Elsa Anders Cook
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What is the Meaning of Life?
I’m working on my first chapter. Or I’m trying to work on this first chapter. I’m trying to stick with it. I’m trying to actually finish it rather than jumping ahead to some other chapter that is not quite so hard.… Continue reading
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Prayers from the Pantry
Sometimes writing liturgy is like staring in the pantry and wondering what the heck you can make without going to the store. I resisted the temptation to go find some really great prayers written by others. (That would be the… Continue reading
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Cooking for the Family
It’s been almost two months since I got married. I went on an epic two-week honeymoon and then came back to our house only to prepare the movers. We prepared as best we could in twenty four hours. I preached… Continue reading
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Worship with Fire
This is a tough week. The words from the Revised Common Lectionary that will inspire our worship this Sunday are hard. It is hard not to feel like a finger is being pointed directly at you. It’s hard not to… Continue reading
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The Only Hope for America
Most everything I know about democracy I’ve learned in church. It is in my particular tradition of being church that I’ve had the chance to practice all of the values and ideals that democracy claims. Mine is the tradition that birthed… Continue reading
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Prayers for the Second Sunday of Easter
These prayers were written after searching long and hard for other prayers. I didn’t want to write my own. I wanted anyone else’s words to magnify my hopes for worship this Sunday but I just couldn’t find what I was… Continue reading
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A Blasphemous Question Just For You
Before I officially became Mrs. Cook, I went to a writing conference. This is, of course, what everyone does in the last few days before they get married, right? They go to a four-day conference. Well, it’s what I did.… Continue reading
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Speaking to the Soul
I have not yet sat down to write my sermon on this Gospel Lesson but when I sat down to write this liturgy I was still thinking about that prayer that Jesus taught last week. I’m still thinking about the words… Continue reading
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Spicing Up the Lord’s Prayer
Ask… Search… Knock. Jesus offers these three bits of wisdom in the gospel lesson for this Sunday. Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you (Luke 11:9, NRSV). That sounds great… Continue reading
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Officially Mrs. Cook
There are still so many thank you cards to write and I still have no idea how to sign my new name but one month ago, I got married. It really happened. It doesn’t feel like it now because my husband and… Continue reading
