Time, Worship Seasons
Reign of Christ Sunday
Yesterday millions of Christians celebrated “Reign of Christ Sunday,” the last Sunday of the Christian worship Year. At first blush, it’s odd to have one Sunday named that, since the Reign, or Kingdom, of God is a big deal in Christian faith. But it turns out that it came about in 1920s Italy, as the…
Read MoreSaints and the Search for Moral Presence
Today is All Saints Day, so it’s appropriate to think about the saints in our lives and world. These days, every day seems to be the opposite of saintly: national brink-of-war tactics, political partisan diatribes, hate crimes, and horrendous violence. So maybe All Saints Day is really important right now, whether we ascribe to official…
Read MoreEpiphany — God Beyond the Boundaries
Most of us really like our comfort zones: the settings and situations in which we can feel confident in certain roles, know our neighbors or coworkers, and trust that nothing too unexpected and dangerous will catch us by surprise. But those Magi – the wise ones who followed that odd star to the Jesus’ birthplace…
Read MoreEpiphany — Stewards of the Light
January 6, this Saturday, is Epiphany: the day Christians around the globe celebrate the coming of the Magi from faraway lands, to give gifts to the Christ child in Bethlehem. It occurs to me that those Magi were the ultimate outsiders. To begin with, they were not Jews but Gentiles, coming from Egypt or the…
Read MoreDec. 3 Global Migration Sunday
This Sunday, December 3, will be a special Global Migration Sunday, to raise awareness, give support, and pray for refugees and migrants around the world. Whether due to human conflict, persecution, or natural disasters, more than 65 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. The United Nations Refugee Agency says that over 21…
Read MoreDo What for Advent?
I know: theoretically you planned the fall annual stewardship emphasis back in the spring, but life often intervenes to upset even the best of plans. So now you’re looking for a stewardship theme to fit your revised schedule. And wouldn’t it be great if it had a creative approach and unique timing this year, when…
Read MoreThe Gift of Extra Time
The following was spoken by Heather Linsley, Worship Leader on February 28th, in my home church. I share her words and prayers with her permission. – Betsy Schwarzentraub Written by Heather Linsley For those of us who have secretly (or not so secretly) wished we had just one more hour in the day in which…
Read MoreAll Saints Day
It was a moving act of worship on Sunday, All Saints Day. People chose to come forward to light votive candles in memory of those who have inspired and helped shape their lives. I thought of my parents, mother-in-law, grandmother, two teachers and two mentors, all of whom have tried to “tame this wild beast”…
Read MoreEpiphany
The worship season of “Epiphany” emphasizes the ways God’s being and presence are “manifest” or revealed in our lives. We think particularly of Jesus Christ himself as showing us Who God is. But there are countless other expressions of God, as well, including the Scriptures, all of creation, and evidence of the Holy Spirit’s actions…
Read MoreAnticipation and Advent
“Look ahead but don’t anticipate.” When we’re riding horses, that’s an important lesson to teach. You want the horse to look ahead for what’s coming next, but not to assume he or she knows what you’ll ask for next. One mistake a lot of riders make is practicing a succession of moves so many times…
Read MoreStewards of God’s Mysteries
Easter is the season, more than any other, when God takes our breath away with the sheer mystery of God’s overwhelming grace. In the face of Jesus’ resurrection, none of us can stand on our own two feet before God. It’s overwhelming enough to reflect on God’s self-giving love in Jesus’ life and death for…
Read MoreCovenant Sunday
Positive change can happen when we are intentional, but it is still not easy. Many people have followed the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions for the year to come. But the problem we have with resolutions is that they last only a week or two — a month or two at the longest —…
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