Feb 9, 2015 | Lent, liturgy, Monday Muse, scripture, sermon
Still wondering what you’ll preach when Lent begins next week? Here are eight sermon series ideas for your inspiration and use, all of which aim to shed the traditionally dreary sackcloth of Lent in order to don a vibrant — and occasionally exuberant...
Jan 26, 2015 | Lent, liturgy, Monday Muse, worship
CALL TO WORSHIP (Joel 2:1-2, 12-17) One: Drop everything at the call of the trumpet! Two: Flee from your security at the cry of the protester! One: Leave your “to do” list, put down your calendar. Two: Come right now and seek a new path. One: It’s...
Jan 12, 2015 | Lent, liturgy, Monday Muse, worship
Barely into the season of Epiphany, it’s a little difficult to believe that Lent is just around the corner — but just around the corner it is, which puts Lenten preparations squarely on the “to do” list for many ministers these days. If...
Nov 24, 2014 | books, Monday Muse, review, writing
“Think before you speak.” Such a simple admonition to be mindful with our words is easier said than done — not merely because we are hasty or lack an attentive spirit, but because we’re not accustomed to thinking about our words at all....
Nov 17, 2014 | Advent, Christmas, Monday Muse, sermon
Less than two weeks until the beginning of Advent. Thanksgiving is around the corner, you’ve had a busy fall in your ministry, and you’re trying not to panic over the Advent sermons series that you intended to plan last week or last month. Need a little...
Nov 10, 2014 | Advent, liturgy, Monday Muse
Advent is a season to savor — the longing, the impossible hope, the desperate eagerness for God to come and completely convert the world to holy ways of justice and love. Savoring Advent, however, is often a rare luxury for church professionals working hard to...