While attending the Festival of Homiletics, one of the conversations a group of us had over a meal was how to expose the congregations we serve to the many different ways God speaks to us. We discussed poetry, meal-sharing, art, conversation. And we discussed, a lot, music. Music, someone once said, is how we hear […]
Check-in from the Festival of Homiletics
Beloved Community, I offer my gratitude that you have given me the time and space to be away at a conference that is both challenging and uplifting. The Festival of Homiletics (in other words, a preaching conference for those who preach a progressive understanding of the Good News) is a conference I have wanted to […]
May 12th, 2019
Rev. Danielle K. Bartz Acts 9:36-43 “Miracles” When Peter first arrives, it’s an average pastoral care call. The scene, despite being ancient and in a far away place, feels very familiar to me and likely to many of you as well. As a chaplain and then a congregational pastor, I have been in similar […]
Hymn to Her
May 5th, 2019
Rev. Danielle K. Bartz “Here I Am” Acts 9:1-20 The conversion of Paul, the road to Damascus story we have just heard, is a staple in Eastertide. Paul, once called Saul, was a great persecutor of those who believed Jesus to be the messiah. He took great delight in seeking out Jesus’ followers and […]
On The Road to Damascus
On the road to Damascus I met the Way, the Truth, the Life. On the road to Damascus I was blinded so I’d see the light. In the darkness I beheld the disease I held. Aware in the night of my soul, only His Life could make me whole. On the road to Damascus I […]
Alleluia is Our Cry
John 20:1-8 Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Alleluia. Praise the Lord. Praise God for the mighty things that God did on Easter. Praise God with harps and lyres. Praise God with drums and dancing. Praise God with cornets and trumpets. Praise God with singing choirs and shouting voices. For Jesus Christ has been raised […]
Holy Week for Doubters
By Rachel Held Evans, modern day theologian and writer It will bother you off and on, like a rock in your shoe, Or it will startle you, like the first crash of thunder in a summer storm, Or it will lodge itself beneath your skin like a splinter, Or it will show up again—the uninvited […]
Through the Gates
Rev. Danielle K Bartz April 14, 2019 Luke 19:28-40 “Through the Gates” There is something important that I believe we should not lose sight of: the timeline of Jesus’s life and ministry that we follow every year and celebrate, is knit together from all four gospels. Christmas for instance only appears in […]
April 10, 2019
The blog page of our brand new website will be used for a lot of things. Periodically I will write reflections and/or observations. I will share prayers. I will use this space to help point out God. And, if anyone is interested, they can offer a blog post and we will absolutely share it. But, […]