The Parish

The Advent story is showing us that something beautiful can come from the unexpected, even the misunderstood.  The journey might start with hope-but it will take us through surrender before arriving at peace.

Hope isn't a way to deny our current pain by envisioning a happier future. Hope is present in the messiness of our lives, giving us the courage for the next step forward.

By the time we begin to sing Christmas songs, and by the time the tree and lights are up, by the time Mary is showing, we are already in the middle of something.  The Magi have already left Persia heading east towards yonder star.  Let's be Honest.

The Greek woman with a sick child knew that in the cultural context Jesus and his disciples came from, she was very much an outsider. But she asked, and found that the abundance of Jesus' salvation could reach even her.

Jesus' invitation is to follow not to arrive, the transformation happens on the way.

We may think we are keen to learn new things about Jesus. But when those new things conflict with firmly held views, it may be hard to absorb them.

Sometimes the miracles we consume that look like our daily bread don’t seem as big.  But they desire to nourish us best.

Herod is an archetype for materialistic political leaders but Jesus is bringing a different kind of kingdom

If people cannot see that God is with us, they aren't going to be able to see God is in us.
 

Jesus brought transformative change to the lives of those he healed. But they weren't the only ones who were impacted by the healing.

Jesus doesn't see sinners, he only sees people made in the image of God.  Week two of But not my pigs.

What if making the world as it is in heaven requires my pigs?

If perspective is motivation's silent partner, then let's change our thinking.

When our faith is defined by Who we believe rather than what we believe, we can create a community that is diverse and yet harmonious.
 

We need gestures that embody things that cannot be adequately expressed.  Baptism is a 'here, let me show you what I mean' kind of thing.  

Hannah was wounded by the words of those who stigmatized her for her childlessness. But then she met one whose words brought blessing and hope.

Spirituality is often seen for its faithfulness to a set of values and ideas behind us.   But faith is tethered by an invisible force that is guiding us forward not holding us backwards. Humanity and culture are adapting and evolving, faith by its nature is ahead of us, not behind us and change is apart of that.

David writes a song that doesn't allow the reality of God's love to diminish the reality of his present suffering... and a psalm that doesn't allow the reality of David's sin and distress to put an asterisk on God's love for him.