Prayers and Ponderings

Together: A Conversation with Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins and Rev. Dr. Chad Abbott

In this episode, Conference Ministers the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins (Heartland Conference) and the Rev. Dr. Chad Abbott (Indiana-Kentucky Conference), explore their work together as conference ministers in the United Church of Christ.

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, The Unintentional Interim: Ministry in Times of Transition [https://thepilgrimpress.com/products/the-unintentional-interim-ministry-in-times-of-transition-nelson], released in April 2025. He has written other books [https://jeffreyanelson.com/books-and-writing/] on spirituality, prayer, and pop culture, as well as a novel. His writing has also appeared at the Shalem Institute blog, The Englewood Review of Books, the Christian Century blog, and The High Calling, among other online places. You can learn more about him at https://jeffreyanelson.com/

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 [https://www.amazon.com/Blessed-Minds-Breaking-Silence-Neurodiversity/dp/0827203446/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ULH40AL5O5TG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7Hs3jJ4e_c5eXkGo8pNwkV3aYUyysGamLiIWBh3utxJayyoNELaTc4RoCz--xPylT9hVwntUPwnCTsAZ3czz2A.r4G6geQtJBqs8g2_i9tW31d8Ywk2-knN5L4HtCwwj40&dib_tag=se&keywords=sarah+lund+neurodiversity&qid=1746812316&sprefix=sarah+lund+neurodiversity%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-1].  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 and acceptance of Christ. . Blessed Minds: Breaking the Silence about Neurodiversity is a profound exploration of how the church can embrace and honor neurodiversity. Affecting up to 20 percent of Americans, neurodiversity includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and several other conditions. Through personal stories, historical context, and theological insights, beloved author Sarah Griffith Lund unpacks the concepts of neurodiversity, mental health, and disability. This book challenges the stigma surrounding neurodivergent individuals and offers practical steps for creating inclusive and supportive faith communities. With themes of vulnerability, compassion, and justice, Blessed Minds is a call to recognize the divine nature of all minds and to foster a church environment where every individual is valued and celebrated. More about Sarah: [http://www.sarahgriffithlund.com] Sarah Griffith Lund loves to partner with others to share hope and healing. She is an ordained minister and has served as pastor to churches in Brooklyn, NY, Minneapolis, MN, and New Smyrna Beach, FL. Rev. Dr. Lund served as Regional Minister in the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ and as a Vice President for Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN. She holds degrees from Trinity University (BA), Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv), Rutgers University (MSW), and McCormick Theological Seminary (DMin). Rev. Dr. Lund received the Dell Award for Mental Health Education at the 30th General Synod of the UCC. She currently serves as Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice on the national staff of the UCC and as senior pastor of First Congregational UCC of Indianapolis, IN. Rev. Dr. Lund is the author of several books and blogs at www.sarahgriffithlund.com [http://www.sarahgriffithlund.com].

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 up my plans  Just enough to receive   The gift You offer  With outstretched invitations  Revealed at every turn.  Let this seat of grace  Position my body and soul  To noticed anew your creation  Often overlooked in my rush  To tend my anxious worry.  Yes, by this of  Your invitation  Made known in Christ  Grant me grace to trust  Your necessary call to rest  And through it receive  The joy You yearn to offer. -DMLH, March 2025

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 [https://a.co/d/875fZNc], 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 you discover this Presence already meeting and holding you right where you are. Such titles as "Beginning Again," "Desert Joy," "Unhinged," "Spirit Fruit," and many more invite you to encounter this Holy Presence discovered in every season of life. They are grouped into three sections: Yes, Love, and Thank You. Each section offers reminders of Love's affirmation, desire, and call. They are an invitation to slow down and linger into an awareness of the Love that holds all of life, including your own. Photographs are also provided as an alternative opening to this always-present Presence. Remembering what St. Francis once shared about nature being God's first Bible, each prayer is accompanied by a photograph often captured from nature. The pictures intersect with the words of the prayers but may be used in their own right as invitations into the soul's beckoning silence. A holy blessing awaits your discovery and deepening so that your heart and life may blossom and radiate more love and beauty into the world. Yes, Love, Thank you! Click here to purchase. [https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Love-Thank-You-Meditative/dp/B0DPGSJL91/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2JKFMRZT8A3HB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1p0aazvNyju9YhV-oUlc6_YJEyDlvIcyYj8bqXHNUnV6exDvpiM4f0lGO0QQW9VbZvK5wTsRFXCPWqv2plVe-Ge_UxWkRm80SnRDqnJ1esPWe-cE4lxSHqnKLiWLa0mjzUwn5pkQdpAGHrHN97-tCefSWpXn3MUCjEhNJB1yPcRieEk6S8NRXP3FmMWvqtGXjV-pD3qsWQunNXdA9ar_DUMQwVJ4eyzCDSlf53gEtl4.Br_ribT0yWPTb4qr1ZPzEnViKrzNdw0vxFBVEKGok9A&dib_tag=se&keywords=yes%2C+love%2C+thank+you&qid=1736868025&sprefix=yes%2C+love%2C+thank+you%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1]