Posts Tagged: one church many voices

Sightings

example of reading sidewalks         This is the way Reading sidewalks as a spiritual practice by Ken Rummer Fortune tellers read palms. Ancient Etruscans read the livers of sheep. I’ve been reading sidewalks. Dark purple splatters? Evidence of a mulberry tree near by. BB-sized rounds crunching under foot? Choke cherry pits. And that gray, leaf-shaped stain,… Read more »

Sightings

Apprenticeship pictured Of geese and bikes and Christian worship Learning the apprentice way by Ken Rummer A meadowlark sings from a tall prairie stem, rabbits dart back into trailside grass, and six young geese, webbed feet churning, push across the pond. They aren’t on their own. A parent goose leads the procession and another parent goose brings… Read more »

Sightings

Green plant shoots are a picture of hope   Hope like a green shoot What I noticed preaching for presbytery by Ken Rummer “Like a green shoot pushing up through scorched earth.” I had just spoken these words when I noticed the listening. Heads tilted for a better view. Silence pooled in the pause. They were listening, really listening. I was preaching for… Read more »

Sightings

New blackberry leaves   New leaves and old fears Reading spring with the help of Ezekiel by Ken Rummer When is it time to plant corn? When oak leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear. I remembered this bit of Iowa folk wisdom on my walk this morning, so I gave the burr oak a closer look…. Read more »

Sightings

Illustration of bleak mid-winter and house under construction Under Construction In the bleak mid-winter when it’s hard to see God at work By Ken Rummer Twelve degrees and cloudy-gray, with snow in the forecast. I’m looking out at Christina Rossetti’s “bleak mid-winter.”  Across the trail, the builders have a good start on a house for the last open lot in the new subdivision…. Read more »

Sightings

A loaf of bread   Apricot bread and gathered worship Remembering the taste of home by Ken Rummer When people ask about a food that makes the holiday official in my family, the answer I give is apricot bread. I remember one grandmother for her orange bread, and the other grandmother for her yeast rolls, but my mother’s baking… Read more »

Sightings

Out of season bloom Blooming out of season Inspiration from an October iris by Ken Rummer Along the trail by the creek, maple leaves flash red against the yellows of the ash trees. It’s quite a show. And a confirmation that the chill in the air means business. Beside the trail, a low retaining wall holds back a strip… Read more »

Sightings

Violin with sheet music   Music that can touch the soul César Franck’s “Panis Angelicus” by Ken Rummer I’m working up a violin piece for church. With our choir still on pandemic hold, the call went out for special music and I raised my hand. Have you ever heard music that seemed familiar, even though you were hearing it… Read more »

Sightings

Soap Carving   Carving soap and meeting neighbors Our church throws a block party by Ken Rummer Last Friday I coached soap carving. Our church (http://www.ankenypcusa.org) was throwing an outdoor block party for our neighborhood — hot dogs, a bounce castle, donuts made to order, even a fire truck. One of our neighbors offered to play guitar and… Read more »

Sightings

The mulligan (not a sweater, not a stew) A duffer finds grace in golf by Ken Rummer My tee shot gained altitude, a rare outcome and hopeful. But then it started to curve, bending more and more to the left. This was during the decade of my life when I played a little golf. The… Read more »