Twelve days ago, we celebrated the birth of Jesus. The announcement of “good news of great joy for all the people” comes with a visible “sign.” In the case of the birth narrative in Luke 2, we see “a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” We celebrate this moment as … More Eyes to See: The “Already” and “Not Yet” of Shalom
On our journey through this season of longing for the coming Deliverer, we: cry out, giving voice to the suffering experienced under injustice; lift up those groans to the God who promises to be-there, demanding liberation; dare to celebrate the moments of light and life breaking through the darkness. In these last days of Advent, … More Wholehearted Advent: The Way of Peace
“Celebration is your spiritual discipline,” she said. “You are naturally drawn to prophetic literature, to lament; your eyes are open to suffering and injustice. So, you need to cultivate a spiritual practice of seeing the ‘already,’ the ‘first fruits’ – being present to and celebrating goodness in the now will be a discipline for you.” … More Wholehearted Advent: Practicing Joy
Rather than jump ahead to Christmas celebrations, Advent slows us down. However, we short circuit the potential impact of this season if we treat it merely as a kind of delayed gratification technique for enhancing our consumeristic pleasure. Advent is not about increasing the satisfaction of Christmas festivities by counting down with excited delight. Last … More Wholehearted Advent: Groaning & Trust
Advent is the season of the Christian liturgical year that plunges us into expectation and longing for a Messiah – both remembering the coming of Jesus celebrated at Christmas and looking forward to the promised second coming at the end of the age. In remembering and looking forward, we journey through this dark time (often … More Wholehearted Advent: Groaning & Hope
Everywhere I look I see sharp lines being drawn around “us” and “them.” With all the insecurity and suffering brought on by a global pandemic, ever more polarized politics, gun violence and police brutality, the climate crisis – the list goes on, people are increasingly disconnected, anxious and afraid. We’re struggling to bring order to … More Let’s Get Biblical – Toward an Inclusive Interpretation
Michelle F. Morrow 