Dislocated Exegesis

Kathy Randall: Lela, Maseno, Kenya
In Chuck Campbell’s preaching class, one of our assignments was dislocated exegesis. Basically it required reading a specific scripture passage for an hour in a place that you normally wouldn’t read scripture. Given examples were in a bank or hotel lobby, at…

Palm and Passion Sunday Sermon

This is the sermon I preached at Bethel and Camp Springs UMC today. I began the service with a hymn, the first scripture reading, and the first page of my sermon, the palm section, down in front, from the nave. Then we finished the hymn, and I gave the children’s sermon…

Calling

This past year I have been serving a field education placement (read: internship) at a two-point charge in rural North Carolina. That in itself is not earth shattering. What is, for me, is that I have been serving these two congregations and have fallen in love with them. It is not a foreign idea, not really, but…

Introductions to Emergent Worship

Today at worship I planned and led a different worship service than that to which the congregations were accustomed. We had a good day, I preached one of my best sermons so far, and I could feel the Holy Spirit moving in that place in spite of me. We sang songs they…

Liturgical Nerd

The first costume that I ever remember designing and wearing myself was when I was seven years old. I thought and planned, cut it out, painted it with black and glitter, wrote the words carefully, and wore it proudly for Halloween. I was a Holy Bible. I was something else, let me tell you. I mean…

Hospitality in the Hospital

Kathy Randall: Kisumu, Kenya
Friday a week ago was not my best day in Kenya. It began well, a phone call for a birthday, but when I hung up I had to make a choo stop. And I realized I was unwell. I was supposed to be preaching again, like the previous day, but I quickly realized…

Psalm 51

Rend our hearts Lord, and not our garments.

That we may be fully open to you and available to all that you have given to us.

Let us be sacrificed to you that we may be yours, and yours only, O God.

Shaking The Worship House To Become The Unshakable Kingdom

My final sermon for my field education placement, for my “shake it up” worship service. Possibly my best sermon yet, I was really excited about the whole day. I read the text from Eugene Peterson’s Paraphrase, The Message, not…

when life gives you oranges: make Cake-in-an-Orange!

This week John and I went camping. I had a great menu planned, but because we fought (and lost) against the pesky buzzing hypodermic needles, our desserts remained uncooked. One of the desserts I wanted, I yearned, to cook was…

To Worry:

Peace
in the midst of the storm.
Waiting.
Time apart.
Writing
to avoid the hurt, fear, silence.
Electronic exchanges about wishes, dreams, escapes from the mess.
“Don’t you want to…”
Disappear?
Can I please?
Just let me go.
I don’t want to worry about this now.
Just let me be selfish and go do my own thing…