Sacred Darkness: A Poem for Advent 3C
This poem was written for the Third Sunday in Advent 2024 after reflection on Luke 3:7-16 and Isaiah 58:9b-12.
Isaiah
Everyone Who Thirsts: A Sermon on Inclusion for Lent 3C on Isaiah 55:1-9
What happened to God so loves the entirety of the cosmos (John 3:16) and all are equal before God (e.g. Genesis 1:27, Galatians 3:28)?
Seeking Wings Like Eagles
There’s not a lot of raising up happening, at least not in my neighborhood. I’m not even sure there are folx waiting for the Lord. I don’t think we know and we’ve dismissed so much of what we have heard. Sure, we might say that God is the Creator of all that is. I’m just … Read More
Joy, Always Joy
Here we are at the third Sunday of Advent. Traditionally, this is the Sunday of Joy. On this day we shift from penitential waiting to joyful anticipation. The tone of Advent shifts from somber to joyful. We know that God is drawing near. We celebrate the Christ who was, who is, and who shall be. … Read More
Bidding Prayer for the Second Sunday of Advent
Come, let us pray for the people of God here and everywhere. (People silently or out loud offer their prayers.) Bringer of peace and hope, we turn our hearts and minds to you. We see your people in need all around us, all around the world. You frequently remind us that all people are your … Read More
Call Me Grateful (Mostly)
When I was very young, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I loved the beach in all seasons and collecting shells and rocks and discovering the names of them was one of the great joys of my early life. Then someone told me that in order to be a marine biologist I would have … Read More
How is it with Your Spirit?
On January 17, 1991 between 6:30 and 7:00pm I was in a friend’s dorm room writing a paper on their computer. I had the news on in the background and wasn’t paying too much attention, at least not until the clips of bombs being dropped on Bagdad. In those moments I felt as if everything … Read More
Faith and Politics: A Matter of Vocabulary
My first awareness of politics was in the late 1970s when Ford was President of the U.S. I didn’t understand anything about Watergate but for some unidentifiable reason I recognized that Ford had not been president for a full four-year term. I, as a child of nine or ten, noticed. I did a bit more … Read More
Good News for Reluctant Hearts
I gave up trying to be happy and joyful just because it’s the holiday season a long time ago. Growing up, I thought I was the only one who didn’t have the perfect Norman Rockwell (or, these days, Hallmark) family. Nearly every year I would end up in tears on Christmas day because it was … Read More
Between the Prophets and the Apocolypse
Somewhere between a prophetic vision and an apocalypse, there is Advent. The beauty and wonder of the season often gets lost in the shopping and parties and full schedules. I remember my first few years as a pastor, Advent was full to bursting with additional responsibilities with little time for rest and appreciation of what … Read More