Sweet Spots
Ideas and messages from Len Sweet.
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What are you Lord?
“What are you, Lord, what are you? What shall my heart conceive you to be? Assuredly you are life; you are wisdom; you are truth; you are goodness; you are blessedness; you are eternity; and you are every true good.” St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)
Prayer to the Holy Family
A prayer entitled “Prayer to the Holy Family” from Pope Francis in his recent Amoris Laetitia (“On Love in the Family”) released 08 May 2016: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, In you see contemplate The splendor of true love, To you we turn with trust. Holy Family of Nazareth,…
Who’s Afraid of a Little Disorder –Preaching Tip for 15 May 2016
Who’s afraid of a little disorder? Usually the church. But if anything we learn about Pentecost Sunday, it’s that the Holy Spirit refuses to fit into our “orderly” understandings. We are not in control. God is. Just as in the Jewish tradition, the Jubilee tradition required a great deal of…
Pastor’s Prayer –for 15 May 2016
Bless the
Lord, O my soul, •
and all that is within me bless his holy name.
2Bless the
Lord, O my soul, •
and forget not all his benefits;
3Who
forgives all your sins •
and heals all your infirmities;
4Who
redeems your life from the Pit •
and crowns you with faithful love and compassion;
5Who
satisfies you with good things, •
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6The Lord
executes righteousness •
and judgement for all who are oppressed.
7He made
his ways known to Moses •
and his works to the children of Israel.
8The Lord
has established his throne in heaven, •
and his kingdom has dominion over all.
9Bless the
Lord, you angels of his, •
you mighty ones who do his bidding
and hearken to the voice of his
word.
10Bless the
Lord, all you his hosts, •
you ministers of his who do his will.
11Bless the
Lord, all you works of his,
in all places of his dominion; •
bless the Lord, O my soul.
The Book of Common Prayer (from Psalm 103)
A Thousand Voices
An ancient song rises. It’s words, written in Latin in the 9th century and originally sung in Gregorian chant, comprise one of the earliest hymns to the Holy Spirit. Veni Creator Spiritus, well established in both Catholic and Anglican prayer books, has been set for performance in the concert hall and as an integral part of communal worship.
One of the most well-known works of Mahler is on this week’s playlist. It features the text of this hymn and a cast of over 1,000 performers, hence, it is known as The Symphony of A Thousand. As we prepare for Pentecost and reflect on the stories told in Acts – stories of thousands of people who heard the gospel and were moved by the Holy Spirit – let’s listen to the beauty and diversity of the settings of these earliest words of praise for the third person of the Trinity. read more…
Silence
Silence
A Novel by
Shusaku Endo
In your back-story I would guess there are some traumatic images you would like to un-see and some painful words you would prefer to un-hear. Do you also have in your memory a troubling book you wish you could un-read? For years, Silence by Shusaku Endo, fell into that category for me. A historical novel considered to be a masterpiece and a classic of literature, this brilliant and disturbing book gives, through the fictional character of Jesuit priest Father Sebastian Rodrigues, a distilled version of the ordeal of faith endured by Japanese Catholics and Jesuit missionaries at the end of the Christian Century in Japan (1550 – 1650). Author Endo converted to Catholicism at age eleven under the guidance of his mother and aunt and remained a Catholic his entire life, although not without tremendous emotional and spiritual battles.
In Silence, Endo explores, through the protagonist, the great, and sometimes unfulfilled, desire of believers to receive encouragement from God in seasons of hardship, and he especially laments over God’s silence during times of persecution. In this story about a devout Catholic priest, one who lives with marginal success, betrayal, fear, and failure, Endo portrays Father Rodrigues as though he were balancing on a treacherous tightrope suspended between heaven and hell. After many perilous events, Endo finally brings Father Rodrigues into a seemingly impossible dilemma of faith, one that demands a harrowing decision on the part of the priest. read more…
What’s Old and New Again in America
What’s Old is New Again: Wicca on the Rise in America
The number of self-identified Wiccans increased from from 134,000 in 2001 to 342,000 in 2008. About 5.9 percent of Americans followed a non-Christian faith in 2014, up from 4.7 percent in 2007, according to the Pew Research Center.
Are You A Paster, Presentist, Or Futurian?
I am an armchair futurist and absolutely love people who are not only dreamers, but who actively work to create new and better realities. Too many times in working with non-profits I have felt hamstrung by minutiae managers or slaves of past paradigms. Can you relate? Of course there is a role for remembering and honoring the past. And there is a danger in living in a future that doesn’t yet exist. The goal is to be all in each conversation, each experience, and each moment. Knowing if someone is a paster, presentist or futurian is very helpful in working with them in the now.
Your Birth Date Is Arbitrary — It’s Your Biological Age That Matters
Food for thought: We each have a birthdate but our actual biological age may be different. Some people are fit, healthy and active ten or twenty years (or more) after others have slowed down. But we also have a spiritual age level. And we all know that a person’s spiritual maturity, vitality or youthfulness doesn’t always equate to biological age. Spiritual health does bring about a child-like love for life that transcends biology. Outwardly fading, inwardly blooming.
Bread and Circuses
We live in a culture of frenetic digital activity and non-stop marketing and message-making. I mentioned last week that our attention spans are now shorter than that of a goldfish (eight seconds). We often feel the need to compete for attention—not only with culture but with other churches. The tendency to entertain with bread and circuses—to momentarily satiate—is no substitute for offering the Bread of Life and the Circle of Relationships that delivers long-term satisfaction and sanctification.
The Kafka Effect
Life isn’t always “figureoutable.” And that’s ok. Sometimes we aren’t offering certainty, but assurance. Not answers, but a listening ear. Yes, tribulation is working out something greater in us. Divine strength manifests in the struggle.
New Study: Worlds Fastest Growing Religion? No Religion
And the completion is…no religion at all.
Spirituality is one of those words that can mean anything, everything, and nothing. “Disciple of Jesus,” for example, is phrase with clear implications. It is true, though, that many behavioral bad habits can be masked by the use of so-called spirituality. Church life should be normal and leaders worth following should take the message very seriously, but be willing to enjoy a hearty laugh at their own humanity.
Are Women More Religious Than Men?
Yes. They are. I will show myself out now. Happy Mother’s Day.
Higher Ground
Higher Ground Story Lectionary 8 May 2016 The Ascension of Jesus God’s Blessing Upon Abram (Genesis 12) The Blessing of Melchizedek, High Priest of the Most High God Upon Abram (14) God’s Blessing Upon Jacob and the Experience at Bethel (Genesis 28) The Blessing and Monument at Gilgal When the…
Happy Mothering Day
Happy Mothering Day Lectionary 8 May 2016 7th Sunday of Easter Acts 16:16-34 Psalm 97 Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 John 17:20-26 Text to Life According to the church calendar, this is the seventh Sunday of Easter, not one of the holiest days on the liturgical calendar. But everyone here today knows that…
Mike and the Grass
“Mike and The Grass” became a chapter in Erma Bombeck’s book “IF Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing In The Pits?” Erma Bombecks “The Green, Green Grass of Home” was written November 1971. It makes a good “Mother’s Day” or “Father’s Day” story. When Mike was…