Luke 1:39-55 | December 22, 2024
From “God bless you!” to ” Count your blessings”, the word “blessing” has come to mean many things. Most everyone would like a blessing to be sure! What is a blessing and how does it come to us? Is it…
Christmas
Luke 2:8-20 | December 24, 2023
The Christmas story is perhaps the best known story in all of the Bible. It has been re-enacted time and again by adults and children alike. We warm to the images of Jesus birth and the wonder of that first…
December 18, 2022 – Matthew 1:18-25 | The With Us God | Taking the Plunge
A popular idiom is, “God works in mysterious ways.” While there may be a mystery to God's purposes and will, sometimes God works in overt and public ways. In the case of Joseph, the soon-to-be-husband of Mary, we find a…
December 4, 2022 – Luke 1:26-38 | The With Us God | The First Christian Act Is Cooperation
Mary is the first Christian. before miracles, teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection she believes in the gospel of Jesus. How? When she first hears the message of Jesus, as incredible as it is, she simply states, “May it be with me…
On Being With
This Christmas exhortation is written by St. Isaac the Syrian, Bishop of Nineveh, dating from the 6th century. His writing here encapsulates the hope of the Nativity and the actions that flow from it. St. Isaac invites us to confront more than…
December 26, 2021 or January 2, 2022-Luke 2:15-21 (Nativity 1C)
In the days of pandemic and polarity there seems to be so little wonder for us to hold. This story following Jesus' birth is filled with obedience, witness, and wonder. So often, we try and solve and resolve wonder. At…
Wondering About Nativity
Christmas always seems to bring the church into a strange intersection with culture. The Euro-centric celebration of Christmas affirms gift-giving, family gatherings, and general warm feelings. These feelings might be epitomized in holiday decorations, favorite indulgent foods, or the simple…
December 25, 2021-Luke 2:1-14 (Nativity C)
The birth of Jesus is a collision between the powerful and powerless. Like so many other occasions, the grace of God is revealed at the margins or the edges. Jesus' with happens in a small town, in a single family…