Most people stumble over the words when it comes to prayer. They get nervous and maybe they should be nervous. It’s hard to say the real truth of the matter whether its in a small gathering around a dinner table or in the midst of Sunday morning worship where children are running around the front pew and someone’s hearing aid is loudly screeching.

It’s hard to find the words that speak to what really matters in this life. I’m not sure that any one of us has the right words but we try. We try to describe what love and hope feel like. We try to remind each other that these things matter because it’s so hard to remember on our own.

Though I love cooking, it might not have been my first metaphor for finding the words to pray. It is, in fact, a play on my married name as you can read here.

It’s an image that I’ve come to love as it involves so much experimentation and uncertainty. The whole thing might burn and it could be a disaster. We might have to order pizza but communion will still happen. We will be together. We will know something new about God and find new wonder in each other — and that is what matters to me.

Here you’ll find liturgical moments that you could cut and paste into your own worship bulletins (with credit to the Rev. Elsa Anders Cook, please) and other times you’ll find in this stewardship blessing or this way of marking the weeks of Lent. You’ll also find my musings on how liturgy works as I do here and here.

Still other times, you’ll find posts about how liturgy changes me. Because it does. Each and every time. You’ll even find some samples of past sermons here and a more recent one here.

There is a nearly complete index of all of the prayers and liturgies gathered in these pages that is organized both by season and by scripture. Click on the button to find the inspiration you need.

If you are looking to spice up your liturgical practice within your congregation or find yourself looking for a preacher on Sunday, please contact me and we’ll see what we can cook together.