Circuit Rider: Sermon Starters!

The internet is weird.

A few weeks ago, I published a comment on my friend Matthew Paul Turner's wife's blog.

(You with me? Okay. I told you the internet was weird.)

A friend of hers saw my comment and followed the link to my blog, which you faithful folks are currently reading. She discovered I am a Methodist minister who can string some words together to form (mostly) comprehensible sentences. She also happens to be an editor for Circuit Rider, a fantastic magazine published by the United Methodist Publishing House.

The planets aligned. God's providence reigned.

She asked me to do seven (!) articles for her. These Sermon Starters were to be based on the lectionary texts, and well.. here they are:

http://www.umph.org/pdfs/circuitrider/BBMT001804PDF000.pdf

Ta Da!

Aren't they lovely!!?! It is funny to me that I keep getting published in wonderful places. Unfortunately, none of these publications are actually available on real paper (unless, of course, I print them out and bind them myself). But, they did get sent to Textweek.com , which is a fantastic lectionary resource. You have to scroll down a bit, but you'll see them looking something like this:

Lectionary Reflections, Discussions & Weblogs: Sermon Starters, Ordinary Time, 2009, Mandy Sloan Flemming, United Methodist Church Circuit Rider.

So, Internet, thank you for being weird and wonderful.

Later, I'll tell you the story about how I followed a Tweet (dear God, save your people) and published a sermon. It'll blow your mind.

Happy Birthday, Cooper James!

To my baby boy, my fiery ball of energy and light,

You turn three today. Last year, you discovered a passion for baseball. And, three years ago, you eased into the world as a content, observant hilarious spirit. You balanced a family into an equilateral shape of four, and brought endless joy to all of us. You taught your brother patience and called upon his nurturing spirit. You taught your father a new sense of pride and reflection, seeing so much of himself in you. And, darling one, you taught me delight and buoyancy, for my clunking soul gets weighted down so easily at times.

Today, you move away from your babyhood and embrace your emerging gifts- you are athlete and compassion. You are fierce and affectionate. You are hilarious and sincere.

You are my boy, my baby boy. My bean. And I love you.

Happy Birthday, Cooper James.