I Heard the Bells
And I think of all the bells everywhere this time of year––on doors, on trees, on cars, on everything…and when I feel despair, I close my eyes and I listen for the bells, and I reaffirm God’s declaration of peace. The bells remind me that the table is open. I open my eyes and I get back to work.
Something to Hope For
When Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 to “always be ready to give an answer for the hope that we have inside us,” the way people see that we have that hope is through that participatory hope, when we roll up our sleeves and when we get engaged in the community around us, sharing the gospel in both word and deed. Then people will start to ask us questions and we can give an answer for the hope.
Rejoice!
How are we to find joy when there is so much wrong in the world? This is the question Advent asks us every year. The Third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday. It marks the middle of the Advent season and means rejoice. This week, Dcn. Kevin Vailes encourages us to rejoice, even in the space between the first coming of Christ and his return, where sorrow threatens to steal our joy.
Comfort My People
The Bible is a story about God’s love for his people. It is a bit of a romantic comedy. Not a comedy because it makes us laugh, but a comedy in the sense that it ends well. Advent is a season of anticipation and waiting. We know that Christ has already come, but we await his return. We wait in hope, knowing that man can be reconciled to God and at peace with his Maker. Join us as we listen in on the beginning of Mark’s gospel when John the Baptist prepares the way for the Lord.
Stay Awake!
The season of Advent is about waiting. It is about anticipation. Ultimately, Advent is about hope. This week, we begin to observe the season of Advent, which marks the beginning of the Christian year. In the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, the celebration of the incarnation of the Word of God, we move from hope to joy to peace to love. Join us this week for the beginning of this journey as we reflect on Jesus’ teaching about his second Advent.