This is an assembly I wrote and recorded, intending to censor it for an older teen audience, but I chickened out (the right decision I think!). They'd asked for something on "Prayer", and I wanted to be honest.

I was just going to leave it on my hard drive and have it as a reminder for me, but then there was another school shooting in the US last night, and I'm angry. The extent of my prayer was "WTF!?" And that's ok. There don't always have to be articulate words when we pray. There do have to be emotions and feelings though, and sometimes the only words that can be found are the ones we often deem inappropriate.

If you're prepared to be disappointed in me, my language, and potentially my theology, then click "Read More" to see the 8 minute assembly that never got delivered.

If you're offended by profanity and don't believe God can cope with the "F" word (amongst others), then feel free to move on somewhere else.

**No potty mouth warning, but a request for you to read with grace**

Today's "to-do" list was short from the off. I had decided that there was going to be a single item on it, and I was going to do it well. (Granted, I had forgotten about the assembly that I had to deliver this morning, so that added to it).

Today's "to-do" is simple:
Read and reflect upon "God in Love Unites Us - The report of the Marriage and Relationships task group, 2019"

The list is simple, the task less so.
The task is bound up in my history, my upbringing, my theological journey, my desire to see God, my longing for others to meet him, my calling to "Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with my God".
Wherever my journey with this report takes me, I have to submit myself to God.

Here's today's revelation, which I came across in my reading:

Contemplation is the action of be present in the temple.

"contemplation (n.): c. 1200, contemplacioun, 'religious musing,' from Old French contemplation and directly from Latin contemplationem (nominative contemplatio) 'act of looking at,' noun of action from past-participle stem of contemplari 'to gaze attentively, observe; consider, contemplate,' originally 'to mark out a space for observation' (as an augur does), from assimilated form of com-, here probably an intensive prefix (see com-), + templum 'area for the taking of auguries' (see temple (n.1))."
www.etymonline.com/word/contemplation

It's embarrassing. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be asking for forgiveness for!

A day of prayer and fasting today with my churches.
Each church had representatives covering their slots in the day, and at lunch time and at the end of the day wehad gatherings for those who were able to come together.
In preparation for these gatherings I came across a hymn I don't think I knew before... it says a lot about prayer though.

What jumps out at you?

Today was an induction day to the District along with all the other newbies, and the Chair of the District kicked off the day with a reflection on the following story from the New Testament (The Message version, Matthew 9-10):