Finally! It is Reformation Day! On this day, 500 years ago, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany—95 reasons why the church needed to take a close look at itself and determine whether or not scripture was really reflected in its theology. For the past week, I … Continue reading A Mighty Fortress, Part 2
A Mighty Fortress: A Reflection on the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Part 1 By Rev. Alicia Randolph Rapking “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.” These are the opening lines of the most sung English translation of the hymn, written by Martin Luther, A Mighty Fortress. It is a … Continue reading A Mighty Fortress
“O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old— What we have heard and known, what our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell … Continue reading Tell Me A Story
The exhibit at the Jewish Museum, in Berlin, caught my attention in such a way that I almost heard myself gasp. A rainy day and a long line had diverted us to the Jewish Museum instead of the Museum that had been at the top of our list and I found myself secretly glad. I … Continue reading Making Discoveries of Who I Am
I can hear my father, even now speaking the words of the old communion service—the words that always seemed to stick with me, to settle in my heart and make me ponder the meaning. “And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy … Continue reading A Living Sacrifice
Addressing Evil It seems that for the last three months or so I have had a watchword. As I understand it, a watchword is a word or motto that embodies a principle or guide to action. This watchword seems to be coming from deep inside me, welling up when I least expect it, shaping questions … Continue reading Addressing Evil
This summer nature has astonished me over and over again. More than once I have been stopped short by some part of nature—the green around me from leaves and grass and even weeds, the intensity of colors in the summer blossoms, the early morning bird songs that awaken me, the quiet gentle rains and the … Continue reading Sowing Seeds
This past Tuesday, the whole country stopped to celebrate the Independence of our country that took place with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. While for many, this particular holiday is celebrated in fine fashion with cookouts and fireworks, parades and baseball games, for me it has been a time to reflect … Continue reading Reflections after Independence Day
Mercy, Never Ceasing By Rev. Alicia Randolph Rapking Sunday, July 2, after seven years of no regular Sunday morning responsibilities, I return to preaching most Sundays. As the director of Upshur Parish House and Crosslines, I am appointed to Extension Ministries in the WV Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, which means that instead … Continue reading Mercy, Never Ceasing
This morning, as I write, we are in the “in-between” time of Ascension Day and Pentecost—the day that Jesus ascended into heaven and the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the believers and set their hearts on fire. Every year, at this time, I think about a most unusual experience I had when I was … Continue reading On Rogation, Hildegard, and Nature
prayers of my heart, a collection of articles and writings by C. Alicia Randolph 