Sweet Spots
Ideas and messages from Len Sweet.
Here, you can comment on any post to participate in the discussion.
Pastor’s Prayer for 4 September 2016
O Supreme Physician
O Supreme Physician! O unspeakable Love of my soul! I have recourse to Thee. O infinite and eternal Trinity, I, though unworthy, ardently sigh for Thee! I turn to Thee in the mystical body of Thy holy Church, so that Thou mayest wash away with Thy grace all stains of my soul. I beseech Thee through the merits of St. Peter, to whom Thou hast committed the care of Thy Bark, to delay no longer to help Thy Spouse, who hopes in the fire of Thy charity and in the abyss of Thy admirable wisdom. Despise not the desires of Thy servants, but do Thou Thyself guide Thy holy Bark. O Thou, the Author of peace, draw unto Thyself all the faithful; dispel the darkness of the storm, so that the dawn of Thy light may shine upon the Head of Thy Church, and pour down upon him zeal for the salvation of souls. O eternal and merciful Father, Thou hast given us the means of restraining the arms of Thy justice in the humble prayer and ardent desires of Thy devoted servants, whom Thou hast promised to hear when they ask Thee to have mercy upon the world. O powerful and eternal God, I thank Thee for the peace which Thou wilt grant to Thy Spouse! I will enter into Thy gardens, and there I will remain until I see the fulfilment of Thy promises, which never fail. Wash away our sins, O Lord, and purify our souls in the blood which Thy only-begotten Son shed for us, so that with joyful countenances and pure hearts we may return love for love, and, dying to ourselves, live for Him alone. Amen.
–Catherine of Sienna
Jesus Speaks
Jesus Speaks
Learning to Recognize and Respond to the Lord’s Voice
by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola
Jesus Speaks: Learning to Recognize and Respond to the Lord’s Voice (2016, Thomas Nelson), is the third book in the Jesus trilogy by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola. Their first book, Jesus Manifesto (2010,Thomas Nelson,) is about returning Jesus to the position of supremacy and sovereignty in the church; a position that is high and lifted up — Jesus: the head of the church. Their second offering, Jesus: A Theography (2012,Thomas Nelson,) is about Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, the inspiration, the center and the fulfillment of the entire Story of the scriptures — Jesus: the heart of the church. read more…
American Church
Reveille
Reveille Story Lectionary 4 September 2016 The Curse of the Dust (Genesis 3) Abraham Pleads with God and God’s Angels Warn Lot and His Family (Genesis 18 and 19) Shimei Casts Dirt Upon David for His Deeds (which David Attributes to the Lord) (2 Samuel 16) Elijah Confronts Ahab and…
Mystery Within
Just one video this week, and one idea to mull over: what do you have hidden within, and what catalyst do you need to help you explore this mystery?
Bobby McFerrin is a musical genius. Forget that he wrote one of the most recognizable and relentlessly memorable tunes, ever (and, did you know that his famous song is based on Psalm 36?) McFerrin is no one-hit-wonder. For decades he has travelled the world, singing, teaching, and exploding the musical establishment’s boxes, just like he does in this video. read more…
Missing Person –preaching tip for 28 August 2016
Often the “missing person” in a sermon is Jesus. Today, the “fad” is to psychologize, to sociologize, to culturalize, to relativize. We hear about the perils of alcoholism, the three kinds of bad thoughts that can creep into your life and destroy your self-worth, the dangers of bullying –all wonderful…
Pastor’s Prayer for 28 August 2016
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved …
From the desire of being extolled …
From the desire of being honored …
From the desire of being praised …
From the desire of being preferred to others …
From the desire of being consulted …
From the desire of being approved …
From the fear of being humiliated …
From the fear of being despised …
From the fear of suffering rebukes …
From the fear of being calumniated …
From the fear of being forgotten …
From the fear of being ridiculed …
From the fear of being wronged …
From the fear of being suspected …
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I …
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease …
That others may be chosen and I set aside …
That others may be praised and I unnoticed …
That others may be preferred to me in everything …
That others may become holier than I, provided
that I may become as holy as I should …
–Cardinal Raphael Merry del Val
Free Lunches and Last Suppers
Free Lunches and Last Suppers Lectionary 28 August 2016 15th Sunday After Pentecost Jeremiah 2:4-13 Psalm 81:1, 10-16 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Luke 14:1, 7-14 Text to Life We are a “first come, first served” culture. Who hasn’t cued up for a “first come, first served” something, and stood in line…
To the Table
To the Table
A Spirituality of Food, Farming and Community
by Lisa Graham McMinn
Lisa Graham McMinn’s book To the Table – A Spirituality of Food, Farming and Community (2016, Brazos Press) is a splendid publication to add to your collection of books about food and family life. It seems to be generally true that the table is the place most folks gather to discuss the big and small topics that concern us. McMinn, a professor of sociology and writer who is also a practitioner in the garden and kitchen, invites all of us to join her at the table to consider how we might grow, prepare and preserve food in an intentional and thoughtful manner.
In To the Table, McMinn carries the maxim “Think globally, act locally” into the family kitchen. By combining her love of gardening and meal making with her Quaker faith and a broad awareness of agri-business, McMinn has produced a book that expands the narrow scope of a traditional cookbook to include a wholesome, worldwide perspective on eating sacramentally. McMinn says about her book: “…I invite readers to remember what they have loved about food and have thought about farmers; I urge them to rethink the word drudgery, as in “cooking is drudgery.” Together, we will look at food from all sorts of angles including those that take our gaze inward, outward, and upward.” read more…
Groups and Scoops
The Least and Most Diverse Religious Groups
Boomers and Millennials View Money Differently read more…