A New, Whole WorldAdvent 4 Mary, miraculously pregnant with Jesus, travels to her cousin Elizabeth, miraculously pregnant with John. In the joy of this encounter, Mary sings a prophetic song, celebrating God’s promise of justice in our world. In a world burdened by injustice, a woman on the fringes of “decent society” is the first to see the dawning of…
Upside Down, Inside Out Do you like roller coasters? The bigger and scarier, the better? Is following the Messiah, who comes to set the world right, a scary idea? Or is it comforting, knowing that God is at work? And why does John the Baptizer stand out in the wilderness telling people they’d better get ready? Join us live at…
A Compassionate God The second week of Advent invites us to hear the words of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. He proclaims God’s compassionate work to bring healing justice to the world. We often have a hard time imagining that the powers of the world could be displaced by a tenderly merciful God. But that is precisely the…
Time for Hope Advent is the season of Preparation for the coming of Christ. Like countless generations before us, we watch and wait for God’s renewing work in our world. And like countless generations before us, we sometimes look for hope through our tears, and we anticipate Good News even with heavy hearts. The prophets’ words remind us that the…
We Hope: Advent 4 This Sunday will be the Fourth Sunday in Advent. Mary’s song of praise is a song of defiant hope – that in the Christ Child there is something more than just OK news, but the definitive act of God to enter into our world to love it into redemption. Our hope is founded on the idea that…
We Rejoice This Sunday will be the Third Sunday in Advent. We rejoice, not only because we get to see friends and family and feast with one another, but because the oppression, injustice and violence of the world are not final. Christ comes to begin the work of setting the world right. Join us on Sunday morning, December 17, for the…
We Prepare: Advent 2 This Sunday is the Second Sunday in Advent. Waiting in Advent is not just passive. It is a chance to prepare. Just as when we wait for the arrival of family members, we make our homes ready, as we await the arrival of Christ, we make our lives and world ready. Join us on Sunday morning, December…
We Wait This Sunday is the First Sunday in Advent. As much as we want to celebrate the holiday season, Advent is not about rushing ahead, but about waiting with joyful anticipation what to see what God is unveiling. Join us on Sunday morning for worship and communion at 9:00 in the Fellowship Hall or 10:30 in the Sanctuary. You can view…
The One We Need The Messiah is born! He may not be what we expect, or even what we want, but Christ is exactly what this aching, weary world needs. Read Luke 2:1-20 in preparation for worship. You can download the bulletin from the December 22 QuickNews.
A Disruptive Peace The peace promised by the Messiah is one that disrupts the normal order. The Pax Romana constrained conflict by force. God’s peace is a holistic and healing, not violently enforced, but disrupting the power of the empires and powers of our world. Read Matthew 1:18-25 in preparation for Sunday’s sermon, “A Disruptive Peace.” Join us at 9:00…
A Peculiar Sort of Joy The holidays are joyful – and we need more joy these days! But divine joy is not rooted in happiness, it is rooted in justice and wholeness. Divine joy is always communal rather than personal. Read Matthew 11:2-11 and ILuke 1:46-55 in preparation for this Sunday’s sermon, “A Peculiar Sort of Joy.” Join us at…
Love is Weird We talk about love ALL THE TIME. Especially as we head toward Christmas. And well we should. But the love we celebrate at Christmas is not always an easy or convenient love. It is a radical love that changes our lives when we receive it. Read Matthew 3:1-12 and Isaiah 11:1-10 in preparation for this Sunday’s sermon,…
