by Ken Sehested
Years ago I preached a Lenten sermon in the form of a defiant open letter to God.
“Dear God. I’ll be brief. Like sucks. And, with all due respect, what does that make you, you being the author of life and all?
Author: ppadmin
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Signs of the Times • 23 February 2017 • No. 110
¶ Processional. “Create In Me a Clean Heart (Psalm 51),” Thingamakid children’s choir, Jacobs Jewish Summer Camp.
Songs about immigrants and refugees
I pulled together my list of favorite songs about immigrants and refugees, shared it with some friends, got additional titles, for this chart of 26 songs (in no particular order). —Ken Sehested
• “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor,” Irving Berlin, using lyrics from Emma Lazarus’ poem, performed by The Zamir Chorale
• “City of Immigrants,” Steve Earle
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Signs of the Times • 16 February 2017 • No. 109
¶ Processional. “What a Wonderful World,” Playing for Change.
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Signs of the Times • 9 February 2017 • No. 108
¶ Processional. “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” John McDermott.
The ‘God-factor’ in our recent elections
A post-election sermon
by Ken Sehested
Texts: Isaiah 58:1-12, Matthew 5:13-20
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdUcr8q2HhE&feature=em-upload_owner
In the weeks before the recent Women’s March on Washington, I heard from several friends around the country who were planning to go. I sent them notes saying, “Look for Nancy and our granddaughter Sydney. They’re going to be wearing some kind of pink hats with kitty cat ears.”
I didn’t realize nearly everyone in the crowd would have one of those hats.
Read more ›Caught in the mess, caught in the mercy
A tale from maximum security
Call to the table, by Nancy Hastings Sehested
It was field day on the prison yard. A couple hundred inmates were competing in basketball and volleyball games and relay races. The cooler of fruit punch ran out, but they had a water fountain on the side of the building. But Montel was in a wheelchair and couldn’t reach the fountain. He wheeled over to the staff tent and asked for a cup of water from the staff cooler. Several staff said no. Then he turned to me, the chaplain, and asked for water. I said no.
I couldn’t sleep that night. Why didn’t I give a man a cup of water? Jesus said something specific about that, and if anyone gives a cup of cold water. . . .
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Signs of the Times • 2 February 2017 • No. 107
¶ Processional. Karim Sulayman stood blindfolded on a New York City sidewalk, with a sign saying what his fears were, inviting people to react: “I trust you.” (3:14 video, with Sinead O’Connor’s “In This Heart” song performed by Sulayman)
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Signs of the Times • 26 January 2017 • No. 106
¶ Processional. “What good is love and peace on earth? / When it's exclusive? / Where's the truth in the written word? / If no one reads it / A new day dawning / Comes without warning / So don't blink twice / We live in troubled times.” —Green Day, “Troubled Times” (Thanks Michael.)
Fear of the Lord
A litany for worship inspired by Psalm 111:10 and Mark 1:21-28
by Ken Sehested
The psalmist proclaims: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Who can imagine a fear-mongering, molesting God?
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