Treasure Valley Prays
Reimagining Church Together
SHARING STORIES AND EXPLORING SPIRITUAL CONNECTION
We are ELCA leaders and pastors from the Treasure Valley
and Northwest Intermountain Synod.
Devotions – Look for Wednesday posts throughout the summer.
Lenten Devotions
On Ash Wednesday and then each Tuesday and Thursday through the weeks of Lent, we will feature Liturgical Artist Mary Button’s Stations of the Cross: Pandemic Hope. You can learn more about Mary here. You can learn more about Stations of the Cross here or through your own internet search.
For those who receive devotions by email, please be sure to fully open the post on TVPrays.org to view the meditative art.
From Light into Lent
Two days from now, the festive feast days of Epiphany will give way to the somber season of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. We are invited to reflect on God’s great love and mercy in sending Jesus Christ to reconcile us to God and to one another, through the forgiveness of sin, giving to
A ‘Mirror’ Opportunity!’
“Know, then, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to occupy because of your righteousness; for you are a stubborn people.” (Deuteronomy 9:6) The verse above comes from a reading in the Daily Lectionary for today (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p.1144). It recalls Moses speaking to the whole people of Israel concerning
Roots
Author’s Notes:This newsletter article was originally published in late July 2021 after returning from a trip to visit family in the Midwest. Reading it again in the current context makes me think about how much of my faith is rooted in what happens during the upcoming weeks of Lent and Holy Week. A friend of
A Reflection on the Beheading of John
The beheading of John the Baptist is a gruesome story. It’s also relatable. The way that greed and power function in this story are very familiar. Consider John the Baptist. We know that he’s a prophet but to the powers that be at the time he just seemed like a fringe voice. He’s a guy
A Good Goodbye
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NRSV) Over 2,000 years ago, Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated, “The only constant in life is change.” Yet, we still grapple with this idea as though it is new. It seems as though
Make a Joyful Noise
Every Tuesday afternoon after school we elementary-aged “church kids” gathered in the church’s basement assembly room. It wasn’t dreary down there, but brightly painted and well lit. Small Sunday school rooms surrounded this larger multipurpose room. The white benches we sat on were hard, straight up and down, but we didn’t care. We were just
Love
Today is St. Valentine’s Day, a favorite day among retailers. The price of flowers, particularly roses, rises to amazing heights. Jewelers hope to upsell bewildered patrons on larger and sparklier diamonds. After two years of financial difficulty, restaurants are undoubtedly hoping for a busy evening. In grocery stores and pharmacies, the busiest aisle is the
It’s Not All About Me
Did you ever attend a baby shower for a first-time mother-to-be, and the guests decided to be “helpful”? Get a bunch of moms in the same room sharing their childbirth stories, and it can be scary! The horrors of 38-hour hard labor. The couple who barely makes it to the hospital in time. Frightening trips
What We Have Learned
I read an article online that encouraged congregations to not let the current moment pass by before taking some time to reflect on what we have learned during the last year (or two). Here’s a share-out from meetings/gatherings during January, 2022 at Trinity Lutheran, Nampa: Worship Altar Guild and Music We’ve become adaptable Things can
Ubuntu
The word Ubuntu is an African word meaning “humanity to others.” The word has come into my life at different points in the past 20 years (starting way back when I was blessed to work at a YMCA camp as a counselor which hired international staff and my first summer there, we had two men
Meditation on Psalm 139
Help me, O Lord. I am covered by the darkness. The day around me is like night. I feel far from your presence and far from everything I used to care about. Sometimes I think you don’t know what I am going through or how much grief hurts. But I believe your word. You created
Lilies of the Field
When the news of Sidney Poitier’s death came out, I thought about how long it had been since I’d seen him perform, and then I realized I had never seen Lilies of the Field, the 1963 film that won him the Academy Award for Best Actor, so I watched it on Amazon Prime Video. It’s
Love Never Fails
The lessons for this week are held in Luke and Corinthians. Both are well-known citations, and I will leave the Gospel text encounter of Jesus with evil to the pastors. I’m much more called to examine the Epistle text in 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13. This well-known text is Paul’s treatise on love and his conclusion
Hope Arising…
“… (Jesus) passed through the midst of them and went on his way.” Luke 4:30 In recent months I’ve had the occasion to interact with persons in our health care system—from the persons who greet me when I check in for an appointment to the those who care for me in the hospital and examination
RSS Feed
- Treasure Valley Cluster Connections – August August 12, 2022
- Come Away and Rest August 11, 2022
- Give Us Our Daily Bread August 3, 2022
- The Spirit Prays for Us July 27, 2022
- Meditation on Psalm 23 July 13, 2022
Jesus Falls for the Third Time
Station 9 – A maintenance worker sanitizes… That kept so many warm- Emily Dickinson God of all goodness, we thank you for thededication of maintenance
Difference
DIFFERENCE“ Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and
Everything Has Become New
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of
Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
Station Eight – A woman hold photo of healthcare worker What could abash the little Bird Emily Dickinson Healing God, we repent that we havenot
Midweek Lenten Service-3
https://youtu.be/N1-1MYFbX7w Join us in a Midweek Lenten Serviceled by King of Glory Lutheran ChurchBoise, Idaho7:00 PM Bulletin Share on facebook Share on twitter
Jesus Falls for the Second Time
Station Seven – A mortuary worker stands at a cemetery And sore must be the storm – Emily Dickinson God of all nations, open our
Repentance, Patience, Turning Away
The lectionary includes: – Isaiah 55:1-9 – Psalm 63:1-8 – 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 – Luke 13:1-9 This is one of those weeks where the texts
My Soul Thirsts for You
Verses 1-8 of Psalm 63 are included in this week’s lectionary readings. They express spiritual longing that is like physical longing. O God, you are
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Station Six – a grandmother and granddaughter hug through a plastic drop And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard – Emily Dickinson God
Lenten Mid-week Service
https://youtu.be/BdlGHjM31AEJoin us in a Midweek Lenten Service led by Hope Lutheran ChurchEagle, Idaho 7:00 PM Worship Bulletin Share on facebook Share on twitter
RSS Feed
- Treasure Valley Cluster Connections – August August 12, 2022
- Come Away and Rest August 11, 2022
- Give Us Our Daily Bread August 3, 2022
- The Spirit Prays for Us July 27, 2022
- Meditation on Psalm 23 July 13, 2022
