Tonight is a holy and mysterious night. There is hushed excitement as we gather to worship – presents under a tree, presence in a manger. For unto us a child…

Imagine the leap of faith it took for both Joseph and Mary to comprehend what God was doing. “Greetings, O favored one!” the angel tells Mary. “Don’t be afraid to…

God’s kingdom is like a desert in bloom—what is dry and barren blossoms and bears fruit. Jesus announces to a dubious John in prison that healing and wholeness are the…

Isaiah promises that a righteous branch shall grow out of the shoot of Jesse—a branch bringing justice and peace to all creation. In Advent, we prepare to receive this branch…

This is the time of year when our schedules and life are filled with chaos, frenzy, and doubt. Today’s lessons seem to recognize this reality as a starting point. For…

Jesus, on the cross, is our judgment. Here—vividly, dramatically before us—is the horrible result of human sin. Here is the end of all our noble motives and high-minded sentiments: the…

A new heaven and a new earth…wars and persecutions—those things don’t seem to go together. But they do. Our seemingly contradictory lessons speak of endings and beginnings—times of trial, times…

Is there a future beyond this week’s election? Today’s lessons answer with a resounding, “Yes!” Haggai comforts those who remembered Solomon’s temple in its heyday, saying that the new temple…

Waiting and watching is central to the spiritual life. In the face of injustice and abuse by the powerful, Habakkuk declares that he will watch and wait until God answers…

God enters our struggles and brings rejoicing. Joel promises the Israelites, suffering years of drought, they will receive life-giving rain…and new life in the form of prophecy, dreams, and visions…