Sweet Spots
Ideas and messages from Len Sweet.
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Just Pray –Preaching Tip for 8 November 2015
Always pray. Before your sermon, always pray that the voice of God might be heard. Prayer not only puts your sermon into the hands of God, and allows God to use it, change it, empower it, but prayer also puts you into a place of humility. Prayer instills confidence. It…
Pastor’s Prayer for November 8, 2015
Grant, Almighty God, that as we were from our beginning lost, when thou wert pleased to extend to us thy hand, and to restore us to salvation for the sake of thy Son; and that as we continue even daily to run headlong to our own ruin, — O grant that we may not, by sinning so often, so provoke at length thy displeasure as to cause thee to take away from us the mercy which thou hast hitherto exercised towards us, and through which thou hast adopted us: but by thy Spirit destroy the wickedness of our heart, and restore us to a sound mind, that we may ever cleave to thee with a true and sincere heart, that being fortified by thy defence, we may continue safe even amidst all kinds of danger, until at length thou gatherest us into that blessed rest, which has been prepared for us in heaven by our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
–John Calvin, “Prayer From the Book of Hosea”
Requiem
Halloween celebrations were a big thing at the place where I work. Teams huddled to discuss their “theme” and how they would capture the coveted prizes that are awarded for these events. Although there were suggestions such as “Disney Princesses” (yes, there are men on my team), “Where’s Waldo” (my personal favourite, since our team leader is a shoe-in for Waldo), and “A Crate of Apples” (??!!!??), the theme that won the vote was “The Walking Dead.”
Zombies are apparently a big thing. People trying to escape from zombies (real or imagined) is a serious preoccupation. read more…
Ordinary Grace
Ordinary Grace
by
William Kent Krueger
Ordinary grace – what does that mean? Do experiences of grace range from less-than-ordinary through extra-ordinary degrees? For author William Kent Krueger, Ordinary Grace is a novel, a captivating chronicle that includes a coming of age story, a murder mystery, and a stunning definition of ordinary grace. read more…
Date With a Frog
Some days, it’s “Good morning, God.” Some days, it’s “Good God, it’s morning.” A frog telephoned a psychic hotline and is told, “You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you.” “Great,” said the frog. “Will I meet her at a party?”…
Break
Some things are so important you can’t allow yourself to be detoured or derailed . . . An English parish priest was walking down a country lane when he saw a young farmer struggling to load hay back onto a cart after it had fallen off. “You look hot, my…
Do you like dolls?
“Do you like dolls?” a little girl asked a friend of her mother’s who had come for dinner. “Yes, very much,” was the reply. “Then I’ll show you mine,” the little girl offered. One by one she carried them into the living room and sat them on the couch. Finally,…
Entanglement
Entanglement Lectionary Isaiah 25:6-9 Psalm 24 Revelation 21:1-6a John 11:32-44 Text to Life We are all entangled. Whether we know it or not, our lives are entangled. Let me show you how. This year the other-worldly celebration of “Allhallowtide” fell just right on the this-world weekly calendar. Allhallowtide is the…
Scandal
Scandal Story Lectionary 1 November 2015 All Saints Day Deuteronomy: The Raising Up of a New Prophet Like Moses (18:15-22) Psalm 2: The Son of God Psalm 22: Song of Deliverance from Persecution and God’s Victory Psalm 110: The Priest of Melchizedek God Knows the Name of the Son (Proverbs…
Pastor’s Prayer for All Saints Day –Nov 1, 2015
Opening Prayer for All Saints Day
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,today we rejoice in the holy men and womenof every time and place.May their prayers bring usyour forgiveness and love.
…the work of your hands is manifest in your saints,
the beauty of your truth is reflected in their faith.
May we who aspire to have part in their joy
be filled with the Holy Spirit that blessed their lives,
so that having shared their faith on earth
we may also know their peace in your kingdom.
–Taken from the Catholic Sacramentary