Matthew 28:1-10 In her book Thirst, Mary Oliver writes a poem called “The Messenger” which reads: “My work is loving the world. Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird – equal seekers of sweetness. Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums. Here the clam deep in the speckled sand. Are my boots old? Is myContinue reading “The Surprise of Resurrection”
Author Archives: joyofthejourney
Woman at the Well – Pastoral Prayer
Pastoral prayer inspired by John 4:5-42 O God, We come to you because we are thirsty, thirsty for a world where all people have access to clean, fresh water and the most vulnerable members of society are cared for. We pray for a world where people who make houses can afford to live in them, peopleContinue reading “Woman at the Well – Pastoral Prayer”
The Gift of the Blind Man
John 9:1-41 They had written him off. The community had written the blind guy off. They were so busy judging him that they missed out on befriending and learning from him. Maybe the blind guy has something to teach us about faith, about learning to navigate through the unknown. Yet, in this story, the blindContinue reading “The Gift of the Blind Man”
Lives of Integrity
Matthew 4:1-11 What are the temptations in the story today? The obvious temptations are: The evil one encourages Jesus to keep Jesus’ mission small. “Just feed yourself,” the evil one says, “and forget everyone else.” [i] The devil encourages Jesus not to worry about the welfare of others and instead be consumed with his ownContinue reading “Lives of Integrity”
Changing Your Life
Matthew 4:12-23 “Just do the next right thing.” This is what Glennon Doyle Melton tells herself as she sits on the bathroom floor. I have mentioned Glennon previously. Glennon is an author and blogger who tells the story about her addiction to food, alcohol and drugs. One day, in the midst of her struggle, sheContinue reading “Changing Your Life”
A Growing Tenderness
Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19, Matthew 3:1-12 “Get a job.” I wonder if that was a comment yelled at John the Baptist as he wandered the wilderness in camel hair clothing, eating honey and locust. As a desert wanderer, John the Baptist likely smelled pretty dirty and looked kinda grungy. I wondered, if while heContinue reading “A Growing Tenderness”
A Psalm for Peace
Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122 How I rejoiced when they said to me: “Let us go to the house of God!” When I heard it was time to go, I leapt up with joy like a young kid on Christmas! I could not wait to set forth! “Let us go to God’s place,” we shouted, forContinue reading “A Psalm for Peace”
All Saints Communion Liturgy
One: To come to this table is to affirm abundant life – to acknowledge the reality of our lives and encourage one another as the children of God, as the saints of the Church. Many: Gathered together in all our diversity, we make real the Body of Christ for the world. One: Together we re-memberContinue reading “All Saints Communion Liturgy”
A Commitment to Well-Being
Luke 8:26-39 Philosopher and theologian Cornell West once said, “Once we begin to love each other and love others, we have something that is hard to stop because love is not some wayward sentiment. It’s a steadfast commitment to the well-being of others.” Have you ever thought about love that way? As a commitment toContinue reading “A Commitment to Well-Being”
Anointing with Oil
Luke 7:36-8:3 Benedictine nun and writer, Sister Mary Lou Kownacki, once said, “Engrave this upon your heart: there isn’t anyone you can’t love once you hear their story.” There isn’t anyone you can’t love once you hear their story. I found myself thinking of these words as I read the Scripture this week. Simon strugglesContinue reading “Anointing with Oil”
Joy of the Journey 