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December 22, 2017
This Christmas Eve, linger a bit A little rural church basks in Christ’s light by Donna Frischknecht Jackson We had just finished singing Silent Night. The Christmas Eve service was soon to be over and I felt like a child who had just opened the last of her Christmas presents. I was still overjoyed,… Read more »
December 22, 2017
Third Week of Advent Pray for peace, work for equity Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” A lot of Advent and Christmas hymns speak of peace, inspired by the message of the angels. “Sueños de Navidad” (“Christmas Dreams”) is a contemporary hymn in El Himnario Presbiteriano. It’s… Read more »
December 21, 2017
A wonderful time of year Time to decide what’s really important by Rebecca Lister It’s that time of year — “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” It’s a time that the “Marthas” of the world relish — a time of baking, shopping, wrapping, cooking and constantly doing. I am referring to Martha, sister… Read more »
December 21, 2017
Third Week of Advent Count blessings, work for joy Psalm 126:3 The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced. In my 20s, I was part of a young-adult group at church made up mostly of first-generation Latin American immigrants like myself. The holidays were sweet and sour days for many of my… Read more »
December 20, 2017
Islands of Misfit Toys Lessons from Rudolph for small churches by Sue Washburn A friend of mine once said the church she served was like the Island of Misfit Toys in the Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. If you remember the story of Rudolph, you know that he was different, set apart from the… Read more »
December 20, 2017
Third Week of Advent Slow down, look closely Psalm 53:2 God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. The closer we get to Christmas, the busier our days become with shopping, baking and wrapping tamales, as well as planning family gatherings and church… Read more »
December 19, 2017
The wonder of God’s presence A Revised Common Lectionary resource for December 24 by Magdalena I. García ‘For nothing will be impossible with God.’ – Luke 1:37 Read the full lectionary passage here When God encounters us in unexpected people, may we, like Mary, move from doubt to faith and from objection to willingness in… Read more »
December 19, 2017
Third Week of Advent Practice love, knit community Psalm 85:10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. My late aunt Eva never married and did not have children of her own, but she had 28 nieces and nephews. She despised most domestic chores, but she was good at sewing,… Read more »
December 18, 2017
Third Week of Advent Sing out, face trials Psalm 40:9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. Growing up in the Presbyterian Church in Cuba, I sang in the children’s choir in my native Cárdenas. We were trained… Read more »
December 17, 2017
Third Week of Advent Seek truth, avoid shortcuts Psalm 25:5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. When I was in college, in the late 1970s, CliffsNotes were popular study guides for exams or used as a shortcut to… Read more »