Posts Categorized: Prayer

Barn Boots and Blessings

This Christmas Eve, linger a bit  A little rural church basks in Christ’s light  by Donna Frischknecht Jackson   We had just finished singing Silent Night. The Christmas Eve service was soon to be over and I felt like a child who had just opened the last of her Christmas presents. I was still overjoyed,… Read more »

The B-Flat Christian

A wonderful time of year Time to decide what’s really important by Rebecca Lister   It’s that time of year — “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” It’s a time that the “Marthas” of the world relish — a time of baking, shopping, wrapping, cooking and constantly doing. I am referring to Martha, sister… Read more »

Barn Boots and Blessings

A different kind of Christmas card   Who is waiting to hear from you?    by Donna Frischknecht Jackson   On my desk sits an index card with the initial “R” written on it in blue marker. I have thrown this index card into the garbage at least three times so far and, so far,… Read more »

Barn Boots and Blessings

The Christmas prayer tree A rural church reaches out in an unexpected way by Donna Frischknecht Jackson   Silence fell upon the room. A woman at my table waved to the waitress to order another glass of wine. A good diversion on her part, I thought. Others around me glanced down at the meeting agenda,… Read more »

Wisdom Journey

If God is good, then why…? Confirmands play stump the pastor By Graham Standish   Too often we blame God for things we do to ourselves, for things others do to us, or for what others do to others. Then we credit ourselves for blessings that come from God, and others for the blessings that… Read more »

Wisdom Journey

Short speech. Short temper? Texts and tweets are better for expressing contempt, not compassion By N. Graham Standish Efficient conversation often elicits conflict. Compassionate conversation often compels companionship and cooperation. The question is whether we have the patience for compassion.   We are increasingly communicating in efficient ways. That seems to be the thrust of… Read more »

A mote in Minerva’s eye

Patience and the Praying Mantis An invitation to pray for humility in the President-Elect and the church By Anita Coleman “Dear God, let me run toward, rather than away from, correction. Reduce my pride, increase my humility, and help me be malleable to good advice. Amen.” That’s a prayer from the book The President’s Devotional… Read more »

TLC: Think like a Christian

The Orlando Mass Shooting Why prayer is our best option – right now By Jeffrey A Schooley Like most pastors (I suspect), I did not have the time or the skill to rework my sermon yesterday to incorporate the tragic events that happened at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. And so all I could do was… Read more »

Whispering with the Wind

Sharing a witness of Word and thought, as led by the Spirit. Let anyone who has ears . . . A Black history reading of 1 Corinthians 10:1–13A retelling of the Black experience in the United States by Derrick McQueen Last February, during Black History Month, I read this 1 Corinthians text and felt as… Read more »