Week 2: Peace As a pastor, I know that Advent is a time of preparation, a time of pondering, a time of patient waiting. It is a season to contemplate the growing darkness of our days and appreciate the promise held in the darkness of Mary’s womb. It is a time pregnant with the possibility of…
I know how much hope you hold in your heart:For yourself and for those you love.For your neighbors and for our world.Hope for health,for peace,for justice,For a return to the glorious normal of our lives. These hopes are good and holyAnd also not the reality in which we live.Not yet.And maybe not ever—in this life.So…
(Luke 2: 1-7) I’m memorizing Luke 2:1-16 for our Christmas Eve service. Maybe that sounds impressive, but the truth is I know most of it already: “In those days, a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. . . .” It’s a familiar story. Comfortable language. A rhythm and…
In February of 2013, when my dad went into the hospital, I was overwhelmed by the intense, unbearable hope that my dad be made well. At first, this was hope for a diagnosis. I thought that if we could just name his disease, they could make Dad better. I was wrong. When I got what…
I was working on our Christmas Eve program Friday when I heard the news about the shootings in Connecticut. Shootings at an elementary school. An elementary school. Dead bodies–little bodies–sprawled on the floor. Bloody children. Wailing parents. It was hard to get back into the Christmas spirit after hearing that news. Hard to write about the coming of…
I don’t know about you, but I have been particularly eager for Advent this year. It feels good to have the tree up and the lights lit and the holiday music playing in the background. This year I put together an Advent devotional for my church and will post the pieces each day on the…
Today’s Advent poem is by Lucy Shaw. Enjoy.
Just for fun, he’s a re-run of a humor column I wrote for RevGalBlogPals back in 2013. Christmas decorations are heavy on Santa and reindeer and snowmen and bells and glittery doodads of various kinds. But within the Christian tradition we also make space for nativity sets: scenes representing the biblical story of Christ’s humble…
Luke 3:3-6 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley…
Holden Evening Prayer, a contemplative, mostly sung, worship service written by Marty Haugen, has become an Advent tradition at Peace Mennonite. For those not able to join with Peace (or another congregation) for this worship, consider setting aside about twenty minutes to listen to (and sing with) this version on YouTube. Here is a link…
Spacious Faith 