A sermon to read

A thoughtful "Independence Day" sermon can be found at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago by Rev John Buchanan. I know the "4th" is behind us but it is never too late to revisit our religious history and conversations about patriotism and the church and state debates.
Here's the link
http://www.fourthchurch.org/070608sermon.html

Ancient Tablet Ignites Debate on Messiah and Resurrection

Check this out!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/world/middleeast/06stone.htm?_r=1&oref=slogin

Can I get this through Cokesbury?

from the Associated press:
The pastor of a Kentucky church that handles snakes in religious rites was among 10 people arrested by wildlife officers in a crackdown on the venomous snake trade.
More than 100 snakes, many of them deadly, were confiscated in the undercover sting after Thursday's arrests, said Col. Bob Milligan, director of law enforcement for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.
Most were taken from the Middlesboro home of Gregory James Coots, including 42 copperheads, 11 timber rattlesnakes, three cottonmouth water moccasins, a western diamondback rattlesnake, two cobras and a puff adder. See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25651899/&GT1=43001
....
No....as far as I know... Cokesbury doesn't carry any snakes in its religious supply catalogue...and if it did ..would snake handling supplies be in Worship, Christian Education, or Church Management Resources?
How about if you post comments about which category you would put it in, and why!

Borrowing quotes again

This was right from today's Upper Room Daily reflection:

WHILE DEFENDERS of Christianity attempt to barge through the front door of reason by arguing “the case for Christ,” the Holy Spirit has been slipping through the back door of imagination and effecting spiritual change from the inside out.
- Sarah Arthur The God-Hungry Imagination: The Art of Storytelling for Postmodern Youth Ministry
From p. 39 of The God-Hungry Imagination by Sarah Arthur. Copyright © 2007 by the author. Published by Upper Room Books.


"slipping through the back door of imagination..."

I believe that is what happened in the music that so moved us from the Agape Youth choir last night!

EVER-LOVING GOD, who having loved us loves us still, help us to hear again your word, “By this shall they know you are my disciples; that you love one another.” Turn our hostility into hospitality and our callousness into care. Through Christ, we pray. Amen.

- Rueben P. Job and Norman ShawchuckA Guide to Prayer for All God’s People
From p. 175 of A Guide to Prayer for All God’s People by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck. Copyright © 1990

From Upper Room web site

Back to work

This week it was back to work, catching up on some pastoral care matters, with more than a few people's health concerns. The meetings are back: Finance, Trustees, Nominations. Fair booth sign up is in process. The community grief group met in the building today and the Tues night Women's Bible study was on schedule. My weekly meeting with the lectionary group is Wed at 11 but I also plan to meet with some people about the Kavan service. We have the memorial service for Dick Kavan at 5 on Thursday evening plus the "funeral lunch" for another person earlier in the day. On Thursday at 8 the Agape Youth Choir from a UMC Church in Houston Texas will present a praise and worship concert and then they will stay overnight in the building. I have a wedding on Saturday (with Friday evening rehearsal of course.) . Hopefully this week I won't do what I did a couple weeks ago and forget to show up for a local clergy 'Book study/spiritual care group" that I am a part of. We are trying again for Thursday at 1. Oh yeah, don't forget some administrative matters. The wall is being removed in the Montessori class room and a new patch of asphalt got put down on the church driveway. And the Sunday sermons are always looming!

All this is to say that I forget just how busy it is sometimes just being in the church building. I've got enough to do and there is plenty going on. But then I get this...to remind me of what else I need to do...,,and this is what I can't forget to do.
By Henri Nouwen
You are Christian only so long as you constantly pose critical questions to the society you live in, so long as you emphasize the need of conversion both for yourself and for the world, so long as you in no way let yourself become established in the situation of the world, so long as you stay unsatisfied with the status quo and keep saying that a new world is yet to come. You are Christian only when you believe you have a role to play in the realization of the new kingdom, and when you urge everyone you meet with holy unrest to make haste so that the promise might soon be fulfilled. So long as you live as a Christian you keep looking for a new order, a new structure, a new life.
Source: Circles of Love
from today's inward/outward..see the side link.

So....have you got anything to do? You could read the thoughtful blogs of some people here on my links. You might get some "holy unrest."
Am I doing what I am here to do?

Swenson Family

Hello! This is, in fact, not your usual Swenson broadcaster; it is Rory's daughter, Sara. I am writing to you now on his behalf so that he (and in a moment I) may continue to enjoy the company of his parents who are visiting this fourth of July weekend. It has been really wonderful to see them. Additionally, his sister, Lynn, and her husband, Mike, along with his brother, Randy, have all been visiting this week and all of the original Swenson family was together for the first time in countless years. At least three, probably five - I do not have the number. Either way, what you see below is a rather rare collection of people, all of whom love one another very much and were immensely happy to be able to spend a few days in one another's company.
We are , left to right:
Brother, from Moorhead MN
Sister, from Payson Az
Dad, from TRF(Scottsdale AZ in the winter)
Me, Brainerd
Mom, from TRF (and Scottsdale in winter)