Praying in Color is an active and meditative prayer practice for the word-weary and fidgety prayer. It is both a process and a product. The process uses pen, paper, and markers to create a time of stillness and listening. The product is a prayer drawing or icon - a visual reminder to continue to pray throughout the day.
Absolutely no artistic ability is necessary! The workshop is based on the book of the same title: Praying in Color—Drawing a New Path to God by Sybil MacBeth (2007). Check out her website: www.prayingincolor.com
Sybil MacBeth is a mathematics instructor, a dancer, and a doodler. She lives in Midtown with her husband Andy who is an Episcopal priest.
When: Saturday, September 27, 8:30AM-1:30PM
Where: St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 480 S. Highland, Memphis TN 38111
Cost: $25 (includes supplies and lunch)
Praying in Color(tm): It’s a book; it’s a prayer practice; it’s a workshop! Don’t miss it!
Tags: Events
The Epistle for August 26th, 2008, is now available. From Pastor Mark’s Epistle:
PASTOR MARK’S EPISTLE
Dear Friends,
Coming right after the Olympics and framing
the Labor Day weekend this year are the political
conventions of our nation’s two largest parties.
However you vote or decide to vote between now
and November 2, I hope you’ll join me in a prayer
covenant during this time, focusing on points and
principles like the following…
• All citizens should exercise the hard-earned right
to vote, never taking democracy for granted.
• We should think of the good of all, not just selfinterest
or one group pitted against another.
• Drawing from our book used in Vision Team
meetings, realize we are not merely “red states”.
or “blue states,” but “purple states,” meaning
that whatever election totals may be in a given
state, each is a blend of many, many different
perspectives.
• We should not be misled by devious or underhanded
campaign tactics from any quarter.
• Divine guidance for ourselves and all our
leaders is a lasting ideal.
Let’s be in prayer together, knowing our
ultimate concern is God’s Kindgom, not any one
man’s…
In service, …Pastor Mark
Click here to download the August 26th, 2008, Epistle (PDF file; requires Adobe Reader):
http://www.stlukesumc.org/epistle/20080826_epistle.pdf
Tags: Events · News
The Bulletin for August 24th, 2008, is now available.
†CALL to WORSHIP
Our help is in the name of God who made heaven and earth.
God is at work in our lives. We present ourselves to God to discern what
is the will of God.
Be transformed by the renewing of your minds.
We seek what is good and acceptable in God’s sight.
Let us worship God!
Click here to download the PDF file (requires Adobe Reader) and join us for our 8:30 or 10:50 AM services on August 24th:
http://www.stlukesumc.org/bulletin/20080824_bulletin.pdf
Tags: News
The Epistle for August 19th, 2008, is now available. From Pastor Mark’s Epistle:
PASTOR MARK’S EPISTLE
Dear Friends,
Great thanks are due all those who made our 2008
Spiritual / Planning Retreat a rousing success. Over forty
participants showed up, and we were especially blest to hear
SUE ENGLE. She led us on spiritual formation and leadership
skills in an engaging, humorous - yet - serious way. Sue
is on staff with First UMC, Benton, Kentucky, and also serves
as a Resource Person for the Memphis Conference.
Our various ministry areas and committees made lots
of progress in planning and “calendaring” well into 2009.
We welcomed back into town Roland Bullock, who Chaired
the Church Council portion of our gathering. We ended with
Communion, each leader serving the next, full circle.
Be watching for details, opportunities, events and
more. The St. Luke’s Vision is actually coming true, weekby-
week, month-by-month. Your prayers and wholehearted
support are deeply appreciated.
In service, …Pastor Mark
Click here to download the August 19th, 2008, Epistle (PDF file; requires Adobe Reader):
http://www.stlukesumc.org/epistle/20080819_epistle.pdf
Tags: News
The Bulletin for August 17th, 2008, is now available.
†CALL to WORSHIP
Come let us worship God, rejoicing in God’s loving care for us.
We bring all our differences and yet we worship together in unity.
God is merciful to all. O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
Through God all things are made. Let us worship God.
Click here to download the PDF file (requires Adobe Reader) and join us for our 8:30 or 10:50 AM services on August 17th:
http://www.stlukesumc.org/bulletin/20080817_bulletin.pdf
Tags: News
The Epistle for August 12th, 2008, is now available. From Pastor Mark’s Epistle:
KEEP VISION KEEN
Dear Friends,
Where are we with enacting the Vision at
St. Luke’s? We are about 1/3 of the way through our
“five-year plan” centering on being the Heart, Mind
and Hands of Christ. What has resulted so far? With
our annual Spiritual / Planning Retreat coming up next
weekend, these are good questions to ask…
In part, we can celebrate good progress. Under
HEART, we are about to launch a new third worship
service that will reach new people for Christ; in MIND,
we continue to start new classes, Sundays and otherwise,
and are poised to reach new neighbors this fall; HANDS
maintains a wide array of outreach ministries and has
added Sunday breakfasts and job training to the list. On
the administrative end of things, we anticipate a great
new Hospitality Center as well as possible property
acquisition.
However, an honest answer is that it is “too
soon to tell” regarding most of our goals. Planning is
wise and helpful, but the difference is really made in
the results that come from faithful pursuit of goals. We
would do well to stay humble and not speculate, but act,
prayerfully, and with resolve.
The lyrics of a song I penned twenty years ago
come to mind (see also John 15):
Let Love grow, bear fruit on the vine;
Let Love grow, Oh God, we are thine.
Jesus the Vine and we are the branches.
Let Love grow! Let Love grow!
In service, …Pastor Mark
Click here to download the August 12th, 2008, Epistle (PDF file; requires Adobe Reader):
http://www.stlukesumc.org/epistle/20080812_epistle.pdf
Tags: News
The Bulletin for August 10th, 2008, is now available.
†CALL to WORSHIP
Gracious and eternal God, you lead us to child-like curiosity about our creation,
ourselves, and all things unknown.
Let us never lose our sense of wonder about the world you have given us.
God of Abraham and Sarah, you lead us to new understandings when we least
expect them.
Let us never see ourselves as too young, too old, or too wise to learn new
lessons from you.
God of the prophets, you call us to speak truth with love to a reluctant world.
Give us courage to judge ourselves, and wisdom to learn from those you send
to teach us.
God of Samuel and of David, you love us and call us though we sometimes balk at
your bidding.
Teach us to surrender our own wills, that we might seek yours and draw
closer to your grace.
Everlasting, ever-loving God, teacher, creator, giver of knowledge and freedom,
fear and courage, doubt and faith,
Grant that we might always use your gifts to build a world where peace,
justice, love and hope reign in wisdom and in truth.
Click here to download the PDF file (requires Adobe Reader) and join us for our 8:30 or 10:50 AM services on August 10th:
http://www.stlukesumc.org/bulletin/20080810_bulletin.pdf
Tags: News
Cathy Bowsher united with St. Luke’s on August 3, 2008 by transfer from another denomination.
Tags: News
The Epistle for August 5th, 2008, is now available. From Pastor Mark’s Epistle:
PASTOR MARK’S EPISTLE
Dear Friends,
Life is a journey; this week Emily and I accompany
daughter Claire to Baltimore. She begins
shortly as a Chaplain Intern at Johns Hopkins Medical
Center. Carrying two carloads of belongings in the
summer heat and with gasoline prices as they are will
make our journey arduous, to say the least!
But every cloud has a silver lining and this trip
should be no exception. After we unload things and
Claire is settled in, we get a “breathing spell” for a few
days. Sometimes the Grace of God is like that, and this
will be our prayer as we go. May we return not worn out
but refreshed, not road-weary but well renewed.
Maybe this is part of the meaning of Paul’s great
encouraging words — “Do not grow weary in well doing …”
We’re doing well, St. Luke’s. Grow not weary. Grow.
In service, …Pastor Mark
Click here to download the August 5th, 2008, Epistle (PDF file; requires Adobe Reader):
http://www.stlukesumc.org/epistle/20080805_epistle.pdf
Tags: News
The Bulletin for August 3rd, 2008, is now available.
†CALL to WORSHIP
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.
God is present when every morning dawns.
God brings peace in the midst of chaos.
Be still, and know that God is here. God provides comfort and is with us in all the
moments of our days.
God is our refuge and strength.
Let us worship our ever faithful and loving God.
Click here to download the PDF file (requires Adobe Reader) and join us for our 8:30 or 10:50 AM services on August 3rd:
http://www.stlukesumc.org/bulletin/20080803_bulletin.pdf
Tags: News
Praying in Color is an active and meditative prayer practice for the word-weary and fidgety prayer. It is both a process and a product. The process uses pen, paper, and markers to create a time of stillness and listening. The product is a prayer drawing or icon - a visual reminder to continue to pray throughout the day.