The texts for Sunday, November 30, 2014 (Advent 1B): Isaiah 64:1–9; Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19; 1 Corinthians 1:3–9; and Mark 13:24–37 Audio of sermon: Sermon Advent 1B … In the demonstrations and riots and commentaries in the articles about systemic racism and the militarization of the police Even in the heart-touching stories of those who do care and rise up toContinueContinue reading “God Tearing Open the Heavens”
Tag Archives: Advent
Wait … what?
I kind of missed Advent this year. There was no Advent wreath at my house, no Advent calendar to mark the days. I did not even get to center my days around the Sundays of Advent: watching the acolyte struggle to light the next candle and sing all the beautiful hymns of longing for light,ContinueContinue reading “Wait … what?”
Every Common Bush
Text for this reflection (second in an Advent series called “Revive”): Exodus 3:1-12 “Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.” – Elizabeth Barrett Browning What does it take to see the presence of God inContinueContinue reading “Every Common Bush”
Beloved child, get up.
Text for this reflection (in an Advent series entitled “Revive”): Mark 5:21–43 “Talitha cum,” Little Girl, get up. This text is not one that we normally hear this time of year, in the season of Advent. Normally, we get lots of texts from the old testament prophets or the beginning of the Gospels where weContinueContinue reading “Beloved child, get up.”
Slivers of Light
The texts for Sunday, December 16, 2012: Zephaniah 3:14–20; Isaiah 12:2–6; Philippians 4:4–7; and Luke 3:7–18 You don’t light a candle in a well lit space You don’t use a flashlight to guide you in the middle of the day. You don’t hope and dream when the world is perfect… It’s almost the Winter Solstice.ContinueContinue reading “Slivers of Light”
The Vulnerability of Incarnation
The text for this reflection/sermon for the first Wednesday service in Advent (December 5, 2012): Luke 22: 14-19 One of the things that may become obvious, or maybe not, looking at Mary’s swelling belly or the infant Jesus lying in a manger is that Christians aren’t much into the “omni-god.” The “omni-god” is what IContinueContinue reading “The Vulnerability of Incarnation”
Praying for Transformation
The texts for Sunday, December 9,2012 (Advent 2C): Baruch 5:1–9; Luke 1:68–79; Philippians 1:3–11; and Luke 3:1–6. “Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God.” – Baruch 5:1 I’ve come to the realization that I just don’t really want to talkContinueContinue reading “Praying for Transformation”
The Power of Hope
The texts for Sunday, December 2, 2012 (Advent 1C): Jeremiah 33:14–16; Psalm 25:1–10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9–13; and Luke 21:25–36 “Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”- Luke 21:28 I suppose this is the power of hope. Everything prior to this sentence inContinueContinue reading “The Power of Hope”
The future present?
The texts for Sunday, December 11, 2011: Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11; Luke 1:46b–55; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24; and John 1:6–8, 19–28 … But John’s authority —his words —his whole reason for being is not to point to the past is not to recreate the past but to point to the coming of God … the future, but inContinueContinue reading “The future present?”
Jabbok Dawn 