Advent Reflections
A Good and Joyful Thing: Advent Meditation, 12/20/2012
Luke 1:28-32 By: Christopher Esposito-Bernard While we know that this “Jesus” would eventually change the world, the scandal that would have risen from the baby bump Mary would soon carry would have been devastating. This tiding of great joy could only have been seen as greatly troubling, for at the very least, Mary would have been […]
A Fortress to Keep Me Safe: Advent Meditation, 12/19/2012
Psalm 71:1-6 By: Jason Sierra In you, O Lord, I take refuge;let me never be put to shame.In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;incline your ear to me and save me.Be to me a rock of refuge,a strong fortress, to save me,for you are my rock and my fortress.Psalm 71: 1-6 Advent is reaching a quiet […]
Emmanuel: Advent Meditation, 12/18/2012
Matthew 1:18-25 By: Carrie Diaz-Littauer Emmanuel, God with us. I like this particular birth narrative in Matthew, because, amidst all the popular talk about Mary at Christmastime, Matthew puts before us the enduring faith of Joseph. Here is a man who was betrothed to Mary, a young virgin in a Hebrew culture where virginity was […]
Justice and Equality: Advent Meditation, 12/17/2012
Psalm 72:1-8 By: Joe Domko Much can be said about this royal psalm, the last in the second book of psalms. Although there is some debate over authorship, it seems likely that the author is David, writing a somewhat hyperbolic and celebratory ode to his son and eventual successor, Solomon. While there is much grandiose […]
Be Overcome: Advent Meditation, 12/16/2012
Luke 3:15-18 By: Lucas John Mix God can be overwhelming. We forget that in the church sometimes. We forget that God is not tame or predictable or safe. God is that which does not go away when you ignore it. God is powerful and present – always. God is. In many ways, the Renaissance church […]
Keep Me Where the Light Is: Advent Meditation, 12/15/2012
Psalm 80:1-3 By: Kimberly Jackson One sentence encapsulates my first impression of today’s scripture: Wow, they sound desperate! The whole of Psalm 80 is part lament, part apology, and part appeal for restoration. The psalmist is scrambling for the clarity of days gone by. The mood connotes feelings of staggering around in darkness, grabbing and […]
Hold Hope: Advent Meditation, 12/14/2012
Psalm 1:1-3 By: Rachel Jones Riparian forests are subject to frequent inundation.Riparian forests help control sediment, reduce the damaging effects of flooding and aid in stabilizing stream banks.Riparian zones are transition zones between an upland terrestrial environment and an aquatic environment. Organisms found in this zone are adapted to periodic flooding. Many not only tolerate it, but require […]
Prophets Among Us: Advent Meditation, 12/13/2012
Matthew 11:9-10 By: Hillary Raining When I was about 4 years old, I attended a Christmas Eve service with my parents and step-cousins who never attended church. However, this was no ordinary service, as it included the congregation’s pageant, complete with a live baby Jesus. My cousin, who was my age, was in awe of […]
Christ Leading Me: Advent Meditation, 12/12/2012
December 12, 2012 By: Vivian Taylor There are a lot of different kinds of bad news. There’s the “we’re out of that the flavor of ice cream you wanted” kind, the “you missed you’re train so you’re going to have to find a way to kill six hours until the next one comes along” kind, […]
From the Mouths of Babes: Advent Meditation, 12/10/2012
Psalm 8:1-8 By: Joe Domko Psalm 8 celebrates and honors both the Creator and the created order. Echoes of Genesis are easy to notice; perhaps not so obvious is the connection to Job’s whirlwind. The former is realized through the catalog of fauna found in verses 8 and 9 (see Genesis 1:28), while the latter […]