The Gospel of Luke provides a unique glimpse into the Christmas story. In Luke chapter 2 we read of yet another person that celebrates the birth of the Messiah. Neither Simeon nor Anna received an angelic announcement of Jesus’ birth. There was no star guiding their path. Instead, both people recognized Jesus amidst the hustle […]
It is so easy to celebrate the birth of Christ by doing everything for others. We prepare our homes for our friends and families. We get the perfect gift for our loved ones. God, however, celebrates Christmas not by doing things for us, but by being with us. The gift of Christmas is that God, […]
Music has the profound ability to inspire us to move beyond our current circumstances. In the midst of a confusing and new situation, Mary reveals the strength of her devotion and faithfulness in song. Scholars have come to refer to her song as the Magnificat and serves as an example of the character of Mary […]
In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we remember the gift of joy that Christ brings. Born in a lowly barn, it would have been easy to miss the joy offered by Emmanuel, God with us. Are we so busy that we miss the moments of joy that God has […]
During this season of sentimental commercialism it’s easy to forget that loving someone is not always straight forward. Sometimes, in fact, when we act out of what we think is Love we hurt other people. The love of Christ is different because it is a love born out of confession. We confess that we do […]
As we end the church liturgical calendar year we focus different sort of kingdom God calls us to. While our culture compels us to spend and accumulate more for ourselves, Jesus reminds us to care for the marginalized. Our call as Christians is to the poor, to the weak, to the broken places because that […]
Advent means waiting. While the rest of culture is in full swing gearing up for Christmas, the birth of Christ, and all of the consumerism that goes with that celebration, the church is waiting. We are not waiting for the birth of Christ, we are waiting for the second coming of Christ, the realization of […]
As we close our sermon series journeying through the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, we recognize the tangible implications of Paul’s words for our current cultural climate. There is much in society that divides us from one another and we can learn from Paul who tries to unite a similar divide. The challenge for […]
When we look to the saints, we often place them on a pedestal. Saints are, after all, better than us, right? When we look at the lives of saints, they embody an ethic not of perfection but of humility and self-giving. The saints are people that see themselves as sinners in need of God’s grace […]
One of the challenges of our faith is how to view people who live their lives, and believe, differently than we do. Many people interpret Paul as condemning those that are different, but this interpretation overlooks the very basis of Paul’s mission. Paul’s entire mission to the Gentiles was to include a disenfranchised people into […]