Ministry in Motion

Chances are you’ll see a bunch of folks walking around with  shmootz   on their foreheads this Wednesday. I’ve been asked over the years, Pastor: Where can I find 'Ash Wednesday' in the Bible? My answer: You can’t, it’s not there. Crickets. My reply coupled with their silence is almost like permission not to participate in Ash Wednesday.  However, I do share this: Ashes are spoken of in Biblical writings. They often  include some reference to : Repentance & Mortality, maybe siamese-twins - the dual themes of Ash Wednesday. They speak of harsh realities: contrition and death. Uncomfortable topics for most of us.   Lent is the journey, the story, of Jesus’ trek to the cross. It’s the forty days of preparation, a time to recall, retell and relive not only the Jesus story, but our own story too.  Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season are both Biblical and spiritual practices. So perhaps on this first day of Lent, as we begin this intentional season of reflection and preparation,

  “The wailing of broken hearts is the doorway to God”   ~ Rumi, 13th Century Poet/Mystic It is not easy to be delivered from an experience of grief, sorrow and pain - the heaviness that can weigh upon us.   It’s now, more than ever, where we need the ministry of presence. These moments remind us that we are not alone in our darkness and that our broken heart is connected to every heart that has known pain since the beginning of time. Often, "we run from grief because loss scares us, yet our hearts reach toward grief because the broken parts want to mend.”   Th is current pandemic pulls us into a profoundly new place, meeting on Zoom . As social distancing requirements loosen up, we hope our season on-line will come to an end soon.   Until it does, we are excited about the possibility of what God might do with our weekly Zoom Gatherings, Prayer and Conversation.    Instagram   Home   Office[at]minm.church   Facebook #pkes   #MinM  

  Online Giving:  Make a one-time or recurring donation through our free and  secure online giving option, below. Ministry in Motion.Church Your financial gifts help further the impact of the ministries of Ministry in Motion. Rest assured, the stewardship of your gift is a sacred responsibility, one we take very seriously. All gifts are tax-deductible and a year-end giving statement is prepared and sent, each January.  Ministry in Motion is a Texas Nonprofit Tax Exempt 501(c)(3) corporation under the US Internal Revenue Service Code #pkes   #MinM

On February 15th I’ll host a conversation about the Parable of Sower, found in   Mark, Luke and Matthew’s gospels. The value and beauty of the messages are similar, yet slightly different; they all encourage us to think and to linger in the text and to consider all the words.   Remember, parables are tools, storytelling by the Master,  they  compare something physical to something spiritual.  Here’s an exciting opportunity to gather, grow and go - join us for The Parable of The Sower. . .   #pkes ;   #MinM

How great storytellers do it -   how do they pull-off a masterful story?   Most good storytelling involves certain elements—no matter the topic or the personal background of the storyteller. Beautiful and various components make for a good story. Like; Making the story personal; Knowing the audience; Pacing the main points and maybe adding a twist or a surprise. If history and impact is part of our storytelling criteria   too then Jesus is, hands down, the Master Storyteller. He’s had more ‘shares’ ‘likes’ and ‘hits’ over the last 2000 years - more than anyone in history.   Join us as each Wednesday in February as we continue to dive into some of his parables and see why Jesus’ storytelling was so powerful, so masterful, so enduring… #MinM #pkes

Stories come in a variety of forms: poetry, song, verbal, movement, pictures, plays and even Dad Jokes: Why do seagulls fly over the sea?   Because if they flew over the bay they’d be bagels.   What vegetable is kind to everyone? The sweet potato.   Seriously, stories have the ability to paint pictures in our mind, craft images and place us in the narrative that is being shared. Have you observed a person who could hold an audience in the palm of their hand as they told a compelling story? Perhaps it was during a commencement address or at an award ceremony or during a TED talk. Maybe it was storytelling on the radio or a podcast. Perhaps it was a sermon. Stories help us cope - maybe they help us make sense of life experiences.   Stories help us better understand others . They can help us learn about others not like us   - finding understanding and empathy. Stories help us solve problems and try on solutions. Stories can also help us to solve problems by providing opportunities to try