ritual – Cooking with Elsa

Pandemic Prayers for Returning to In-Person Worship

I have hesitated to share any particular prayers for gathering together in-person again because it feels so unique to each circumstance. There is something particular about this experience. It involves a particular group of people. It is the unique story of how the pandemic took hold in that exact location among those blessed souls andContinue reading “Pandemic Prayers for Returning to In-Person Worship”

Pandemic Prayers for the Fourth Sunday of Lent

I’m thinking about my own prayer life a lot right now. I’m wondering about how I’m caring for the tender part of my soul that needs to grieve and sing and wonder — and it’s hard. It’s hard to find that space in this long season for parents whether we have children learning online orContinue reading “Pandemic Prayers for the Fourth Sunday of Lent”

Ash Wednesday in Coronatide

Lent is a mere six week away. Do you remember Lent last year? Do you remember that awkward feeling of sitting in church that first Sunday when we were told not to touch our faces? I remember laughing about it with the person next to me in the pew as someone then touched the faceContinue reading “Ash Wednesday in Coronatide”

New Traditions for Our Family

My husband is an atheist. That’s right. I am an ordained minister in the Christian Church and I married a man who could care less about anything remotely related to God. He will be quick to amend that. He will say that he does care. He cares because I care but it’s not quite theContinue reading “New Traditions for Our Family”

A Simple Graveside Ritual

Graveside services are often very, very short. Some simple prayers are repeated by the presiding minister. Tears are shed, but there isn’t much else for the grieving family to do. There is nothing asked of them. There’s no action for them to take. What if that’s what the family needs most? They need something toContinue reading “A Simple Graveside Ritual”

Thank God for Ritual

This prayer arrived too late. I saw it in my email when I pulled into the church parking lot. I smirked at the title of the post. Oh, Martha, I thought. (She penned that prayer and happens to be an old friend from Maine so that I can say things like “Oh Martha” when lookingContinue reading “Thank God for Ritual”