View From Columbia

Gathering Prayer God of justice, peace, and righteousness come into our midst this afternoon/evening Breathe your breath, your Spirit of prophecy, your energy, your enlivening, your imagination on us. Wake us up. Open our eyes. Unplug our ears. That we might hear. That we might see That we might grieve. That we might dream. That we might follow the ways of your extraordinary kingdom Amen ~ posted on the Jonny Baker blog. http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/2012/07/wake-up.html   Romans 13: 8-10 (CEB) Don't be in debt to anyone, except for the obligation to love each other. Whoever loves another person has fulfilled the Law. The commandments, don't commit adultery, don't murder, don't steal, don't desire what others have, and any other commandments, are all summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself. Love doesn't do anything wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is what fulfills the Law.   Musing In January of 2008 I...

  Let's Get Real Prayer to Begin: In deep gratitude for all that You have done for us, we offer ourselves to You—living sacrifices of worship and praise. Transform our hearts and minds from the inside out; show us what is good and pleasing in Your sight, so that we may be quick to recognize Your call, and quick to respond. In the name of Jesus, our Messiah and Lord, Amen.   Adapted from a prayer on the blog: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/   Image:  "Courtesy: National Science Foundation"  Romans 12: 2-8 (CEB) Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is—what is good and pleasing and mature. Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don't think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you. We have many parts in one body, b...

  Staying  Afloat Welcome to my blog as DS of the Columbia District of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. I will post here mostly reflections that I have concerning ministry, the present situation we find ourselves in as a church, as an area and as a society. Leave your comments or just read and reflect. Prayer to Begin: O God who is greater than the most powerful forces in this world, enable us to be still and know that You are God. O Lord who answers out of the whirlwind of everyday life, breathe in us Your Holy Spirit to strengthen, comfort, and guide us in the midst of the storm. O still, small voice, speak to us this hour that we might become makers of Your peace in our homes, in our communities, in our world. We pray all this in the name of the One who calmed the raging sea. Amen.   ~ posted on My Redeemer Lives website. http://www.myredeemerlives.com/prayers.html   "The Hand of God" by Yongsung Kim Matthe...

Welcome to my blog as DS of the Columbia District of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. I will post here mostly reflections that I have concerning ministry, the present situation we find ourselves in as a church, as an area and as a society. Leave your comments or just read and reflect. Today’s post is more reflection then statement. To begin, I invite you to breathe. Breathe…in and out… breathe slowly and deeply…breathe…allow yourself to let go of whatever has your attention…breathe… Dear Lord God, We thank you for mustard seed and for the wonders of yeast and for how these things teach us about your love. Lord, plant your seed into our lives, help us work your yeast into our h earts that wonderful things may happen. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. ~ written by Rev. Richard J. Fairchild, and posted on Kir-shalom.   http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/a-or17cs.php Matthew 13: 31-33 (CEB) - Jesus told another parable to crowds: ...

Beginning a New Adventure on the Columbia! Welcome to my blog as DS of the Columbia District of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. I will post here mostly reflections that I have concerning ministry, the present situation we find ourselves in as a church, as an area and as a society. Leave your comments or just read and reflect. Recently I have been practicing breathing. I have been doing this mostly when I begin another Zoom call or meeting. I’m doing 5-7 a day and sometimes I need to remember to breathe. So let’s just breathe for a moment…draw in the air deeply, get it all the way down to your diaphragm…hold it for a moment then slowly let it out. Do this several times…. God, you are the gathering one who calls us into community with each other to love and work, to support and heal. You are the gathering one who calls us into community with all people; to bring justice and hope, freedom and truth. You are the gathering one who c...