Both our Hebrew and Greek scriptures hold a vision of the kingdom of God where the rich and powerful are knocked down off their pedestals of arrogance and pride, and the poor and marginalized are lifted up out of the pits of despair, and all people are called to live in harmony and at least … Continue reading “The Upside Down World of God”
Category: Advent
The First Christmas
I am again working my way through Marcus Borg’s and John Crossan’s 2007 book The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach about Jesus’s Birth. I love the way they gently invite readings to set aside questions about the factuality of the events described so differently in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, as well … Continue reading “The First Christmas”
Happy New Year!
Happy new year! What? It’s not January? I know, but the season of Advent is the start of the Christian calendar. We begin the year listening to God’s promises revealed through Jesus: the promise of a new heaven and new earth, promises of rebirth, promises of a new hope for all humanity. Unfortunately, some people … Continue reading “Happy New Year!”
The Promise of Joy: A Response to the Massacre in Connecticut
President Obama pauses while addressing the nation from the White House briefing room the afternoon of the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. (Dec. 14, 2012) Below is the sermon I preached on December 16, 2012 at University Presbyterian Church, the third Sunday in Advent, in response to the shooting massacre … Continue reading “The Promise of Joy: A Response to the Massacre in Connecticut”
But I don’t wanna wait!
It’s interesting that we celebrate two different seasons as one: Advent and Christmas. Every year the same discussions are had in congregations all over the country, usually between the pastor and the folks who are in charge of music, whether a music director, choir, or a committee. The People: Why can’t we sing the Christmas … Continue reading “But I don’t wanna wait!”