foreside

Scripture: Isaiah 12:2-6 As we prepare for our children to bring us the Christmas story again on Pageant Sunday, we listen to the prophet Isaiah, who might be telling us that joy is not just a feeling… but a gift and resource of God that might sustain us in dry times. Like the hay of … Read more

The priest Zechariah tells of the ministry that his son, John the Baptist will live into. John’s practice and ministry of baptism, forgiveness, and calling to new life will be a framework for peace for many, and will prepare the way for Jesus. What are those spiritual practices we might explore in Advent that can—like … Read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:10-16 As Advent begins, we reflect together on the manger, that unlikely place Jesus was born… and wonder how we may welcome the Christ to be born in us. Today, we begin with the stable the manger rests in: a place of shelter in a world of too many storms. How can we … Read more

The prophet Joel speaks to a people whose relationship with God—and with creation—has broken down, and dreams of the days when all will be restored. How have we fallen away from “living peaceably with the earth” in the past? How can our gratitude for all the gifts of creation shape our life and connection within … Read more

Jesus tells his disciples of troubling times to come, and what may feel like destruction and desolation in those times. But he also tells them this is just the beginning, and that God will find new life in the world. We live in a time in which patterns of community, history, and institutions are being … Read more