My oldest two children came into our family as a foster-to-adopt placement. We were told that their biological dad was not in the picture and mom would not be able to get custody. They were foster children that would be available for adoption soon. James was three and a half. Jasmine had just turned two.…
Hillary Kobernick writes and pastors at a Mennonite congregation outside Chicago; in her spare time, she does competitive slam poetry and manages a contemporary theology blog at gatheringthestones.com. And, as you prepare for Christmas, here is a simple family worship service for Christmas morning. Christmas Morning Worship Scripture: from Isaiah 9 “The people who walked…
This piece by Chris Lenshyn was originally posted on December 18, 2014. Chris serves as the associate pastor of Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Abbotsford British Columbia. The beauty of the church calendar is that we have something tangible that orients us toward a divine, participatory reality beyond and in contrast with the social fabric in which we…
This post by Melanie Zuercher was originally published on December 15, 2014. Melanie lives in Newton, Kansas. She is a member of Shalom Mennonite Church in Newton and works at Bethel College in North Newton. – – – – – – Confession: Christmas is not my favorite time of the year. Was it ever? Maybe…
This reflection on I Thessalonians 5:16-24 was written by Samuel Voth Schrag and originally published on December 17, 2014. Samuel lives in Arlington, Texas, with his wife Rachel and children Jonah and Hannah. He served as pastor of the St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship from 2007-2017. Christmas is a season of lists- Santa has a list…
Andrea Zuercher lives in Lawrence, Kansas, and attends Peace Mennonite Church. In a previous life she lived and worked in Washington, D.C., where she pursued professional choral singing as an avocation. A copy editor by professionand inclination, she now enjoys the slower pace of living in a smaller city. She spends her free time reading,…
We don’t often think of these opening verses of John’s Gospel as a nativity story, but it is, in it’s own way. It may not have the narrative flair of Matthew or Luke’s version, but it makes up for that with its theological heft. Despite their differences, the Gospel nativity stories all address a core…
