Starting the new church year reading the NRSVue
My congregation will begin reading from the NRSVue at the beginning of the new church year, the first Sunday of Advent. I am looking forward to continuing the journey with them with this “update.”
Celebrating Advent and Christmas amid a war
On November 10, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem published a Statement on the Celebration of Advent and Christmas in the Midst of the War. I realized I needed to put the letter in front of our church council to see how, as a congregation, we might want to respond in solidarity. I'd like to invite you to do the same.
The last Christmas
Do I have to come up with something memorable, novel, and cutting-edge for my last Christmas sermon before I retire?
Virgin, victim, or … Pondering Mary of Nazareth
Rather than being passively obedient or overpowered, Mary was a person of agency who was willing to violate the rules.
At Christmas, expect trouble ahead
Inviting Jesus to come and enter into our lives means embracing the unfamiliar, challenging the powerful, opening our circle of inclusion wider, sharing the gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Welcoming Jesus gives joy, peace, and hope; it also requires courage and sacrifice and, sometimes, brings heartbreak.