Sunday Prayer

Loving God,
Be with us as we finish our preparations mentally, emotionally and spiritually; to begin our days, go through our days, and complete our days. Be in us as we walk into our places of worship and meet with so many different people to be able to be their spiritual leaders. Be in our heads to help us think clearly. Be in hearts to be able to know ourselves and to keep us calm in any anxious moments. Be in our souls to keep us centered and to guide our way with your Holy Spirit. May the words of our mouth, the meditation of our hearts, and the spirit of our souls be acceptable in your sight, O Lord. Amen

cross posted at revgalblogpals and my sermon blog

Friday Five Road Trip: What you Absolutely, Positively can't Leave Home Without

Singing Owl says; "We will be at a chaplain's convention when you all are answering the Friday Five Questions. I'll look forward to reading your answers next week when I get home. " At the moment we are trying to get the car loaded so we can hit the road, so this will be a simple F.F. This running around madly in order to leave has me wondering: what are the five things you simply must have when you are away from home? And why? Any history or goofy things, or stories?

#1 Hubby and kids

#2 DVDs

#3 Drinks and food

#4 clothes

#5 GPS

And there is usually a WalMart somewhere or Dollar General. I'll just say, I usually forget something.

And we'll have fun, fun, fun....

Whooh between work and all the socializing I am tired.
We went over the mountain last night to a friend's church for a pool party and had a blast. She served in Florence when I was there, and her daughter was in the same school and grade with my girls. They have been so excited to be back together. Her little boy is a little young for Zach but they are making friends.
We have been to a couple of functions involving Families with Children from China. We made new friends and got reaquainted with old friends. The couple who was in our first adoption group is back in town for the Summer. They were at one of the recent functions and it was neat to be wtih them again. Katy and Sarah, their daughter don't really remember each other, but it didn't take long for them to be playing together. We have been to Chuckee Cheese and up on the Mountain at Monte Santo for a picnic. They'll be having a pool party in August.
We went down to Bham to the Zoo for Family day sponsored by the Children's Hospital and Zach's and Kara's Doctor. Now that was fun! Saw some other families we know as well.
The choir had a party at the lake and we went to that. It was fun to be with the choir members. It gave us a chance to meet some of them. The lake house was beautiful.
This weekend we will go back to the lake for one of the Sunday School parties. A chance to meet that group of people. More kids will be there also.
I have breakfast in the morning with a friend. And Thursday I go to Bham for a training session.
The district will have a clergy picnic in August.
Its VBS time here and it is noisey, fun and exciting this week. We will have a back to school party also for the kids on Aug 3rd. There are several families in the church who have children that will be at the same school with ours. We have also met more of our neighbors recently who have children our kid's age.

And we'll have fun, fun, fun til her daddy takes the t-bird away.

Sunday Prayer

Sower of the seed,
You know each one of us inside out. You know our coming and going. You know our thoughts and our feelings. And you love us deeply. Your love cries out to all who will hear it. Lord may we hear your love today. May we sow the seeds of love in a hungry world starved for true love—your love.

cross posted at revgalblogpals

Friday five on Saturday:What's in a name

REVHROD bring us this great Friday Five from RevGalBlogPals. I just didn't have time to do it on Friday, so I thought I would do it today. Its a good one, and I have missed doing them.

If you are a regular reader of Songbird's blog, you know that "The Princess" has requested a new name. Her older brother changed his "secret identity" a while back and now this lovely young lady is searching for a new name on her mother's blog. This got me to thinking. How do we come up with all of these names? There must be at least a few good stories out there.

In honor of the Princess I have posted a picture of one of my favorite members of fictional royalty, Robert Munch's "Paperback Princess." She is a brave young woman who doesn't need anyone else to fight her battles. And she knows that what is most important isn't tiaras and finery but what's on the inside. If you haven't read this little fairy tale, I highly recommend it. But I digress.

So how did you come up with your blogging name? And/or the name of your blog? The first name of this blog came from the Vicar of Dibley and my love for that show. Iwas serving in a little town of Wadley and so named it Vicar of Wadley. (I must be an Anglican wannabe.) When I moved to Florence to serve St. John, I just couldn't the theme of Vicar of Dibley to fit so in my own uncreative way it was St. John's Rev Abi. For this move I asked for some ideas and thoughts from my blogging friends. They were ever so helpful and so I came up with the present name. Think about it, Abi Road, the Beatle Album. The long and winding road, one of the verses in a Beatle song. It kept going through my mind like an ear worm and stuck. My blogging name is so uncreative. It just is.
Are there any code names or secret identities in your blog? Any stories there? My blog has no secrets, no codes, no hidden identities, so no stories there. I wish I was more creative in my writing like so many of you all.
What are some blog titles that you just love? For their cleverness, drama, or sheer, crazy fun? Oh my there are so many do I really have to choose. So many are so creative, so beautiful, so funny, so inviting.
What three blogs are you devoted to? Other than the RevGalBlogPals blog of course! Frankly as of late, I haven't been able to devote myself to any even my own. So sorry can't answer this one and so sorry to those I used to read faithfully.
Who introduced you to the world of blogging and why? Not a person, but a search engine, google brought me to reverend mommy when I was looking up something. And from there it grew. I have tried to introduce others to it as well.

Bonus question: Have you ever met any of your blogging friends? Where are some of the places you've met these fun folks? Oh indeed I have met a many of them at the Festival of Homiletics, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, conferences. I wish I could meet you all. I hated missing Festival of Homiletics this year and The Big Event. Perhaps this next year it will be possible to be with you all again. Good bonus question.

Bonus question 2: I live with two princesses, and I will have to get this book for them. There is nothing like living with princesses unless you live with a Prince who thinks he is the King and that's another story.

prayer for Saturday

Oh, let me never speak
What bounds of truth exceedeth;
Grant that no idle word
From out my mouth proceedeth;
And then, when in my place
I must and ought to speak,
My words grant power and grace
Lest I offend the weak.

(Johann Heermann - 1630)

Bishoop Willimon is coming back for four more years

Bishop Willimon to return to North Alabama for another four years
On the final evening of the 2008 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference, it was confirmed that Bishop William H. Willimon will continue as the Episcopal leader of the North Alabama Conference for another four years.
This announcement was made when the SEJ Committee on the Episcopacy reported the assignments of the Bishops within the Southeastern Jurisdiction.

The new SEJ Bishop assignments are:
Alabama-West Florida Episcopal Area – Bishop Paul L Leeland
Birmingham Episcopal Area (North Alabama Conference) - Bishop William H Willimon
Charlotte Episcopal Area (Western North Carolina Conference) - Bishop Larry M Goodpaster
Columbia Episcopal Area (South Carolina Conference) - Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor
Florida Episcopal Area - Bishop Timothy W Whitaker
Holston Episcopal Area - Bishop James E Swanson Sr
Louisville Episcopal Area (Kentucky And Red Bird Missionary Conferences) - Bishop G Lindsey Davis
Mississippi Episcopal Area - Bishop Hope Morgan Ward
Nashville Episcopal Area (Memphis And Tennessee Annual Conferences) - Bishop Richard J Wills Jr
North Georgia Episcopal Area - Bishop B Michael Watson
Raleigh Episcopal Area (North Carolina Conference) - Bishop Alfred W Gwinn Jr
Richmond Episcopal Area (Virginia Annual Conference) - Bishop Charlene P Kammerer
South Georgia Episcopal Area - Bishop James R King Jr

Prior to the Jurisdictional Conference the North Alabama Conference Committee on Episcopacy released a statement requesting the reassignment of Bishop Willimon to the Birmingham Episcopal Area. The Committee said, “The Conference Committee on Episcopacy celebrates the strong vision for growth and change to grow more disciples of Jesus Christ that Bishop Willimon has brought to the laity and clergy of the North Alabama Conference over the past four years.
“As we go forward into the new quadrennium, the members of the Episcopacy Committee are committed to a close partnership with Bishop Willimon to define steps and strengthen relationships to enable us to reach our vision.”

Sunday Prayer

Creator God, you are still creating today in our midst. You are still sowing your seed of the Kingdom of God in our midst. You are still lighting our path with your word. Lord today as we worship you; come refresh us once more with your Spirit. Come seed our hearts with your good news. Come pour your mercy over us. Lord may we go through out this day praising and worshiping you. Thanks be to you Creator God. Amen

Saturday's Prayer

God of Pilgrimage

God of Pilgrimage

be with me on my journey

through this life;

guard and defend me,

shelter and feed me,

challenge and inspire me,

teach me and lead me,

and when my days are ended

welcome me home at last

to rest in your love forever.
Source Unknown Found in Ely Cathedral England

Photo

Sunday prayer

Lord, on this holiday weekend, when people are out of town, we pray travel mercies for them. We pray for rest and renewal for all. We pray for ourselves as we come to worship you.

We remember today Lord, the sacrifices that have gone into the making of this nation.
We remember that we have freedom and at the same time pray for those who do not.
We remember that we have the right to a fair trial, and pray for those where there is no justice. We remember we can pursue happiness, while we pray for those who at best can only survive.

Lord today we bring the sacrifice of our love, our selves, and our souls,
may it be a sweet smelling fragrance to you.
Amen