A children's message is not meant to be a watered-down version of the regular sermon or a preview of the "real" message. It's a great opportunity for everyone to experience the Scripture and/or theme of the day from a varied perspective and it's meant to stand on its own and function as an important part …
Author: Jennifer
Links
My past week has been filled with thoughtful and impactful reads around the internet. Here's a few: Don't miss this 3-part series on rising from poverty in the Star Tribune. Powerful reflections on friendship and the end of life...which led me to beautiful writing collections on growing older. Parker Palmer's moving essay: On the Brink …
What I’ve Been Reading and Watching (Sabbatical Style)
Here are a few recommendations for great books I've read and movies I've watched. Most of them tie into my sabbatical water theme from last summer (or I read them while on sabbatical). Sabbatical reads: Let Your Life Speak (Palmer): I read this in seminary and happened to re-read it during my silent retreat in …
Continue reading What I’ve Been Reading and Watching (Sabbatical Style)
Christmas Eve Poem for 2016
I wrote and read this poem as my sermon for the Christmas Eve worship services at Christ the King yesterday. May God's arrival as the Christ child inspire you to know joy, serve your neighbor and work for peace this season and all year. The dark is where it will begin There is no room …
Stella Maris
Last Sunday during the Christmas Program in worship, the kids read Mary's story from Luke. We heard the angel's announcement of her pregnancy, her visit to Elizabeth, and the words of her song, called the Magnificat. Mary's strength, power and faithful example have bolstered and challenged me this week. A young girl absorbs life-altering news …
Thanks, Over and Over
A couple of weeks ago I met with my spiritual director, and as my continued reflections on sabbatical spilled out of me, he looked at me and said, "I keep hearing, over and over, your gratitude for all of it." Yes. Gratitude for the gift of time, for experiences for both my family and me, …
Kingdom
Last week, I: *strolled down the street from church on a sunny afternoon to bring communion toa former pastor of CTK who hasn't been able to make it to church lately. He admitted to me that growing older isn't easy, but he basks in gratitude for the life he's had. *bought the new Leslie Odom, …
Back Home
I returned to my office at church on August 22, a little over a month ago, yet I'm still deep in personal adjustment and re-entry tasks. It's a jarring experience to jump into a regular work schedule after time away, especially when it was combined with a new job for my husband--which started a week …
Fjord Adventures
We left Bergen on the 8am ferry heading east into the Sognefjord, the largest fjord in Norway. We enjoyed a 4-hour ride through increasingly high and craggy mountains with charming homes and villages dotting the shores. Photos do not do the landscape justice, and Tim kept saying, "There isn't a bad view in Norway!" I …
The Land of the Midnight Sun
Tim and I left Dublin on June 14 and flew to Bergen, Norway via a connection in Oslo. It was a surprisingly long travel day (though isn't every travel day long, especially when it involves public transportation and airports?) and when we arrived in Bergen at 6:30pm we were feeling haggard, tired and wondered if …
Narrating Grace 