Author Archives: pastorsings

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Follower of Jesus/Pastor/Singer/Teacher/Wife&Mom

picture of two loons floating on a lake

Saturday Prayer 8.12.2023

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Lord,
Sometimes, when the waves are pushing against the boat,
I get distracted by the wind,
and am surprised by the loon calling out.

“Look up!” the loon cries,
as the eagle swoops down, skims the water,
and flies up again, something caught in its talons.

The waves push against the boat,
and my doubt pushes against my faith.
Look up!
“If it’s you, Lord, command me to come to you.”
If?
“Come”, you say. “You have faith enough. It only takes a mustard seed’s worth to move a mountain, after all.”

Lord, save me. Amen.

basket of garden vegetables

Saturday Prayer 8.5.2023

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O God of abundance,
The tomatoes are turning red in the garden.
The beans – O Lord, The beans! So. Many. Beans.
The peas and lettuce and carrots and garlic
have all fulfilled their purpose.

Earth’s bounty in my backyard might make it easy for me to ignore how we’ve damaged this fragile, beautiful planet you entrusted to us. But the dry grass and rising temperatures tell a different story.

Forgive us, Lord.

Nevertheless, your grace flows like rivers. You continue to multiply zucchini as if it were bread, given to thousands.

So take me, Lord. Break me. Bless me. Give me away.
As you nourish me, let your abundance spill over,
And bless this fragile, beautiful world, because of Jesus. Amen.

Measure for Measure – Sermon on Matthew 7:1-6

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Preached at Hilltop UMC Mankato, June 25, 2023

Let’s start with a Pop Quiz! This one is called, “Who Said It?” These are all quotes by famous theologians, on the topic of judging others. Ready? Here we go!
Question number one:

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Saturday Prayer – On the Cusp

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Lord,
You’ve indulged me in this liminal space for a while now,
patiently letting me get my bearings
before I step off the threshold between what was and what will be.

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Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A

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Dear Lectionary Preachers,

I’m sorry but I can’t help you with the Gospel this Sunday. There is nothing in my archives. In 2014 I preached the Epistle passage from Romans. In 2017, I was taking the vacation I would otherwise lose. In 2020, I was between appointments. So the files are empty for Matthew 10:24-39. And that’s a shame, because it’s a great text. Maybe someday I will get to preach it.

In the meantime, I will be posting a sermon later this week on Matthew 7:1-6, where Jesus says “Don’t be so judgy!” And the Saturday Prayer will be up as usual. God be with you as you prepare to share the Good News!

In Christ’s Peace,

Jo Anne

Beauty from What’s Broken – A Saturday Prayer

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Lord, I sometimes wonder how you can bring beauty out of our brokenness, how you can redeem human souls through broken systems. I look at all the women you’ve called to ministry through the centuries, and I marvel at the way you made your voice heard, even in places where what you were speaking into our lives did not match what your Church was saying. And we heard you. We said, “Yes, Lord.”

Sustain us, Lord, with the assurance that we are, indeed, called by You, and none other. Grant us grace to continue in the way you have set before us. Take our own brokenness, and create beauty the way you always do. Lead us in the way everlasting, so we can lead others to you, because of Jesus. Amen.

Trouble Enough – Sermon on Matthew 6:24-34

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When you lie awake at night, what is it you worry about?
Your children?
Your parents?
Your ever-growing “To Do” list?
The bills you need to pay?
Whether you have enough to feed and clothe your family, buy gas, pay your taxes, make your car payment, pay the rent or the mortgage? Save for retirement?

We are often preoccupied with the basic question: Do I have enough? And if not, how can I get more, so I will have enough? A recent study shows that most of us worry about money. A lot.

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Unfinished – A Saturday Prayer

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Lord,
here we are again at the end of another week,
and there are still so many things on my list…
so much is left unfinished.

Today we will bury a woman I wish I had known
while she was alive – she accomplished so much!
She served you as a nurse, a wife, a mother, a dairy farmer,
a business owner, a seminary student, a pastor,
and finally a massage therapist. Eschet chayil!

As I think of her, I ponder my ever-growing list of things to do,
and I realize that your list of things to do in me is growing, too.
You aren’t finished with me, either.

So, today, I only ask this: do your good work in me.
Let me rest in the assurance that Unfinished isn’t so much
a frustrating ‘work in progress’
as a promise being fulfilled.
Let me rest in you. Amen.

A Prayer for the Eve of Trinity Sunday

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Holy One in Three
and Three in One,
Let me dance with you.

I may not understand
how you can be three distinct persons living in unity,
how you can sing in unison and harmony at the same time,
But I do not need to understand in order to trust your Presence.

I need not Know in order to Love as you love,
as you open the circle to me
and invite me into your dance,
into your grace,
into your wholeness and holiness,
into your love.

Let it be so. Let me dance with you. Amen.

A Liturgy for Extinguishing Lenten Candles – Palm/Passion Sunday (Year A)

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This is it, the final candle in our Lenten journey! We’ve extinguished the candles of temptation, searching, and confession. We recognized joy as an important part of trusting God, and last week we recognized sorrow as an unavoidable part of being human. This week, they all come together in the candle of salvation.

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