When our Discerning Vision team met this month, I asked them to do this Guided Imagery meditation to invite God and their own imagination offer a vision of the future St. Luke’s. --- Get into a very comfortable and relaxed position. Focus your awareness on your breathing. Breathe in easily and effortlessly. Then breathe out. … Continue reading Future of St. Luke’s Guided Imagery
Nothing Special and the Kingdom of God | June 13, 2021
by the Rev'd Dr. Helen Svoboda-Barber Our Gospel stories today are some of the parables Jesus tells about the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed, planted in the dirt, that becomes a scrubby, gangly big bush --a home for the birds. That is the Kingdom of God. As … Continue reading Nothing Special and the Kingdom of God | June 13, 2021
Set Your Intentions: Short Family Retreat Days
I’ve talked a lot about how St. Luke’s is working hard to be intentional about who we will become moving out of this pandemic. What do we hold on to? What do we set down? What new practices will we pick up? This summer, St. Luke’s will be offering this same sort of thoughtful reflection … Continue reading Set Your Intentions: Short Family Retreat Days
Getting Ready for the Good Things to Come
Yes! Magazine is a wonderful collection of feel-good news. This week, an article from them passed through my feed, We Have to Get Ready for the Good Things to Come. I immediately thought, “Exactly! This is what our Discerning Vision team is helping St. Luke’s to do: to prepare ourselves to be ready for the … Continue reading Getting Ready for the Good Things to Come
The Trinity of Love | May 30, 2021
Rev. Dr. Helen Svoboda-Barber My seminary experience was full of learning and possibilities and tools. I only remember two or three admonitions to avoid some things, and I’m failing at avoiding everything I’ve been told to avoid. Our Pastoral Studies Professor Charlie Cook repeatedly told us, “Don’t poll the congregation. Just don’t poll the congregation.” … Continue reading The Trinity of Love | May 30, 2021
A Poem to Share
Clergy have been talking about how we hold people who are in very different places. Some are ready to get back and frustrated that things are so slow. Others are grieving very real losses that they have had to hold alone for far too long. Enfleshed, a Facebook page I follow, shared that they had … Continue reading A Poem to Share
Get Ready for the Spirit to Show Up | May 23, 2021 – Pentecost
Rev. Dr. Helen Svoboda-Barber Today is Pentecost. It feels odd not to be gathering in person to celebrate Pentecost for a second year in a row. And yet, when we really think about it, this is not a bad way to celebrate Pentecost. For the past 14 months, we’ve been living similar to how the disciples … Continue reading Get Ready for the Spirit to Show Up | May 23, 2021 – Pentecost
Imagine Yourself Here
A new ice cream store had its grand opening downtown last night. My family decided we’d like to try it out so we piled into our car, with a fully vaccinated friend and drove downtown after dinner. We got close and saw a line running out the door and half a block down. People were … Continue reading Imagine Yourself Here
Prayer and New Life for the Church | May 16, 2021
by Rev. Dr. Helen Svoboda-Barber Every year on the Sunday before Pentecost, we read a section of the longest prayer attributed to Jesus. The entire 17th chapter of the gospel of John is the prayer Jesus prayed just before he was arrested. The whole prayer has three fairly distinct sections. In the first section, Jesus … Continue reading Prayer and New Life for the Church | May 16, 2021
Rebuilding from the Ground Up
After twenty-some years, the brick walkway in front of our house had become a danger for visitors. Trees had grown, water channels had eroded, and bricks had heaved and sunk. What was once a beautiful, welcoming path had become a hazard. So this week, Shawn pulled up all the bricks to expose the foundation. And … Continue reading Rebuilding from the Ground Up
