Prayers and Ponderings

Ponderings: Interim Ministry, An Interview with the Rev. Jeffrey A. Nelson

The Rev. Jeff Nelson is the Minister for Ministerial Calls and Transitions for the United Church of Christ : Having served as a pastor in Northeast Ohio for 15 years – most recently at Grace UCC, Uniontown – the Rev. Jeff Nelson focuses on resources and support for pastors and other authorized ministers, including the denomination’s online portal for ministerial profiles. He said he is intrigued by the challenge of finding ways to support ministers who are making transitions. Jeff’s latest book,...

Ponderings: An Interview about Neurodiversity with the Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund

An Interview about Neurodiversity with the Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund. In this interview we discuss Rev. Lund's new book: Blessed Minds: Breaking the Silence about Neurodiversity . Neurodiversity is only now being widely understood for the unique ways it affects how we interact in all kinds--even church. Learn how to honor and celebrate neurodiversity, creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and understood. This book is your guide to fostering a church that truly reflects the love...

Prayer: Places of Rest, a Lenten Prayer with Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Places of Rest, A Lenten Prayer: Holy One, Help me pause just enough To notice Your invitation To step off my harried path And accept Your invitation To the rest that truly resets. Let the seat You offer Be the reminder I need To trust Your promise To lighten every weariness With Your renewing pause. Yes, grant me grace To turn aside and notice Your outstretched mercy seat Already waiting for me To discover Your holy gift Of rest that renews my body And restores my soul. Grant me courage To give...

To Be Seen: A Conversation with Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins, Rev. Dr. Chad Abbott, and Rev. Cassidy Hall

Yes, Love, Thank You: An interview with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

With the release of his new book, Yes, Love, Thank You: Meditative Prayers and Pictures to Blossom Your Heart , the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins and the Rev. Cassidy Hall sit down to talk about prayer, spiritual practices, and new entryways into our interactions with the Divine. Often this Presence gets covered over by hurry, worry, or fear. But life doesn't have to be this way. Another way is possible. The meditative prayer/poems and photographs in this collection are offered as portals to help ...

Prayer: Election Time, with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Election Time - A Prayer Holy God, Form us with loving resolve To bear Your light and hope Into a season fraught With fear and despair. Form our thoughts With Your alive Word of Love Able to fashion new creations Out of every crushing chaos. Mold our hearts Into vessels of grace Sorely needed in every time But especially needed In this present moment. Fashion our words With a grace that celebrates And builds up the beloved other Forming space for thriving Of body, mind and spirit. Strengthen our...

Prayer: Summer Stillness, with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Summer Stillness - A Prayer by the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins O Love, Saturate me With Your summer stillness Opening deep within The space unnameable Formed by You For Your mystery Of unfolding love. Pause me with scents Scattered by flowers Coming into bloom Fed by Your sun and rain. Fix my gaze On your gentle motion Of morning sun rising And landing on everything In joyful abandon Born of Your abundance. Let me rest in You Trusting Your promise Announced by birds Singing their summer song. By...

Prayer: Resurrection Stretch, with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Resurrection Stretch - A Prayer, by the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins Blossoming God, Open the petals Of my often closed life With Your irresistible light Of goodness and grace Revealing resurrection Surprises at every turn. Stretch every petal of me Too often closed to You And Your promises Of possibilities unknown Except by consent To Your motion of Love. By this of You Reveal the beauty You plant by seed Into every living being Impossible to know In its buried beginning Yet made visible In a ti...

A Pentecost Prayer: Turning Toward the Fire of Love, with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Turning Toward the Fire of Love - A Pentecost Prayer by the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins O Love, Let me turn Aside in awe Of morning’s fire Rising in silences That speak a Word Recreating the world. Your Holy Presence Unnameable, yet voicing A song within uncontainable. Your “yes” of yearning Meeting hearts that burn In hurt and hope Of all that dares to rise In resurrection’s answer To every period Placed by the world's way As the final word. Yes, Love, Let me turn aside And see the fire Of the ...

Prayer: Necessary Sabbath Rest, with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Necessary Sabbath Rest - A Prayer by the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins Loving God, Grant me grace To receive Your Sabbath Rest and renewal So often resisted In frenzied rush Toward inertias Of my own making. Let breathing space Awaken me to Your breath Given as gift in every moment For a soul sustenance Often taken for granted Yet bearing the miracle of life Into my body, mind and spirit. Let sacred pause still me Into awe and wonder At mysteries little and large Too often taken for granted By a h...

Sermon: The Call of Christ to be Woke, with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

The following sermon "The Call of Christ to be Woke" was preached by the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins at the MLK Day Worship Celebration at Woodland Christian Disciples of Christ in Columbus, Ohio on January 15, 2024. The text for the sermon was Ephesians 5:1-2 and 6-17.

Prayer: Sorting and Sifting, with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Pondering: The Ligamental Life, Heart to Heart with The Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

In this episode, we hear the Conference Minister Address from the 2023 Heartland Conference Annual Gathering. The Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins shares about the necessary ligamental life of the church in his heart-to-heart reflection with the Heartland Conference. To view this video or other moments from this year's Annual Gathering, go to our YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/@HeartlandConference/streams

Prayer: United and Uniting – A Prayer for the United Church of Christ and the World with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

United and Uniting - A Prayer for the United Church of Christ and the World written and read by the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins O Love, Form us ever anew United and uniting Bearing a vision larger Than we can imagine. Form the puzzling Predicaments of our day Into something precious And beautiful and good. Yes, take all that is scattered Embracing every fragment And fashion something new Beyond what is known In a world full of hurt Yearning for something more That heals, renews, and blesses. Let...

Prayer: Temple Body with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Temple Body - A Prayer written and read by the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins O Love, Bless this temple body Given as gift by You Enlivened by Your Spirit For worship and work In thanks and praise Of all You make possible. Form in me a reverence For care of this gift Of body given by You For the purposes of love To build Your justice joy For the full flourishing Of everybody’s body. Bless my ordinary eating With your Holy Spirit And awaken me To Your precious presence Bearing Your life-giving Energ...

Pondering: Dave's Top 10 Touchpoints for Launching with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Prayer: Walking Holy Week’s Road with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Walking Holy Week’s Road, A Prayer by the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins Loving God, Lead me step by step On this Holy Week road And form Your will and way In answer to the weariness And worry of the world So easily residing in my soul. Let the same sustaining spirit You poured into Christ Jesus Be poured ever anew into me Answering every resistance Begging me to distraction From Your gracious gift Of a life fully alive Despite twists and turns Formed by the world And also by me. Yes, Love, Walk me...

Prayer: Oh Snap! A Prayer of Confession with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Oh Snap! A Prayer of Confession, by the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins Loving God, O snap! Said too much. O snap! Said too little. O snap! Got distracted O snap! Ate too much. O snap! Too little sleep. O snap! Unexpected turn. O snap! Cut off. O snap! Worry day. O snap! Plans changed. O snap! Tired of waiting. O snap! Weary of winter O snap! Lost my voice. O snap! Came undone. O Love, Restring my life For some new song Tuned with grace by You. (And if you can, Make it just a little bit Snappy! ) Th...

Prayer: Everyday Thanksgivings with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Transcript: Everyday Thanksgivings, A Prayer by the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins Loving God, For the gift of a new day I give You thanks For breath of body I give You thanks For silence of soul I give You thanks For work that matters I give You thanks For blessed memories I give You thanks For little delights I give You thanks For a family of love I give You thanks For the gift of difference I give You thanks For a body to inhabit I give You thanks For Your present presence I give You thanks For ...

Prayer: Beginning Again with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Beginning Again An Advent Prayer Loving God, Thank-you for the gift Of beginning again When all seems lost Or weariness wears down The last inch of hope. Yes, turn the page Of over-rehearsed despair Or dread of dullness Formed by too much Of just about everything. Form instead Your promise When night’s weight Seems too heavy for Dawn’s readiness to rise In surprises unlikely To be noticed by the world Yet formed by You As the beginning place Of Your grand renewal, Starting as one small baby Stil...

Pondering: The Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr., 2022 Annual Gathering Sermon

The Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr., Installation Service Preacher: The Reverend Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr., is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) US and Canada. He serves as executive director of the Columbus-based Ohio Council of Churches. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Sullivan is an internationally-known leader, ecumenist, preacher, justice advocate, and death penalty abolitionist. In recognition of his work to stop executions, Dr. Sullivan was given the 2020 Dr. Ma...

Pondering: The Rev. Joanna D'Agostino 2022 Annual Gathering Sermon

During the 2022 Heartland Conference (UCC) Annual Gathering, we had the joy of hearing from Rev. Joanna D'Agostino in an Opening Worship Sermon. The Rev. Joanna D’Agostino has been the Senior Pastor of Lakewood Congregational Church since June 2018. Joanna has a passion for Restorative Justice, which she learned as a Restorative Justice facilitator in Wisconsin state correctional institutions. Now, she strives to weave Restorative Practices into all areas of leadership, community organizing, and...

Pondering: 2022 Annual Gathering Next Week!

This brand new episode features an introduction from Communications Director, Cassidy Hall, who shares a brief overview of Annual Gathering dates and deadlines. She reminds us this year's Annual Gathering is September 22-23 at Westerville UCC and the deadline to register is Monday, September 19th at 5:00 EST! Then we hear a message from others who will be in attendance including the Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr., Disaster Ministries Coordinator Kevin Gehres, and Rev. Beth Gedert, the Chair of this...

Prayer: Spirit Fruit with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Prayer: Spirit Fruit with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins Loving God, ripen me… Grant me grace to love That Your pulse may enliven me. Grant me your joining joy, Answering the fear of the world With your radiant Spirit. Grant me Your peace to share In a world aching to rest From fractious fighting. Grant me Your patience Grounding my soul in grace That I may offer the same to others. Grant me Your kindness For every rough edge revealed In myself and all your beloved. Grant me a generous Spirit T...

Prayer: Rising Up with the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins

Welcome to the first episode of Prayers & Ponderings, a Heartland Conference Podcast. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey or your journey in listening to podcasts, you're welcome here! The Heartland Conference is a part of the United Church of Christ and works with churches in Northern Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. We are overjoyed to share with you our first prayer: Rising Up, written and spoken by Conference Minister, the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins. You can find the transcript...