Messiah PART TWO 22 ChorusBehold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) 23 Air (Alto)He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. (Isaiah 53…

#HappyEaster

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Fan Club, Part 2 Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. (Philippia…

Today: a story about a pink pantsuit.

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Where the Light Shines Through During Lent in 2019, I read a book of blessings by Jan Richardson. Jan has a talent for ingeniously turning difficult moments of grief into blessings, so the terrible is turned into love. Her “Bles…

This morning: a poem, and then some.

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Children Will Listen Last Sunday, during the “Passion” portion of Palm-Passion Sunday, I was upstairs in the nursery. Besides my baby boy, there were two toddlers and a preschooler. All four children were having a blas…

In this morning's LentBlog: a tale from above and behind you (if you're in-person worshiping with us).

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A Brief Note [Pre-devotion note from SUMC’s Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries: Read this devotion and be inspired. It is a testimony to how much intergenerational relationships and ministries matter; …

This morning's LentBlog comes with a gentle caveat: neither Kevin nor Rob knew this was coming. But they are happy to have been co-conspirators.

#LentBlog #SudburyUMC

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Carrying Our Light As I was sitting at the Lenten Supper last Wednesday night, I was struck by how everyone at the table has been carrying their light — by simply being a pillar of strength for others and then …

This morning, in the LentBlog: when "hard" is only a matter of perspective...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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The Strangers Among Us 34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and…

In this morning's LentBlog: some thoughts about a topic of the day...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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The Feeding of the Five Thousand (or so) This past Wednesday, at the last of the Lenten Supper series, I saw what I considered a mini-miracle. As had happened before every other Lenten supper, we gathered to form a prayer circle. As peopl…

In this morning's LentBlog: a story from our Lenten soup suppers...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Easter Egg Hunt [Ed. note: It’s a LentBlog Replay! Specifically, a Lenten devotion from the online LentBlog project’s very first year – 2019. We’re presenting it again, here, in support of …

Today's LentBlog is a sneaky way of inviting you to Sudbury UMC's Easter Egg Olympics...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog #EasterEggOlympics

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Through It All [Ed. note: here is a different take on responding to one of this year’s writing prompt’s, “Someone I need to support is…” — perhaps you have felt similarly?] “So…

This morning's LentBlog is a thought that perhaps *you* have had, as well?

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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(Hi all... LentBlog editor Rob here... it's the homestretch of Lent now, and... uhh... the Lenten Devotions submissions pile could use a little...

...HELP!!!)

#LentBlog #NeedsWriters #SudburyUMC #MembersAndOrFriends

The Reciprocal Gift of Friendship My best friend of twenty-three years is on the other end of the phone sobbing. It is 2 AM and I am downstairs whispering, to not wake anyone one up. If she were here I would hug her; as it is, I am…

In the LentBlog this morning: friendship goes both ways.

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Better, Not Bitter Lately, I’ve found myself weighed down by the state of the world — political division, emotional turmoil, and the constant negativity that seems to seep into every conversation. It’s easy to …

In this morning's LentBlog: some thoughts about drawing people in, rather than pushing them away.

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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World Peace [Ed. note: this is a response to one of this year’s Lenten writing prompts, “Here is a special hymn, and why it’s special to me…” The author notes that it isn’t an Eas…

This morning's LentBlog subject is timeless and timely.

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Pilgrimage, Sojourn, Expedition, Odyssey… “A man’s work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.”-Albert…

This morning, on this "First Contact Day" (look it up), the LentBlog goes where no Lenten Devotion writer has gone before...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Complaints [Ed. note: The youth of Sudbury UMC continue to answer the call for Lenten Devotions writers! Today features a pair of responses to a devotional prompt: “One time I should have praised God in…

This morning, the SUMC Youth conclude their Lenten writing (for now?) ...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Accepting Change [Ed. note: The youth of Sudbury UMC continue to answer the call for Lenten Devotions writers!Pastor of Youth and Children’s Ministries Zack Moser says, about these Youth thoughts: “SUMC Youth…

This morning's LentBlog has some thoughts about staring into the unknown future...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Small Things, Big Deals, Part 3 [Ed. note: The youth of Sudbury UMC have answered the call for Lenten Devotions writers! Today features the third of three sets of responses to one of this year’s devotional prompts: “H…

Our Youth's investigation of small acts of kindness concludes...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Small Things, Big Deals, Part 2 [Ed. note: The youth of Sudbury UMC have answered the call for Lenten Devotions writers! Today features the second of three sets of responses to one of this year’s devotional prompts: “…

The SUMC Youth's investigation of small acts of kindness continues...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Small Things, Big Deals, Part 1 [Ed. note: The youth of Sudbury UMC have answered the call for Lenten Devotions writers! Today features the first of three sets of responses to one of this year’s devotional prompts: “H…

Starting today, and continuing into next week: the Sudbury UMC Youth come through in the clutch ... as they always seem to do ... :)

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Hydration A few decades ago, I learned about SUMC. It wasn’t because of a happy thing that I walked into the doors, for the first time. I was attending a funeral. The love being shared struck me, and I…

Today's LentBlog is about (among other things) gentle reminders...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Fan Club “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths but only what is good for building up,[a] as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29) When I was a…

This morning's LentBlog is a tale of "...whoa!"

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Flow “So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” (Exodus 3…

In this morning's LentBlog: some thoughts about consuming immersion...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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How Prayer Works “As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9) We pray for the hungry,And then we …

In this morning's LentBlog: some thoughts about the application of the light we can carry into the world...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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They Said Puppy Our family had (another) loss a couple of years ago: our 8-year-old dog, named Magic by our youngster, when she joined us as a puppy. Magic started seeming off… and after a few attempts at home rem…

In this morning's LentBlog: a tale of... a tail. And the rest of him.

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Silent Retreat 1 Last fall, I spent 24 hours on a silent retreat at Rolling Ridge in Andover, Massachusetts. The hardest thing about going on a silent retreat is being silent. People get annoyed when you don’t verb…

This morning's Lenten devotion is an intriguing tale...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Trust the Process [Editor’s Note: this Lenten devotion is written by Kimberly Smith, who is our Kristen Straub’s sister. Readers of previous years’ online Lenten devotions will recognize the story …

This morning's Lenten devotion is about a story previously told in the LentBlog before, but now from a different angle...

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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She Had That Look My friend Lauren had that look that all teachers know, and yet probably don’t know they’re giving off. The look said, clearly, “I have five thousand details to deal with and my br…

In this morning's LentBlog: another TL;DR from the music world.

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog #MusicInOurSchoolsMonth

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Source of Light “I’m not writing a Lent blog post. I don’t have time. I have a new baby. I’m on no sleep. The house is a mess and I have pump parts to wash!” These were a few of my many excuses this ye…

This morning... (this particular writer, I think, has valid excuses!... and yet!...)

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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Light For Others “Simply shine your light on the road ahead, and you are helping others to see their way out of darkness.” -Katrina Mayer, author “Be aware that who you are and what you have to of…

Today in the LentBlog: a few pithy quotes.

#SudburyUMC #LentBlog

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