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The Fast I’ve Chosen
Isaiah 58, Zechariah 7:5-10 There is no question that fasting is an essential part of our spiritual lives. Scripture shows us, time and again, how this practice strengthens our spirits and steers us to lives that are more in tune with the Holy Spirit. And yet so often we treat fasting as an item on…
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Facing the Wilderness
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. Luke 4:1-2 Each year on the first Sunday in Lent…
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Not Alone
The Lenten season provides for us a reminder that we are all connected in the ongoing work of more fully experiencing the Kingdom of God here on earth. A reminder that, in the midst of our suffering, we stand in solidarity with all those who suffer. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and subsequent victory over…
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How Long?
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?
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Los Reyes Magos
El Dia de los Reyes submitted by Rev. Vanilda Reyes de Noyes in conjunction with our friends at the FM Justice Network For many people in Latin America, Spain and in the United States, Christmas doesn’t end on December 25th. The celebration of Jesus’ birth is recognized up to January 6th on Epiphany. The day…
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How to Advent in Pandemic
We invited Katie Sawade Hall and Barb Bushart from Community of the Savior in Rochester, NY to share how they’ve compiled an Advent Family Resource. Finding ways to acknowledge and celebrate the seasons of the liturgical calendar has been especially challenging during 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with virtual rather than in-person worship for much of…
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Advent: An Invitation to Wait
submitted by Rev. John Crow We are not good at waiting. In 21st Century America, we want all of it, and we want it now. And thanks to smart phones and credit cards, we have come to expect instant gratification more than ever. Some things are worth waiting for, however. The birth of our Savior…
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Engaging our neighbors in Re-Membering Halloween
submitted by Rev. Chadwick Anderson “Once you’ve sat down, share with all of us who you’re lighting the candle in remembrance of, and how that person impacted your life. Please only one person lighting at a time, and wait until that person has finished speaking before going forward to light yours. We’re not in a…
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Liturgical Worship: A Practice, not a Product
written & compiled by Julie Durbin; edited by the FMLN Coordinating Council When life presses in from every side, we find out what we are made of. We fall back on habitual ways of being and doing. In prolonged encounter with crisis, we fight a daily battle between spiritual disciplines and our addictions, between hope…
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sample of evening prayer
Preparation O God, make speed to save us.All: O Lord, make haste to help us.Send your Holy Spirit upon us,All: and clothe us with power from on high. Alleluia. Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,to you be glory and praise for ever.Raised to your right hand on highthe ascended Christ shows the prints…