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Prayer after Sermon (4)

Gracious and Merciful Father: Thy thoughts toward us have ever been thoughts of peace and good-will, and all Thy ways are faithfulness and truth. Every day brings to us renewed testimonials of Thy goodness, and every new opening of Thy counsel unfolds fresh tokens of Thine infinite love.

Father of All, grant us the guidance of Thy heavenly wisdon, that we may set our heart on no object, and put our hand to no work, upon which we cannot invoke Thy blessing. So shall the light of the morning be celebrated in the joy of the day, and our hearts and our hands be lifted up in the evening sacrifice of praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

  • Fourth of “Prayers after Sermon” in Gospel Liturgy, p. 61
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"Super Size Me" to See

My everloving partner and I saw Super Size Me, to bew documentary about the journalist who examined American obesity by eating an all-McDonald’s diet for a month.

See it if you can, especially if you’re trying to summon courage for dieting but not if you’re prone to nausea. I’d recommend that kids under 16 not go, even if with a parent, due to some frank sexual content. But the message to true for people of all ages, indeed, especially kids who get flooded with bad food messages. A good example of a school with a responsible lunch program, mentioned in the film, is Appleton Central Alternative High School.

But the film was a bit of aroller-coaster; I think I’ll eat brown rice for a month.

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Prayer after Sermon (3)

Prayer after Sermon (3)
God of Truth, let Thy blessing for ever rest upon us, in the assurance of Thy perpetual presence. Thou goes by, and we see Thee not: Thou passest on also, and we perceive Thee not: yet art Thou very nigh to every one of us. The darknes hideth not from Thee, but the night shineth as the day, and all thins are open unto Him with whom we have to do.

Make us sensible, we beseech Thee, that Thy glory id in the goodnes Thou art ever making to pass before us; and may our sense of Thy loving-kindness, and our trust in Thine oyerruling [sic] purpose, constrain us to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before Thee.

And at last, when the shadows of the long night shall have fallen on our path, may our souls dwell together in the blessed land, where there is no forgetfulness of Thy presence, any more death. An
d to Thy holy name, throught the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, shall be everlasting praise. Amen

  • Third of “Prayers after Sermon” in Gospel Liturgy, p. 60-61
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Back from Safari

Philocrites brought to my attention that this blog was hanging when he used the Mac Safari browser. Thanks to him, and my long-suffering Mac-using partner, I just gave up on the three graphic images currently in use and reduced the number of days of readable entries to a more customary seven.

It seems to load well now.

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Prayer after Sermon (2)

We beseech Thee, O Lord, to follow with thy richest blessing the religious meditations of this hour. May Thy holy word sink deep into our minds, that our souls may take hold of it as the hope over everlasting life. May we feel its transforming power, and be doers of its heavnly lessons, lest the living sense of Thy favor die away from our affections and our thoughts.

Grant us Thy continual grace, that we may walk as children of light and of the day, adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; and of Thy great mercy preserve our going out, and our coming in, from this time forth, and forever more. Amen

  • Second of “Prayers after Sermon” in Gospel Liturgy, p. 60
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Prayer after Sermon (1)

Those morning prayers last week called on a prayer from pages 60 to 52 in the Gospel Liturgy. Time to add those.

O Lord our Salvation, whose goodness and mercy have continually followed us: Grant us Thy helpful grace, that our souls may continually follow Thee. Enable us to make religion the daily experience of our lives. May the morning be ordered in prayer, that the noon may be passed in praise, and the evening in peace.

And when the evening of life shall fade away into the night of death, may we trustfully look for the morning of Thy glory, in a day without night, and a life without end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

  • First of “Prayers after Sermon” in Gospel Liturgy, p. 60
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Christian formation

Better than “religious education” the idea of “Christian formation” gets to what I hope to accomplish personally and in any new church. I think that, as a practice, it has a better idea of the Church as a spiritual unity (and not just a corelative to a school) and puts life-long development back into a continuum. Rather, again, than comparing it to something that one graduates from. Or equally bad: what someone audits for personal curiosity.

So that’s what I’m reading now: online reasources, particularly from the Episcopal and Evangelical Covenant churches.

Will let y’all know what I find.

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A word from Quillen Shinn

I ran across this tonight.

I see not why one ever things of being a Universalist minister, unless they are willing to go wherever called or enter every field where souls are hungry for our message. I may not have enough of this spirit, but this this I know, I hardly ever pass a schoolhouse without thinking there is somebody in this neighborhood who never heard our doctrine; how I would love to preach in that schoolhouse and make at least one soul happier. This I conceive to be the missionary spirit

Quillen Hamilton Shinn (1845-1907)

The irony is that this quotation was on the cover of a 1992 UUA packet entitled “Ministry Opportunities in the Department of Extension.” Neither the opportunities nor the department exist any longer.

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Collect for the Evening (Gloria Patri Revised)

O Blessed God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest, take us into thy gracious keeping for this night; and make us mindful of that night when the noise of this busy world shall be heard by us no more. O Lord in whom we trust, help us by thy grace so to live that we may never be afraid to die; and grant that at the last, as now, our vesper song may be: I will lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, makest me to dwell in safety. Amen.

  • From “Second Order for Vespers” in Gloria Patri Revised (1903), p. 131
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UUCF at GA

This is the roster of Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship events at General Assembly, mirrored here so that more people will see it. Wish I were going, gang, but I’ll see y’all next year.

Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship
Schedule of Events for General Assembly 2004
June 24-28, 2004 in Long Beach, CA

Jesus in the 21st Century: Lecture by Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom

Author of the new Skinner House Book, “Teacher, Guide, Companion: Rediscovering Jesus in A Secular World” and UU World Cover Article.
Panel Responding: Revs. Earl Holt, Kathleen Rolenz, Peter Boullata
Saturday, June 26, 5 to 6:15 p.m., Room 104B
repeating on Sunday, June 27, 2 to 3:15 p.m., Room 104B with different panel respondents

UUCF Annual Meeting, Dinner, Hymn Sing

Saturday, June 26, 6:45 to 8:15 p.m.
close by at First Congregational Church, 241 Cedar Ave. downtown
come by UUCF booth for directions or to go with a group

We will have an Italian Bistro banquet (no waiting in long lines at restaurants that evening) with words of welcome by the minister of the host church, a program during dinner, our celebrated hymn sing and the Annual Meeting to elect officers and approve the budget.

The First Congregational Church (UCC) in downtown Long Beach is one of the finest examples of Florentine Renaissance architecture in Southern California. The church building was dedicated in 1914 and declared an historical landmark in 1979. In late 2003, the church completed its new Pilgrim Hall, where the UUCF dinner meeting is being held. The new building was recently honored by the Long Beach Heritage historical society with its prestigious Preservation Award for outstanding architectural achievement and compatability with the existing historic church structures. On hand to welcome the UUCF group will be the church’s senior minister, Dr. Jerry Stinson, a noted social activist and proponent of liberal interfaith theology.

Cost for the Banquet is $25. Please make reservations by June 16 to Rev. Ron Robinson at RevRonRobinson@aol.com or 918-274-0105 or Kim Hampton at magnolia_lilly@yahoo.com or Barb Perry at barbperry318@netzero.net. We can add people after that, but we need a good headcount by then. Invite Colleagues, Friends, Family to come with you.

UUCF Communion Service Open To All

Led by Revs. Parisa Parsa, Ned Wight, Robert Jordan Ross
Sermon by Rev. Parsa: “Givin’ It Up For God”
A UU Christian with Muslim heritage explores Abraham’s faith for these times
Sunday, June 27, 8:30 to 9:45 p.m. Room 204

Magi Network Presentations

“The Great Commission is for UU Christians Too”

Saturday, June 26, 1;30 to 2:45 p.m. Room 103C
“UU Christian Congregations in the Postmodern World”
Sunday, 4:45 to 6 p.m. Room 102C

Come by the UUCF Display Booth for Conversation, Information on small group events within GA, Free Material, Questions. We are working on booksignings, on hospitality at the booth and elsewhere, small groups meeting throughout the GA experience for UU Christians and Jesus-followers, lunch with seminarians, ministers, UUCF newcomers, and more.