch of your hand, and […]