May our Advent journey together this season and our life together as a church equip us to act towards others with hope and in the spirit of joy, peace and love. May we trust and find comfort that God is with us on this journey and in this difficult season. May we gather in hope, knowing that pain and suffering and fear are not the end of the story. Though the way is rough, God is close and our home in God is real.
Read MoreThroughout the past several weeks, posts about Advent and Christmas planning have begun to appear on social media forums for worship leaders. Like conversations about Holy Week and Easter during the pandemic’s onset, these prompts and discussions ask important questions like: What will these seasons look or sound like this year? Chad Fothergill, author of Sing with All the People of God: A Handbook for Church Musicians, discusses.
Read MoreThis evening the family and I sat down for our annual viewing of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Charlie Brown picks out the weak, skimpy, no-frills tree after being inspired by Linus’ explanation of the Christmas. We are the ones who look for the Charlie Brown Trees in life and respond with love because we see our God in a similar place on the cross. Charlie Brown’s love of the tree is reflective of the love we share to an otherwise rejected and forgotten part of the world.
Read More