We have made it once again to Bethlehem to see this thing that God has made known to us. We remember the prophecies of the Old Testament and the Scriptures of the New Testament that lead us to Bethlehem, to pay homage to the child, to Jesus. We find ourselves in the...
The world is about to change. That is the promise of Christmas. The promise of the coming of the Messiah. The promise of God becoming human. Mary articulates this promise and expectation in her song of praise (Magnificat) in Luke 1:46-55. Mary is often portrayed as...
I don’t know about you, but lately I find myself overwhelmed with the state of the world. I know headlines filled with war and pain resound through the ages, nonetheless we occupy this time and space, called to be faithful in the face of current calamities. What,...
About 20 young adults gathered around tables in the Garden Room for dinner and fellowship last Wednesday night. We’ve been meeting monthly, just simple food and space to connect. Everyone began with how they spent their day … with 70 teenagers, with the U.S. Navy,...
It’s hard to believe that this coming Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. Well maybe not so hard to believe given that the Christmas music has been playing for over a month not to mention the ads and other ways to extend the season. Soon the Christmas movies will...
The great 20th century Reformed theologian Karl Barth once wrote: “Grace and gratitude belong together like heaven and earth. Grace evokes gratitude like the voice an echo. Gratitude follows grace like thunder lightning.” What Barth and the Reformed tradition...
We saw people dressed in their suits and carrying flashlights as they directed traffic. It was about 5:45 on a Saturday morning as our bus pulled up to Myungsung Presbyterian Church in Seoul, South Korea, the largest Presbyterian church in the world. We were there...
In the third chapter of Exodus, we read this exchange between God and Moses: “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” This image of taking off...
Two weeks ago, Rebekah and I closed on our house. It is the first house we have owned and we spent more than four months looking at houses. When new houses hit the market in our price range, we raced with our realtor to visit them because there just were not many...
Astronauts, a cowgirl, superheroes, a princess in pink sneakers, and so many others joined together around pumpkins, candy, and laughter. It was a joyous time on Sunday morning as the little ones, donning their various costumes, went from class to class around the...
