Advent Week 2: Peace December 6 Luke 3. 1-6, NRSV In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in…

Advent Week 1: Hope December 5 “All the natural movements of the soul are controlled by laws analogous to those of physical gravity. Grace is the only exception. Grace fills empty spaces, but it can only enter where there is a void to receive it, and it is grace itself which makes this void. The imagination is continually at work filling up all the fissures through which grace might pass.” ― Simone Weil, Gravity and Grace Luke 4:17-19, NRSV 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:  18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me…

Advent Week 1: Hope December 4 Luke 6. 20-21, NRSV Then he looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. ‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Having lived on four continents I have witnessed poverty and hunger in a variety of settings.  During our years in Hungary I would make monthly visits to a village far from Budapest where our good friends Tibi and Natasha lived.  These two Roma believers opened their modest home for a house church and welcomed overnight guests who…

Advent Week 1: Hope December 3 Luke 1:46-55, CEB Mary said, “With all my heart I glorify the Lord!     In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.    Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored         because the mighty one has done great things for me. Holy is his name.       He shows mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors him as God.  He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.       He has pulled the powerful…

Advent Week 1: Hope December 2 Luke 12.13-21, NRSV Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this:…

Advent Week 1: Hope December 1 Romans 12.1-2, NRSV I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. Discerning God’s Will When I read these two brief verses, jam-packed with ideas, I have the suspicion that first-century-first-generation Christians were asking questions that still haunt 21st century followers of the Jesus Way: “Where will following Jesus…

Advent Week 1: Hope November 30 Luke 12. 32-33 ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. The first thing I thought of when I read the end of this passage was Firefly. The Sci-Fi/Western show became a cult classic in the early 2000s, and follows the crew of the spaceship named Firefly on their adventures as outlaws with hearts of (mostly) gold. A refrain in the show’s theme song boldly…

Advent Week 1: Hope November 29 Philippians 2. 4-8 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God,    did not regard equality with God    as something to be exploited, but emptied himself,    taking the form of a slave,    being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,    he humbled himself    and became obedient to the point of death—    even death on a cross. There is an old teaching about a scholar who studied…