A Plain Account

The texts for this week are here. A transcript of this episode will be available on our website. Megan refers to the work of Ernesto Cardenal and the book Gospel in Solentiname. For many years, the peasants in Solentiname, a remote archipelago in Lake Nicaragua, gathered each Sunday to reflect on the gospel reading. Read more here. Quote from Thomas Merton: “To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is to succumb to violence. Frenzy destroys our inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of our work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.” (quoted in A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants, by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck) Our Advent prayer this week is from Paul G. Janssen on re:Worship.blogspot.com. Also, here’s Alicia’s 2021 Advent playlist if you’re looking for a soundtrack for the Advent season. Other resources on our website: commentaries, discipleship, liturgics, music

The texts for this week are here. A transcript of this episode will be available on our website. The quote Megan mentioned and the full article is here: “Get mad enough to help somebody.” The poem Alicia mentioned: “Caminante, No Hay Camino” by Antonio Machado. The song Alicia mentioned is “Zechariah and the Least Expected Places” by So Elated.  Also, here’s Alicia’s 2021 Advent playlist if you’re looking for a soundtrack for the season. Other resources on our website: commentaries, discipleship, liturgics, music.

The texts for this week are here. A transcript for this episode will be available on our website.  The quote Megan read is from Breathing Space, by Heidi Neumark. “How easy it is to let the daily grind distract us from the pain and inequity around the world-- it's enough to make us feel numb all over. But the Scripture this week tells us to ‘stand up!’" - The Salt Project Advent Resource. Other resources on our website: commentaries, discipleship, liturgics, music. 

Our text this week: John 18:33-37  Check out the written commentaries  Join the conversation on Facebook

Mark 13:1-8  Our collect for the week comes from the Book of Common Prayer: Collect for Vocation in Daily Work: Almighty God our heavenly Father, you declare your glory and show forth your handiwork in the heavens and in the earth: Deliver us in our various occupations from the service of self alone, that we may do the work you give us to do in truth and beauty and for the common good; for the sake of him who came among us as one who serves, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Our prayer for this week: A Prayer for Justice, by Rebecca Sutton

MARK 12:28-34  The collect for All Saints Day: Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.  www.aplainaccount.org 

Today we’re reading Mark 10, in the season of Ordinary time, looking at themes of discipleship. And this week, we finally meet a disciple who gets what Jesus is up to, and follows him on the way. 

Today we’re reading Mark 10:35-45, in the season of Ordinary time, looking at themes of discipleship. This week Jesus has a thunderous showdown, with none other than the sons of thunder, James & John. Join us for a conversation about power & ambition in the Kingdom of God. 

Mark 10:17-31 -- Today we’re reading Mark 10, in the season of Ordinary time, looking at themes of discipleship” … this week Jesus interviews a potential disciple and if you thought Marie Kondo was a strict minimalist, wait til you meet Jesus!