Take Your Rest, Ms. Chris

Yesterday in the early morning, a well-loved parishioner at my congregation passed away, a lady who I also grew to admire over the years. Events such as this are hard to swallow, especially as we celebrate Christmas, but I believe whole heartedly that God is fully at work in what is happening. Thus, we turn to scripture:

At the Christmas Eve service last night, the congregation heard the most beautiful story ever told. Mary and Joseph ventured the journey to Bethlehem, only to find every inn full and a stable as their one option. The Christ child was born, and the faithful of every kind came to adore him: cattle, sheep, shepherds, and angels. "Glory to God in the highest heaven" the angles sang! The entrance of God into the world was astounding, mysterious, and all together magical. However, when you really look at what happened, a mother gave birth to a child, and she held him, and kissed him, and rocked him.

God is Broader than the Measure of Our Mind

I'm often guilty of looking at some of the most faithful people in my community, figuring out why they are so faithful and so Godly, and then how I could maybe be a little deeper in my faith by being like them. While this may not be the best approach sometimes, we all do it. It is a positive part, however, of being in community.

A quality that keeps coming up when I look at these spiritual superstars is their "translucency." This is to say that sometimes, it's like your looking at God, not a person. What makes someone translucent? And if someone can be translucent, can something be translucent?

Gaudete Sunday Reflections

This past Sunday was Gaudete Sunday, which is the meaning behind the pink candle on the Advent wreath. For the past two weeks, we have been focused on waiting for our long-expectant Messiah. We don't know what he looks like, we don't know where he will be, and we don't know what it all means, but we know he's coming.