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Posts By: Magdalena I. García
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
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 »
December 16, 2017
Second Week of Advent Pursue humility, discover victory Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory. Five years ago, my family attempted a move from the “Land of Lincoln” (Illinois) to the “Sunshine State” (Florida). While working in Miami for seven months, I noticed how in Florida… Read more »
December 15, 2017
Second Week of Advent Silence the ‘G,’ embody the kin-dom Psalm 148:12–13 Young men and women alike, old and young together! Let them praise the name of the LORD. A lot of Advent and Christmas hymns speak of Jesus or Christ as king. For example, “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah repeats the phrase “King of… Read more »
December 14, 2017
A joyous song A Revised Common Lectionary resource for December 17 by Magdalena I. García ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.’ – Luke 1:46b-47 Read the full lectionary passage here Come, let us join God in lifting up the lowly, so that the world can sing and rejoice… Read more »
December 14, 2017
Second Week of Advent Break bread, create peace Psalm 147:14 [God] grants peace within your borders; [God] fills you with the finest of wheat. As I write, a four-country famine looms in Africa. According to UNICEF, “intractable war and brutal violence — along with climate change, drought and dire poverty — threaten children in Nigeria,… Read more »
