tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-349797312012-01-25T22:56:41.748-08:00finding delight * seeking justice * valuing mercy * extending invitation * making peace * upsetting applecarts * building community * tending creation * digging deeper * contemplating the divineRev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.comBlogger3021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-11128721043888001072012-01-24T19:35:00.001-08:002012-01-25T22:56:41.771-08:00

Today I had a couple of conversations about people I affectionately call "Daddy Dudes." These are the guys who know how to use a circular saw and also how to love their children. One of the great joys of living in the Pacific Northwest is the sheer number of men I see every day who are equally comfortable in their masculinity and their role as a nurturer. (Before I receive emails telling me that

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-80976495390982355122012-01-06T22:17:00.000-08:002012-01-06T22:47:42.487-08:00

Here is the crux of this year's Epiphany sermon at Queen Anne United Methodist Church. It seems to me that Epiphany calls us to go down new paths. More than that, though, in our time of intense international conflict and uncertainty, the idea of all nations seeking light to lead us all to peace is a wonderful thought.Soon after his conversion and baptism in 1927, TS Eliot wrote “Journey of the

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-81026833667329642532011-12-24T10:59:00.001-08:002011-12-24T10:59:56.218-08:00

With Christmas Eve, Christians fall into a rather odd tradition of waiting for a Prince (of peace), a King, and a pauper (He was, after all, born in manger under threatening political circumstances). Let no one convince you that what we do is rational or what we celebrate is normal. Let no one rob you of the wonder of a child born into a feeding trough who becomes nourishment and strength for our

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-26773786817821020782011-12-14T00:45:00.001-08:002011-12-14T00:45:24.744-08:00

This past July I was appointed to a different congregation. That means that this year Advent is a brand new experience. This year I am in community with a whole new bunch of folks as we prepare for, wait for, and anticipate the birth of the Christ-child. So, since this has been a season of entering into new community, our Advent theme has been [ENTER]. We started the first week with [Enter the

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-45225495445260236302011-12-12T11:47:00.001-08:002011-12-12T21:48:33.129-08:00

The feast day for Saint Ambrose was last week on December 7. Properly named Aurelius Ambrosius, he lived in the mid and late 300s and was the bishop of Milan. Legend has it that at his birth a swarm of bees landed on his tongue foreshadowing that he would become a great orator whose words would be sweeter than honey. St. Ambrose is the patron saint of bee keepers, bees, students, Milan, candle

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-17197087717162876972011-11-30T14:43:00.000-08:002011-11-30T19:15:02.025-08:00

This essay is entitled "Why I Want Gifts for Christmas (by Katie M Ladd)" because I want gifts. For Christmas. This year. As I scroll through Facebook and read editorials, I see many people writing about their desire to forego gifts. "All I want is time spent with family." Really? That's all they want? I am clearly a bad person. I don't just want that. I want a new Blu-Ray player, Harry Potter

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-11579044658020477722011-11-17T01:53:00.001-08:002011-11-17T02:30:14.796-08:00

Forty days ago I was struck by a car while I was walking. Thank goodness my injuries were not life threatening. For this I am very grateful. However, I have been left wounded; I am still hobbling on crutches, limping without crutches, and going through the too long and arduous process of healing. All of this has taken place as the Occupy movement has come to Seattle and set up its tent. I have

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-88088450538403532292011-11-10T00:44:00.001-08:002011-11-10T03:37:30.379-08:00

Recently, I've been in a number of conversations about gender with guy friends, congregation members, and colleagues during which I hear that women cry foul too frequently. Men, they say, are just as likely as women to be subjected to negative stereotypes; they are presented with images of the perfect male body that they, like women, can never achieve. I believe that I surprised my male

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-23033985645392846132011-11-01T14:34:00.001-07:002011-11-01T15:54:28.538-07:00

Joshua 3:7-17, Matthew 23:1-12A lot of people sat on the edges of their seats when game 6 of the World Series went 11 innings. It ended in an upset with the Cardinals scoring in the bottom to take it 10-9. The Cards followed up in a much less interesting seventh game to win their 11th title. But, even as many in the country had their eyes on baseball this weekend, another professional sport has

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-18569826283473353212011-10-19T02:41:00.001-07:002011-11-01T15:32:29.291-07:00

On October 7, a car ran a stop light, turned left, and struck me while I was walking across a crosswalk in my neighborhood. It struck my right side with my left crashing to the pavement. Witnesses corroborated what I thought at the time - that the car was going about 20mph and turned left on red.According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, only 5% of accidents involving a car

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-12598261774340588022011-09-20T00:08:00.000-07:002011-09-20T01:08:16.129-07:00

A number of years ago when I moved into a new house, I decided not to have cable installed for my television. I even decided not to get an antenna. No broadcast TV for me. This was a big deal for me. I'm part of the "TV Generation." I grew up watching TV. As a child, it was Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Captain Kangaroo, and Mister Rogers. As I aged, it became other shows - The Love Boat,

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-14434317604848176722011-09-08T16:04:00.000-07:002011-09-09T11:24:38.885-07:00

I love the music written for Requiem Masses. Emotive, dynamic, and compelling, the music moves the listener through a journey of deep spiritual mourning. A Requiem, or Eucharist for the Departed, is known as it is because of the first word of the Introit: “Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine” (“Give them eternal rest, O Lord”). The word "requiem" simply means "rest" or "repose." A Requiem Mass is

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-54106890791386191202011-09-01T19:03:00.000-07:002011-09-01T19:07:46.731-07:00

On Sunday, September 18, about 30 minutes after worship ends, Queen Anne UMC will begin a 7-part series on the spiritual practice of Sabbath-keeping. Each class will last about 1 hour. Bring your own lunch and a little food to share with your neighbor, and come ready to be challenged to live your life with a new rhythm.We live in a fragmented world. We work too hard. We live far from our families

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-32288527589659762392011-08-26T22:05:00.000-07:002011-08-27T00:16:08.983-07:00

I have been wondering about what happened to the idea of a "just society." What happened to the goal of a compassionate society? It is alarming that politicians and pundits cry for "justice" on behalf of the rich without impunity. Justice is the righting of tilted scales that lean too far in one direction at the expense of others; justice is for the poor. Since many of those clamoring and

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-75548187056814651832011-07-27T23:42:00.000-07:002011-07-28T00:05:11.769-07:00

I want to thank Deanna for this image that started me thinking: The Kingdom of God is like a boarded up house. Typically, I don't like to publish sermons; they are relational experiences and they are oral/aural beasts, not written essays, but someone asked for this sermon to be posted.On Friday a bomb exploded in Oslo, followed by a gunman unleashing on youth at a political camp in Norway. Over

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-1316922598434219722011-07-27T23:36:00.000-07:002011-07-27T23:37:11.404-07:00

Let us pray:We come from near and far, O God. We come wearied and hungry. We come to sit side by side to share with one another in the Bread of Life, to drink from the Holy Cup. Do not let us go; hold fast to us. Humble us and mark us by the scars we earn in our struggles with you. May they keep us bound to the weak and lost, the last and the least. By our struggles and at your table, transform

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-28815403845576430122011-07-22T10:07:00.000-07:002011-09-18T22:07:53.889-07:00

The painting is by He Qi and can be found at He Qi Gallery.Today is the Feast of Mary of Magdalene, who was healed by Jesus of seven evil spirits (Lk 8:2, Mk 16:9) and who was the first person to find the empty tomb. She stood at the foot of the cross, and, in the longer ending to Mark, she is the first to see the risen Christ. She is St. Mary of Magdala, the Penitent, and July 22 is her feast

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-42958129604388094782011-07-17T22:11:00.000-07:002011-07-17T23:10:13.677-07:00

I started a new appointment on July 1. July 10 was my first Sunday leading services. Everything went pretty well, but, as all first Sundays are, it was bit a rough around the edges. It's just what happens when leading a service in a space with which and with a people with whom one is not familiar. July 17 was supposed to be the polished service. You know, now that I've presided in the space, I am

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-12559265098152416492011-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:002011-07-17T23:49:52.395-07:00

In a back and forth last week on the interwebz, Brian McLaren and Jay Voorhees discuss the emergent movement and United Methodism. Brian, after recently speaking at a United Methodist annual conference, encourages an enquirer wanting to know more about Methodism and the emergent movement to look to those within the denomination who are working for connection and creativity. Moreover, he

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-49674935900316016602011-06-28T13:36:00.000-07:002011-06-28T13:41:21.677-07:00

The Rev. Lyda Pierce asks, "Where is God in tragedy?" And, she challenges those being commissioned and ordained to "stand with" those to whom they are sent rather than trying to dive in to try and "fix" the them. You can pick up the sermon at about 14:18.Thank you, Lyda.Watch live streaming video from pnwumc at livestream.com

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-79585954341535890082011-06-02T22:53:00.000-07:002011-06-02T22:56:27.255-07:00

Yesterday, I showed the first session of my new video curriculum on Sabbath-keeping. It's a great resource for congregations that features Phyllis Tickle, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Amy-Jill Levine, Ched Myers, Robin Jensen, Norman Wirzba, Ellen Davis, Walter Brueggemann, Lauren Winner, Brian McLaren, Dorothy Bass, Majora Carter, Bill McKibben, and Jack Sasson. Each session is about 15-20 minutes

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-54964460891869339452011-05-11T19:07:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:43:18.959-07:00

Holy are you and blessed is your name, Creator of heaven and earth. You have blessed the world with abundant life. You bring life out of death. You shepherd your wayward people and call us home. We praise and give thanks to you. As we worship this day, remind us that all we have comes from you. Instill in us a deep and honest desire to live in communion with one another and with all of your

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-9823956713869850432011-05-05T23:46:00.000-07:002011-05-07T00:14:48.796-07:00

"Of Gods and Men" is a movie loosely based on the book "The Monks of Tibhirine," which tells the true story of eight French Cistercian Trappist monks who were kidnapped in Algeria in 1996. Six of them were killed in mysterious circumstances. Living in harmony with the surrounding Muslim community, the monks face a difficult decision whether to leave or stay when violence is brought to their

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-3672357585582828762011-05-05T14:21:00.000-07:002011-05-05T14:22:48.021-07:00

Blessed Christ, like those on the road to Emmaus, we often do not recognize you in the journey of our lives. Open our eyes to you embodied before us. Help us to taste you in the bread we eat and in the cup from which we drink. As we walk through this world, assure us that you meet us in unexpected places, listening to our stories and offering us bread for nourishment. Open to us your wisdom, as

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-68020534728098921242011-05-04T12:57:00.000-07:002011-05-04T13:59:49.982-07:00

For the past few years, I have been obsessed with the idea of Sabbath. It is a foreign concept to most Christians, although it shouldn't be. In Luke, in Jesus' first public act, he takes a scroll from Isaiah and proclaims the "Year of the Lord," otherwise known as the "Jubilee" or the "Sabbath Year." Christians are missing a great deal of our religious underpinnings by not knowing more of the

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-42024137897470000172011-05-02T00:25:00.000-07:002011-05-02T01:52:54.432-07:00

With every breath we have a choice. With every breath I have a choice. Breathe in. Breathe out. With each breath something enters and something leaves. It is part of my life quest to learn to breathe in God's breath and to expel everything else. Since all of creation is born of God and since God loves, embraces, and infuses all of creation, one might think breathing God would not be a difficult

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-25596952566670956762011-04-25T09:45:00.000-07:002011-04-25T12:56:43.958-07:00

I grew up in a town that had been ravaged by yellow fever in the boom of industrialization after the Civil War. In 1878, yellow fever swept in to the United States from Cuba via New Orleans, LA and began to crawl up the Lower Mississippi River Valley decimating towns. Ships were fumigated, areas were quarantined, people were subjected to bloodletting and they were given quinine and carbolic acid,

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-29644351941230819662011-04-06T15:02:00.000-07:002011-04-06T18:37:22.714-07:00

Today The United Methodist Church hosted a Leadership Summit about membership decline within our denomination and what we might do to address this disheartening trend. I'm not going to write about most of what was discussed. Rather, I want to hone in on one thing that serves, in my opinion, as an example of how the church still doesn't get it. And, if it did finally "get it," how much easier it

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-89670950311464566282011-03-31T14:00:00.000-07:002011-03-31T14:13:45.522-07:00

As I prepare for this week's sermon on John 9:1-41, I think about the blindness in our society. We cut off disability benefits, collective bargaining rights, unemployment benefits, protection for our environment. And, yet we still fight two wars and one "non-war." We consume. We use. We burn. We blow up. We divide. We bicker. We hate. We do not see.

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-1872926060927792532011-03-11T23:19:00.000-08:002011-03-11T23:51:45.947-08:00

A "Season of Sabbath" is what I unwisely decided to name our theme for Lent at the church I serve. While it gets to the point that I want to make, the word "Sabbath" isn't a compelling word for a lot of people. Moreover, people aren't going to cease from their labor for a whole season.A few weeks ago, I was visiting a friend's house and saw a television commercial (I don't have broadcast TV, so I

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-89994658979502593662011-03-09T12:32:00.000-08:002011-03-09T19:41:44.061-08:00

Look around. Our world is messed up. I don't care where you live, how rich you are, or how educated you are, you have been touched by this messed up world. Lost jobs. Government that is (at best) ineffectual and (at worst) corrupt. Revolutions. Melting ice caps. Insurance premiums. Children shooting children. Religious people wielding religion to heap violence on others. It's a messed up world.

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-2976196503029523552011-02-23T21:13:00.000-08:002011-05-04T15:20:24.451-07:00

I am heading home after a difficult day at work. Nothing bad happened. I actually accomplished a lot. The snow didn't drive me homewards. I wrote a letter of recommendation, talked to someone about a wedding, prepared for and led a church meeting, worked on a jurisdictional event, prayed, and did general office work. Yet, sometimes I wonder what gifts God has given me, and I am never sure if I

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-59939082078790389132011-02-15T22:35:00.001-08:002011-02-15T23:08:43.269-08:00

Living a life of simplicity isn't as easy as it sounds. Being open to the world, to love, to life, and to all of God's abundance is a challenge for most of us. I've read a lot of books, many of which have been helpful and many of which sit on my bookshelves filled with profound thoughts long forgotten. Every now and again, I run across something that is just true -Dr. Seuss had a lot of wisdom in

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-78932170535845144172011-01-26T18:23:00.000-08:002011-01-26T18:30:21.142-08:00

As I prepare for worship this week, I recall Walter Brueggemann's prayer delivered on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 1999. It is based on Micah 6:8. You may find this prayer in Brueggemann's book "Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth.""Deliver us from amnesiaGod of peace,God of justice,God of freedom, We give you thanks for your cadences of peace, justice, and freedom, Cadences that have surged

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-35518926189431520812011-01-09T16:40:00.000-08:002011-01-10T19:58:43.910-08:00

Something dark happened yesterday. A shooter walked into a Safeway in Arizona and let loose a barrage of bullets that killed six people, including a federal judge, a former social worker turned Congressional aid, and a nine year old girl. The target of the shooting was Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Every week when we assemble in worship, someone in this room brings something dark with them.

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-73092624636087627692010-12-22T17:13:00.000-08:002010-12-22T18:14:51.760-08:00

You know you pastor a cool church when the Christmas play is "Sun, Moon, Star" by Kurt Vonnegut. There are many Christmas pageants and plays for purchase. Many of them are very clever and funny. Most of them have nothing to do with Christmas. They are gimmicks contrived to "do something new with an old story." More precisely, they are gimmicks used to get churches to buy yet one more thing.

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-39502808913487844092010-12-21T14:40:00.000-08:002010-12-21T15:01:44.923-08:00

The New Start Treaty is making progress toward a vote in the Senate, despite maneuverings among Republican leadership to grind the process to a stop. This treaty is necessary to maintain oversight over Russian and US nuclear arsenals. It steps in and takes over where the old Start treaty left off when it expired. And, it calls for reduction of nuclear warheads by both countries. I remember as a

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-18094967963747904792010-12-16T15:12:00.001-08:002010-12-21T15:07:08.388-08:00

It may not surprise anyone who reads this blog where my political leanings lay. However, I try to keep this blog from being a divisive place. On the whole, people pretty much want the same things: meaning, safety, a sense of home, belonging, and peace. People - rich and poor, Democratic and Republican, people of all colors and hues - yearn for wholeness and completeness, and they dream of a world

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-89578895655486889812010-12-15T21:48:00.001-08:002010-12-16T16:59:55.276-08:00

This Advent my church has taken advantage of growing relationships with other faith communities by inviting representatives from other faiths to come and facilitate conversations on/in peace. For three of the four weeks in Advent, a representative from a mosque, a Buddhist monastery, and a synagogue came to the church that I serve to lead a conversation about the basics of their tradition, the

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-24502438411239504172010-12-12T22:20:00.000-08:002010-12-12T22:45:25.602-08:00

Advent is wholly concerned with time - the beginning of new time and the ending of old time. Throughout Advent, Christians prepare their hearts for the coming of the Christ-child and for the second coming of Christ the judge, who comes to right the injustices of this world and to redeem the brokenhearted and downtrodden. This season is often confusing for many lay people. When the apocalyptic

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-38213163678139116752010-12-02T16:59:00.000-08:002010-12-02T17:02:44.873-08:00

Advent Candle Prayer Holy are you and blessed is your name, Lord God, creator of the universe. This day we seek your kingdom - where the wolf and the lamb shall live together and all of creation will live in harmony.We find this kingdom by following a child who will lead us in the way of peace.Bless us as we light the candles on this wreath.that we may see your light of peace shining in the

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-79218645205874211612010-11-14T01:04:00.000-08:002010-11-14T14:10:11.471-08:00

This week we marked Veteran’s Day, first known in the US as Armistice Day. It falls on November 11 every year to commemorate the ending of formal hostilities of the First World War, which concluded on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 with the signing of the Armistice, even though the Treaty of Versailles remained some months away. President Woodrow Wilson declared November

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-9909536962541656272010-11-07T20:49:00.000-08:002010-11-07T21:12:24.257-08:00

In his poem "The Bright Field," Welsh poet R.S. Thomas invites us into a moment of eternity. Eternity as the ultimate singularity. All. Whole. Complete. We are invited into eternal life, not only in life after death, but whole life here on this earth, in the company of all that ever was, is, or will be.The Bright FieldI have seen the light break throughto illuminate a small fieldfor a while and

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-59912774149713066912010-11-06T01:07:00.000-07:002010-11-06T01:09:31.594-07:00

"I was running to show that I wasn't just waiting around," he said. "I was running to be an active participant in my own salvation. I wasn't just waiting around. I was running because I was also contributing to the struggle for our rescue."I also wanted God to see that I really wanted to live."-Edison Pena, 12th Chilean miner rescued on his running regimen in the mine as he prepares to run the

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-87601574561606965582010-11-05T12:24:00.001-07:002010-12-12T23:18:36.817-08:00

Theme for the Evening: NeighborlinessThis year marks the third annual interfaith Thanksgiving Eve worship service on Phinney Ridge in Seattle. In the past two years, the service has attracted about 500 worshipers. It aims to make friends from strangers, to weaken growing tensions between religions, and to remind people that at the core of all major religions are shared values: compassion, justice

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-35250376806986411862010-11-04T17:08:00.000-07:002010-11-04T23:51:42.028-07:00

Here is a prayer that we are using to open worship this Sunday, when we will honor the saints of our congregation, living and dead.Holy are you and blessed is your name, Creator of heaven and earth. You sent your Son to live among us, to bless the afflicted, and to gather in the outcast. Blessed are all the saints, living and dead, who continue his holy work, who see your world as you do, who

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-86585412414897760372010-11-03T15:59:00.000-07:002010-11-03T16:49:56.540-07:00

In the course of creating a video-based curriculum on spiritual practices, I have been privileged to meet a number of fascinating people, some of whom are famous, most of whom are not, all of whom are inspiring. In a conversation with Brian McLaren, he spoke about the power of queries to change how we experience the world. Here is a snippet of what he had to say. Just for the sake of context, I

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-26638292404656154092010-10-31T00:51:00.000-07:002010-10-31T00:57:23.479-07:00

Sharing ourselves with another person changes the world. A bold statement, I know, but a true one all the same. When we share our stories, our vulnerabilities, our joys, our hopes, our dreams; when we commit to sharing a life with someone else; when we enter into another’s life, we are changed, they are changed, and something in the world is changed. Ripples of change emanate from that experience

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-35185388359227249432010-10-28T14:08:00.001-07:002010-10-29T01:43:47.463-07:00

Christians have, at best, an ambivalent relationship with Sabbath-keeping and, at worst, an adverse response to the idea of it. This may be due in part to many years of dour Sundays lived in towns with blue laws* when all of the fun was squished right out of life. But, this isn't what Sabbath should be. And, with increased pluralism and diversity in our communities, we will never return to the

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-38213957065483241802010-10-26T00:29:00.000-07:002010-10-26T00:36:01.362-07:00

Two colleagues in Seattle joined me in making an "It Gets Better" video. I know that there are many theological understandings about sexuality in general and about homosexuality in particular. However, it is my hope that all reasonable people would agree that children, youth, and young adults should not take their own lives because they are bullied, made to feel "wrong" or "bad" about themselves,

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-9267399136213410122010-10-12T14:35:00.000-07:002010-10-12T16:02:47.335-07:00

Suicide has become a topic of national conversation. In recent weeks, four teenagers committed suicide after being bullied for being gay. These tragedies, coming one after another, have forced this country to look at the real harm caused by prejudice and bigotry. While many people would like to believe that the fight for LGBTQI rights is an unnecessary political movement, these recent suicides

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-57877977358291753042010-10-07T16:55:00.000-07:002010-10-07T17:09:12.581-07:00

I love October. It is my favorite time of year. I always loved the start of school and all of the promises of a new year of learning. I loved being huddled under wool blankets while the football team battled it out on the field. I loved band music, hot dogs, and hot chocolate. I still love the smell of autumn; it marks the inexorable move from long summer days to cold long winter nights. Crisp

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-92211538769766761842010-10-02T23:29:00.000-07:002010-10-06T22:34:14.490-07:00

Here is my sermon for October 3. What began as a regular celebration of the Feast of Saint Francis turned into something quite different. I could not preside over the service on Sunday without giving attention to the four teens who took their own lives this month - all bullied for being gay. It seems to me that a celebration of creation must mention the brokenness within creation as well. The

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-85692909453861815252010-09-29T22:39:00.000-07:002010-10-01T08:48:13.781-07:00

In a recent online conversation about "Don't Ask/Don't Tell," the following comment was made:As long as religion is allowed to influence our government there will be no freedom for anyone. I hope the Christian zealots know what their future holds. There will come a day when the money and the majority will not be Christan. Christian outcries will be ignored and the government will be powerless to

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-73742671566157110872010-07-21T23:37:00.000-07:002010-07-23T00:25:15.378-07:00

Written by Lynn Nottage and directed by Kate Whoriskey, Ruined is a powerful play about sexual violence, personal power, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is playing at Seattle's Intiman Theatre through August 15. Set in Mama Nadi's brothel along the border of the rainforest in the Northeast of the country, the play deals with the lives of four women in the midst of the ongoing

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-38710727345062452432010-07-20T17:24:00.000-07:002010-07-26T11:45:38.351-07:00

I went and saw Inception, Christopher Nolan's new movie about dreams, reality, and guilt. Ostensibly about industrial espionage, the movie quickly moves from the basic heist/fantasy/espionage format and gives the audience and experience like no other. The movie is fantastic.Okay, it felt a little long at times and don't spend too much time trying to make sense out of everything, and other than

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-41558655039258004262010-07-18T18:07:00.000-07:002010-07-23T00:31:43.283-07:00

My children's sermon today was about postures in worship and how there are three basic postures in worship that are utterly different from the rest of life. The first posture is a subordinate posture - to sit at the foot of a master. Worship is to sit at the foot of a teacher or even God and to listen eagerly and yet patiently. The second posture is the posture of prayer. In the West that posture

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-1444149576483667382010-07-07T19:13:00.000-07:002010-07-07T19:16:08.215-07:00

Every now and I become preoccupied with the idea of "honest and humble faith." It is this preoccupation, in part, that has led me away from blogging on a regular basis. I've been trying to leave open space for God to work in my life without succumbing to the need to fill every moment with talking, writing, and exhorting. Part of my vocation is grounded in helping others also to seek a more

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-3626152194186490932010-03-09T14:37:00.000-08:002010-03-09T14:39:02.037-08:00

My work email/internet connection feels like dial up (although it isn't). I've been thinking about life 10 years ago when a fast dial up felt like a miracle. Now I want to throw the computer through the window. I've grown very accustomed to internet use. I use it for absolutely everything. And I've become very impatient with less than optimal conditions. I've been wondering about the conditioning

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-5849803669241870582010-02-25T23:25:00.000-08:002010-02-26T00:09:58.647-08:00

Several weeks ago, Woodland Park UMC offered to be a collection site for health kits made by churches in the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church. At that time a need had been expressed by the Salt Lake City Depot of the United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) that it had shipped out 23,000 kits and needed replacements. With ongoing efforts around the world, health

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-47722430920492358832010-02-04T20:38:00.001-08:002010-02-04T21:04:04.505-08:00

Haiti relief efforts continue in the Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church. Our efforts have grown out of a local desire to respond, and they are in conversation with the Western Jurisdiction's call to response entitled "Operation Resurrection." While I was excited to see that the bishops and other leaders of the Western Jurisdiction devised a hoped-for response for us, I

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-13597118331288228012010-02-01T11:43:00.000-08:002010-02-01T12:01:26.461-08:00

I was privileged to be at the consecration service for Seattle First United Methodist Church's new church on Denny Way. It has been a long haul for the congregation. Their former church facility was a beautiful historic building on 5th and Columbia, but due to age, damage from earthquakes, and changing needs, it no longer fit the missional requirements of the congregation. After years of effort,

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-37624187355506934942010-01-30T22:06:00.000-08:002010-01-30T22:09:15.124-08:00

In working on my sermon on Jeremiah 1:4-10, I thought of this quote from the great rabbi."God, who is more than all there is, who speaks through the ineffable, whose question is more than our mind can answer, God, to whom our life can be the spelling of an answer." – Abraham Joshua Heschel

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-74491981912613963552010-01-25T22:22:00.000-08:002010-01-26T18:32:31.526-08:00

Recorded in an historic Presbyterian church in Nashville, Patty Griffin's seventh album "Downtown Church" is the slow ambling trek of a soul's journey. Mostly referred to as a folk singer, in this outing Patty slides into a soulfulness that one genre can't quite contain. It's just plain ol' good music. While she partners with Emmilou Harris ("Little Fire"), Regina McCray, Mike Farris, Buddy

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-52640154801679635872010-01-23T12:56:00.000-08:002010-01-30T22:11:11.935-08:00

In an appeal following the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, UMCOR, the disaster relief arm of the United Methodist Church, issued a call for health kits. For those not in the know, a United Methodist health kit is a gallon size bag with a few health essentials. Since secular news reports have detailed the enormity of the disaster and denominational news reports have focused our emergency

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-41406192748906326652010-01-22T13:08:00.000-08:002010-01-22T13:09:41.687-08:00

We become your people, O God, when you write your law and grace inside of us. We become your people when are living examples of your justice. We become your people when we unite into one body - the body of Christ - to be your eyes and ears witnessing the pain and wonder in the world, your heart and brain dreaming and planning for a new world, and your arms and legs working for your realm in every

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-83696315995790768192010-01-20T13:23:00.000-08:002010-01-20T13:40:55.564-08:00

With all that is going on in the world, I thought of this poem by John O'Donohue. Found in his book "Anam Cara" in the section "One of the Greatest Sins is the Unlived Life," he writes: "The shape of each soul is different. There is a secret destiny for each person. When you endeavor to repeat what others have done or force yourself into a preset mold, you betray your individuality. We need to

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-41802440280397685172010-01-15T13:27:00.001-08:002010-01-15T14:50:15.308-08:00

In an article today in the Seattle Times, a local couple who are in Haiti were featured for participating in relief efforts. At the end of the article, the paper lists a number of relief organizations, without listing UMCOR or any mainstream religious aid relief organizations. In the scope of the tragedy, it may appear ridiculous for me to write them and request that the paper include UMCOR and

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-91003342416285676352010-01-07T17:19:00.001-08:002010-01-07T17:36:39.872-08:00

I received a camera for Christmas from my mom. Despite what some of my friends might think, I don't buy every gadget that is made. As a matter of fact, I buy very few things at all. And, to date, I've never owned a digital camera. When a digital photo is a must (like to post a stupid photo on Facebook), I have used the camera on my phone. They're coarse, but you get a general sense of the

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-51127058351011281762009-12-23T10:52:00.001-08:002009-12-23T11:05:20.833-08:00

My sermon last week was about the conflict of peace and fear. In short, I preached about the angel's pastoral words to Mary - "Do not fear" - and that without them she might not have travelled to see Elizabeth and set herself on a course to give birth to peace in the world. For more reflections on this, see my older post Advent 4C - Mary, Fear and Peace, and Wendell Berry. It seems that this

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-41548083861676542252009-12-18T13:58:00.000-08:002009-12-18T14:02:52.002-08:00

Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Climate Summit in Copenhagen with a brief word from United Methodist Women

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-49689454070210445062009-12-18T13:21:00.000-08:002009-12-18T13:53:49.170-08:00

As I think about Sunday, too many topics roll around in my mind. It will be December 20, and we could focus on a "blue Christmas" or a "longest night" theme. We could focus on the talks in Copenhagen and how, as it seems now, they have disappointed our hopes that leaders would actually lead and offer us a vision for the future that contains hope. The texts invite me into thoughts of joy and peace

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-29582872138167716702009-12-15T16:15:00.000-08:002009-12-15T16:20:00.576-08:00

Greg Mortenson, author of "Three Cups of Tea" and, more recently, "Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan" will be speaking TONIGHT at Seattle Pacific University at 7:00 PM at Royal Brougham Pavilion, Seattle Pacific University 3414 Third Avenue WSeattle, Washington 98119.I know this post is short notice, but if you are in Seattle, it's worth it to

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-78567201479825938472009-12-15T15:47:00.000-08:002009-12-15T21:44:03.458-08:00

Today is a mild and gray rainy day in Seattle. Many people think it's like this every day, but it isn't. When the sun shines, I have never seen any place more beautiful than the Pacific Northwest. Really. But today, we live in a stereotype. Wet roads. Slow drivers. Lots of traffic. And an oppressive darkness threatens to rob us of the slivers of gray that passes for light. Entering the church, I

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-29898269832669764722009-12-10T16:03:00.001-08:002009-12-10T20:26:32.371-08:00

Ever since the president accepted his Nobel Peace Prize today, commentators have been going crazy discussing it. In it, President Obama laid out a very standard argument for "just war" and attendant "just peace."He did not, as commentators continue to argue, "robustly" defend war or present himself as a "warrior president," at least in my opinion. By this, I mean that he did not present an

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-21846665278538126982009-12-10T15:04:00.000-08:002009-12-10T15:20:15.270-08:00

In a video diary from his journey from Israel to Copenhagen, Rabbi Michael Kagan speaks about climate change and humankind's responsibility for balance within creation. In his first entry he teaches from the Bible using the images of Esau and Jacob. Jacob and Esau represent Heaven and Earth; Jacob, loved by his mother is ethereal - heaven. Esau, loved by his father, is a hunter - earth. Both are

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-41502564575396660442009-12-09T17:21:00.000-08:002009-12-09T17:45:31.964-08:00

"Churches will chime in for environmental stewardship by sounding their bells or other instruments 350 times at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The 350 chimes represent the parts per million that many scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," says an article from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.I live in the Pacific Northwest of the US. It is the most beautiful

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-52675664471503220662009-12-08T18:02:00.001-08:002009-12-08T18:21:16.220-08:00

Odyssey Networks is posting daily videos from faith leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Thus far videos include a preview with thoughts from Sister Joan Chittister, Rabbi Michael Kagan, and Sraddhalu Ranade. Videos include words from the Archbishop of Canterbury. You can subscribe to the broadcasts or log online to view them.Earth care is a spiritual and religious issue.

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-28683695704183030472009-12-08T17:24:00.000-08:002009-12-08T17:53:51.543-08:00

For Advent, I re-read Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales" and two excerpts stand out for me this year.From the beginning of the book:"All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged, fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-50805061274557521872009-12-03T14:52:00.000-08:002009-12-03T15:01:00.606-08:00

"Expectation -- anxious, collective and operative expectation of an end of the world, that is to say, of an issue for the world -- that is perhaps the supreme Christian function and the most distinctive characteristic of our religion.Historically speaking, that expectation has never ceased to guide the progress of our faith like a torch...We persist in saying that we keep vigil in expectation of

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-11604319503203889742009-12-01T20:09:00.001-08:002009-12-01T20:11:57.464-08:00

The approaching climate talks in Copenhagen are on my mind, and so this quote from Horatius Bonar seems appropriate,"Come, and make all things new,Build upon this ruined earth;Restore our faded paradise,Creation's second birth!"A good hope for Advent, I think.

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-27839346857244255162009-09-01T21:16:00.000-07:002009-09-01T21:24:49.852-07:00

President Obama hosts a Ramadan dinner at the White House. Cabinet members and foreign dignataries joined the president in breaking fast this evening. Rachel Sladja covers the story for TPM:"President Obama will hold a dinner to celebrate Ramadan tonight at the White House. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours. The fast is broken after sunset with a dinner, or

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-18917611941956922112009-08-19T18:11:00.001-07:002009-08-19T18:11:21.038-07:00

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-85292710704289519052009-07-20T17:23:00.001-07:002009-07-20T17:29:11.729-07:00

I've often wondered why he stayed so long given his outlooks on so many topics. In "The Age" President Carter writes an essay reflecting upon his reasons to finally leave his denomination of 60 years. I think this essay asks many Christians to define for themselves why they do or do not stay within the denominations that form and inform their lives.

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-19139509020044723922009-07-16T19:08:00.000-07:002009-07-16T19:20:25.715-07:00

For those following the lectionary, this week's psalm is the 23rd Psalm. Here, performed by Cantus, is an adaptation of the psalm by Bobby Mcferrin:

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-65217697910487122902009-05-26T12:47:00.000-07:002009-05-26T12:53:12.099-07:00

Now that Ashton Kutcher has gotten on the Nothing But Nets campaign wave along with Ted Turner, evidently the campaign is too cool to mention the relgious groups that have been behind it all along. I am very glad the anti-malaria movement is growing. I just wish that religion could get a break for the good things that it does and not just the denominational sniping and other less than missional

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-28810440045594938142009-05-09T10:59:00.000-07:002009-05-09T11:10:52.933-07:00

Practical Matters is a new journal for and by scholars, practitioners, and teachers of religion. Out of Emory University and supported by the Lilly Endowment, the journal is a "transdisciplinary multimedia journal of religious practices and practical theology." The first issue is now online and is called "imagination." The goal is to publish 1-2 issues a year. The next issue will be focused on "

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-90483067434012778082009-05-07T15:09:00.000-07:002009-05-07T15:39:46.705-07:00

Well, I've been out of the blogosphere for quite a while. I have been wandering in the wilderness for some time, wondering what God would have me do if I would respond with a "yes" to God's call. Much of the time I feel like a spiritual coward who is unwilling to wade deeply into God's healing waters out of fear that it will do what it promises - change me and, thus, require changes from me. Fear

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-77040041287737642812009-02-06T01:41:00.000-08:002009-02-06T01:42:33.779-08:00

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-87031001813193027982009-01-29T22:49:00.000-08:002009-01-29T22:50:31.734-08:00

Will you be there? Let me know. Maybe we can meet up!

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-76540951406889427102009-01-28T22:48:00.001-08:002009-01-28T23:11:19.164-08:00

There are so many devotional books written for the season of Lent. Rather than relying upon these ready-made materials, however, the church that I serve is putting together its own booklet. It's part of our theme "Our Journey With God." The stories that we write, collect, and edit together will be a part of our own journey, more so than a booklet with stories put together for an anonymous public.

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-90119611549632310362009-01-22T13:25:00.000-08:002009-01-28T22:45:11.813-08:00

Bishop Gene Robinson was on The Daily Show on January 20..cc_box a:hover .cc_home{background:url('http://www.comedycentral.com/comedycentral/video/assets/syndicated-logo-over.png') !important;}.cc_links a{color:#b9b9b9;text-decoration:none;}.cc_show a{color:#707070;text-decoration:none;}.cc_title a{color:#868686;text-decoration:none;}.cc_links a:hover{color:#67bee2;text-decoration:underline;}The

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-17250092863736882112009-01-20T18:35:00.000-08:002009-01-20T19:06:09.461-08:00

Eighty-seven year old United Methodist clergy person and Civil Rights activist Joseph Lowery provided the benediction at President Obama's inauguration on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. Updating scripture, providing advice, and infusing the event with humor, Lowery struck a homerun (IMHO), vastly outpacing Rick Warren's long, rambling, and slightly offputting invocation.Let me say that Rick Warren

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-9494353210735437162009-01-20T01:37:00.000-08:002009-01-20T01:39:52.320-08:00

If you watched the HBO special of the inaugural events at the Lincoln Memorial, you will know that Bishop Gene Robinson's prayer was omitted from the broadcast. For a full story on this, head over to the Huffington Post, which also has the missing video.

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-50027155954652502032009-01-20T00:32:00.000-08:002009-01-20T00:53:40.534-08:00

On Sunday HBO broadcast the events at the Lincoln Memorial - and they did so for free. CNN has been using Facebook to create a virtual viewing party of the inaugurgation on Tuesday. And, unknown to most people, the Washington National Cathedral is webcasting the National Prayer Service on Wednesday.Webcasting will begin at 9:30 AM with the service scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM. The newly sworn

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-87541747162239418672009-01-18T17:58:00.001-08:002009-01-18T18:13:40.880-08:00

Today The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire opened the inaugural events at the Lincoln Memorial with these words and this prayer: "A Prayer for the Nation and Our Next President, Barack Obama Welcome to Washington! The fun is about to begin, but first, please join me in pausing for a moment, to ask God’s blessing upon our nation and our next president.O God of our many

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-56037142367154109732009-01-15T14:19:00.000-08:002009-01-15T14:40:24.601-08:00

When it was announced that Rick Warren would participate in the events of Barack Obama's inauguration, it seems that the whole GLBT community took to arms. Not only them, but progressives everywhere cried foul at the choice of Rick Warren at such an historic event. I think that I might have been one of the few GLBT identified people whom I know who did not feel great outrage. In support of the

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-63829341450198331092009-01-15T01:27:00.000-08:002009-01-15T01:34:17.290-08:00

In a recent article, the New York Times magazine featured an article about Mars Hill Church founder Mark Driscoll. I was interviewed for the article so I knew it was being written. When I read the final product I was surprised by its content. An article that I thought was going to be about the phenomenon of the church, the charisma of its pastor, and the church's place in the emerging church

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-75755913047869913642009-01-14T16:47:00.000-08:002009-01-14T18:20:37.828-08:00

Christians need Bible study. That may sound trite, obvious, or odd to say. However, I hear an alarming number of stories about churches that can't sustain a Bible study because people won't attend. Furthermore, when I review the materials for many Bible studies, they are often boring, filled with errors, and (did I say it already?) boring. The Bible is anything but boring, but we do a good job

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34979731.post-10971000815718167082009-01-06T17:30:00.000-08:002009-01-06T17:57:13.090-08:00

Worship is Worship. Well, that might seem self-evident, but in actuality we have done a pretty good job of transforming worship in to all kinds of things except worship.I don't like to make universal claims - okay, I do, but they aren't very helpful...who am I, after all? I don't like to make universal claims so I'll just speak about what worship is to me and, as a leader of worship, what I hope

Rev Katie M Laddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04202878992241658856noreply@blogger.com2