Looking Into the Lectionary — Worship resources for 2/13

February 13, 2022 6th Sunday after Epiphany Jeremiah 17:5-10 COMMENTARY Walking in and among the trees has always been a preferred form of meditation for me. These tall, stately beings nourish my soul. On sunny days, I mingle with the red maples, birch and oak in our yard. They are good company when I am stressed and anxious. I may even stop to give one a hug, absorbing the quiet peace, the strength and the wisdom that comes from a strong root system that holds them steady through life’s storms. Jeremiah was a prophet to his people during a stormy time. He began his service in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He lost his home along with others when Jerusalem was conquered and destroyed by the Babylonians. He ended his career with his people in exile. Here, in this Sunday’s text, Jeremiah preaches a troubling message: They will not be going home. So how will they choose to live with exile as their new norm? Will they be like the shrub in the desert and not see when relief comes? Or will they trust God and be like a tree planted by water, sending its roots by the stream? We can ask ourselves these same questions in our own time of exile. It’s safe to say we won’t be returning to pre-pandemic norms. Everything has changed. Everything has been thrown into turmoil. So how will we choose to live? How will we, like the trees, put down strong roots near a nourishing source of water? You can find the rest of the commentary on our website. An order of worship for February 13, 2022. This liturgy is free to use. The Uniform Lesson for February 13, 2022, by Richard Boyce. The hard kind of love— Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale  What My Grandmothers Taught Me: Ruth and Redemption by Rosalind Banbury IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Tech watch: Restream.io Rebecca Gresham-Kesner reviews her church's live-stream service. With open arms: Celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus L. Roger Owens reflects on what we can learn from Simeon, an everyday contemplative.  Princeton Seminary president set to retire in 2023 The Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes, seventh president of Princeton Theological Seminary, has announced his intention to retire in 2023. Dear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit and Grace Rev. Abbi Heimach-Snipes reviews Osheta Moore's latest book. A new take on Outlook’s social media Outlook's Digital audience engagement manager Shani E. McIlwain talks social media. Learning from the Black American religious experience Angela Cowser dives into the Pew Research Center’s report on Black American religious identity, opinion and belief and the lessons these findings hold.

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