“…Christmas celebrates the wonder of the Incarnation; of God the Creator becoming flesh and dwelling among us (John 1:14); of God arriving as an infant to live among us in both the good and the bad of our world as well as the joys and the sorrows of our lives. At its best, Christmas inspires awe that God loves us enough to dare to do such a thing. “

“Advent waiting is not an invitation to passivity (Beth spoke of this in her excellent sermon this past Sunday). Jesus tells us to “keep awake” (Mark 13:35) not so we lie hopelessly in the bed but to encourage us to step out into the dark. Why? Because one of the paradoxes of our faith is that it is from the dark that we see Christ’s light emerging. Being awake and active in the dark allows us to participate in the emerging new dawn of God’s justice, peace, grace and healing.”

“The idea that we need to “have our lives in order” just doesn’t check out with the Gospels. The story of a perfect family where everything goes right and happiness overflows is nowhere to be found. If our lives are messy, our best laid plans destroyed by the world, that’s nothing new to Jesus, the holy family, or the apostles for that matter.”

“As we wait for Jesus to come, Jesus waits, as Nouwen put it, for our “ears to hear and our eyes to see.” The intentional focus of Advent prepares us to recognize and receive the Holy One who comes in each moment of our lives, to love us, save us, call us, and equip us to be the light of Christ in the world. “

“…suffering and beauty exist at the same time. We can work to heal injustice, distress and loneliness while also giving thanks for the many ways God blesses this world in which we live. Living this way fulfills, I believe, the true spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday.”

“ This week, Jesus’ words break my heart. I keep thinking about the three dozen premature babies in Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza who struggle to live because there is no power for their incubators. Who, beyond the ill-equipped doctors and nurses who toil to care for them, will ensure that these infants have a chance to survive? Who, beyond the families that wait helplessly for their loved ones to return, will ensure the elderly Israelis held hostage by Hamas are not forgotten? Will these most vulnerable humans be nothing but pawns in a tragic power struggle? “

“…We don’t get to decide who is righteous and who is not. We are called to break down barriers, to love our neighbor as ourselves, to form beloved community and to invite all people to experience the grace and mercy of God.”

“God doesn’t need our worship. We need it. Lifting our voices in song, reciting the Nicene Creed and the prayers, kneeling for confession, receiving communion. At times any of this can feel rote and disconnected from the rest of our lives. But over time, Sunday after Sunday after Sunday, we become what we worship. We become the people God desires us to be.”

“…I’ll suggest we allow our words and actions in the coming weeks to be guided by some of the questions from our Baptismal Covenant (pp. 304-305 in the Prayer Book). Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?”