Should the church wage war against society in order to enforce a more pious remembrance? I think not. But perhaps a better question to ask is this: what would it look like for Christians to embrace the true meaning of Christmas?
All tagged Advent
Waiting on the Lord
Waiting is a major theme of Scripture. God is always faithful to his people… yet he often seems to keep them waiting.
Hope: It’s Been a Long Time Coming
The thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices!
What Then Should We Do?
Where does John the Baptist fit among Bing Crosby on the radio, children on a stage, and Charlie Brown memories?
A New Light Has Dawned
But into the darkness, God sends his light. It’s what he has been doing since the beginning. “Let there be light” were the first words spoken.
Reflection Roundup: Light Bringers
Squaring off against the darkness, acknowledging its created separateness from the light that is God in the lives of people, is our posture for this season.
Reflection Roundup: Behold, the Light
As the light of Christ streams in the window, lighting the room of our lives, let us notice what the light illuminates, yet not spend glorious, God-given energy attempting perfection in what is the Lord’s to complete.
An Extra Candle
Special days and seasons tend to have a polarizing effect on our emotions and spiritual lives. Do you feel this every year too?
Into the Wild: An Advent Reflection
We tend to think about wilderness as a place, but a shack is a visible reminder that wilderness is a force, always pushing back against order and security.
Messy Mangers
Waiting for a baby strengthens the hope, peace, joy, and love, crafting the manger that holds the baby. This is what Advent offers the church.
Marshmallows, Advent, and Waiting for the Best
Advent is the season of waiting, so they say. Waiting for the Messiah king to come. Waiting for God to show up.
Boxing Day Sermon
So, the question before us on Dec. 26 (or on any other day) is, “What does Immanuel (God with us) mean today?”
How Are You and Your Dreams Getting Along this Advent?
Jesus needs people who are willing to imagine a different future, and step out on faith. Jesus needs dreamers in his life. Always has.
The Way of Salvation: An Advent Reflection
Salvation is a way; along that path the very character of God is sprouting up—love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace.
Advent: A Season of Vulnerability
The season of Advent culminates in the arrival of God in the form of a very vulnerable Jesus.
The Crossroads of Life and Death
The nearness of death fills the room, yet somewhere there is the joy and promise of a new beginning.
The War on Advent
Advent is a reminder that we still wait for the Messiah. As a people who live in the “now and not yet” of the kingdom of God, we await the return of Christ.
Healing the Wounds of Political War through Advent
Many churches feel as if they have been through war. Advent offers the possibility of helping to heal the wounds of war in our midst.
"Are You the One?" An Advent Reflection on John the Baptist, Christ, and Us
There are a great many people today who are a bit confused by who God is.
What a Muslim Taught Me about Advent
Waiting in suspension, our lives hanging in the balance—isn’t this the worst feeling? So how could Advent possibly be a season worth celebrating?