Posts with the tag “advent”

Advent is good news because Jesus keeps arriving—here, now, in the middle of our actual lives. We steady ourselves in this reality: God with skin and bone, Eternity wrapped in humanity.St. Augustine wrote “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” That restlessness is familiar to us. And there’s something deeply comforting about a God who entered o...  Read More

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   – John 1: 1-5The Light of all mankind slipped in through the darknes...  Read More

A prayer for your home:Holy Creator,Divine Origin,Of glories,And mysteries,Seen and unseen,Be with us this day,In our waking and seeking,In our laughing and weeping.Keep us this day,In our trusting and doubting,In our coming and going,That You may be found,Here and now,And we may be found in You.Amen....  Read More

Advent is good news because Jesus keeps arriving—here, now, in the middle of our actual lives. We steady ourselves in this reality: God with skin and bone, Eternity wrapped in humanity.St. Augustine wrote “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” That restlessness is familiar to us. And there’s something deeply comforting about a God who entered o...  Read More

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners, and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.                                                                                          – Luke 4:18-19 (Jesus quoting Isaiah 61)God’s K...  Read More

A Prayer for Your Home:Holy, Holy, Holy,God of renewalAnd enduring hope,Be with us this day,In our waking and seeking,In our laughing and weeping.Keep us this day,In our trusting and doubting,In our coming and going,That You may be found,Here and now,And we may be found in You.Amen....  Read More

Advent is good news because Jesus keeps arriving—here, now, in the middle of our actual lives. We steady ourselves in this reality: God with skin and bone, Eternity wrapped in humanity.St. Augustine wrote “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” That restlessness is familiar to us. And there’s something deeply comforting about a God who entered o...  Read More

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.                       – Lamentations 3:22-23 (NRSV)It might seem odd that an entire book of the bible, Lamentations, is devoted to lament. An entire book of the bible is set aside for pouring pain, grief, and sorrow out onto Jesus. And yet, we realize the promise o...  Read More

A prayer for your home:Dwelling place of generations,Everlasting to everlasting,Who spoke creation into beingAnd breathed dust into life,Be with us this day,In our waking and seeking,In our laughing and weeping.Keep us this day,In our trusting and doubting,In our coming and going,That You may be found,Here and now,And we may be found in You.Amen....  Read More

Advent is good news because Jesus keeps arriving—here, now, in the middle of our actual lives. We steady ourselves in this reality: God with skin and bone, Eternity wrapped in humanity.St. Augustine wrote “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” That restlessness is familiar to us. And there’s something deeply comforting about a God who entered o...  Read More

I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.  I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.                     – Matt. 25:35-36It can be easy to glaze over the story of Advent; it’s so familiar. We see nativity scenes on holiday cards, front lawns, and c...  Read More

A prayer for your home:Abiding Love,Patient Presence,Who sees,And loves and stays,Be with us this day,In our waking and seeking,In our laughing and weeping.Keep us this day,In our trusting and doubting,In our coming and going,That You may be found,Here and now,And we may be found in You.Amen....  Read More

Many people struggle with distorted views of God, believing God only loves them when they’re good or that Jesus had to come to change God’s mind about humanity. This is far from the truth. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son (John 3:16). God’s love is constant, unchanging, and available to all—on our best and worst days. We are invited to receive and accept God's love.  Read More

For most of us, the year begins with January 1st, filled with resolutions and goals. But the church calendar begins differently—with Advent. This intentional choice centers the rhythm of life around Jesus, resisting the pull of worldly calendars. Advent invites us to reorder our lives around hope, reminding us of Emmanuel, "God with us," and that Christ abides with us even now. The first Sunday of Advent focuses on hope—a fitting start to the year. As Hebrews 11:1 teaches, "Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see." Hope and faith are bound up in each other. Hope isn’t passive; it’s faith in action, shaping how we live.  Read More