Tag: Ruth Hetland
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S is for Sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry, is the room where vestments, paraments, and other items used for worship are kept. Oftentimes, the sacristy is right off the sanctuary or it can be in another part of the church. At times, the sacristy is where pastors will keep their albs and chasubles and prepare for…
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Joy Matters – sermon from 5/13/18
Rob Bell, a well-known pastor, author, and speaker tells a story about a time he was sitting in a meeting at the church where he was a pastor. It was a huge church and this was the meeting where the various leaders of the different departments of the church came together to discuss the running…
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Rituals (an Easter Message)
I’ve been thinking a lot about rituals these last days especially. Probably because Holy Week is always full of them. Palm Sunday we process in with the palms and say “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Maundy Thursday we have holy communion and the stripping of the altar. Good…
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Writing With a View of the Graveyard – the Book!
My new book, “Writing With a View of the Graveyard: Life, Loss, and Unruly Grace” – is now available on Amazon. I’ve been overwhelmed with the response and also with how strange it feels to have this thing I wrote out in the world. It’s exhilarating and scary and great. I’m incredibly grateful for all…
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Mary of Bethany (a Lenten sermon on John 12:1-8)
Our sense of smell can bring back memories in such powerful ways. I have what was left of my father’s aftershave when he died. I keep it in my dresser and every now and then when I come across it, I’ll open it and close my eyes and sniff – and I’m instantly brought back…
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Changes
“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar… “I hardly know, Sir, just at present,” Alice replied rather shyly, “at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.” – Lewis Carroll “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” The author, William Bridges, tells a…
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Christ Still Comes
Christ still comes – ready or not. Grace to you and peace on this Christmas morning. Advent has come and gone; the candlelight of Christmas Eve is over – and here we are in the broad daylight of Christmas day. To tell you the truth it all snuck up on me. We just moved into…
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A Christmas Day homily
One of my best friends and his wife are expecting a new baby any day now. So I’ve been having fun doing a little baby-clothes shopping. Holding the soft sleepers and tiny blankets brings back memories of days that weren’t that long ago when my own boys were that small. Most of the lessons of…
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A Christmas Story
Joanne thought the Grinch was sorely misunderstood. It was freezing cold outside on Christmas Eve and the roads were a mess, full of snow and other last-minute shoppers driving like crazy people. She finally found a parking spot at the mall. “I might as well have parked at home” she muttered as she wound her…
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Christmas Light
Christmas is a lot more cheerful for me these days than it used to be. In addition to the joy that sharing Christmas with our children brings, I really am happy to be at a church that has one Christmas Eve service instead of five. I feel like I really get to worship on Christmas…