Note: this article was originally written several years ago, before the pandemic and social distancing became necessities. While Christmas may feel very different this year for many of us, one thing that hasn’t changed is the invitation to slow down and experience Christ as Immanuel, God With Us. We might just need that now more […]
Everything is shimmering, red and gold. Stores are brimming with baubles that sing of the season, and it’s easy to get caught up in them. Still, the craving for new and pretty makes my heart feel weary and hollow. Is this the source of the Christmas magic? Is this the holiday I want? I want […]
It’s okay if you hate the holidays. I won’t tell you otherwise. It’s okay if you’re dreading time with family because of deep wounds or toxic relationships. It’s okay if you can’t bear the thought of not seeing the loved one you lost so recently. Or if your heart breaks as you realize another year […]
Today, we remember the day that God put on skin. It’s in every corner of the story, the crimson thread that runs with astonishing consistency. He’s coming for the broken, the shamed, the burdened, the unknown. Reading: John 1:1-18, 1:29 Song: Behold the Lamb of God and The Theme of My Song by Andrew Peterson […]
Unreliable. Liars. Thieves. Unclean. The words echo, but not across the dark field. The words are inside, and the shepherds can’t escape. They’re caked with the grime of their work and a stigma that’s never quite washed away. /// Reading: Luke 2:8-20 and 4:18-19 Song: While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Andrew Peterson* /// […]
Long months have passed. The wait is almost over. She’s kept Elizabeth’s words tucked in her heart, pulling them out when she needed them: “You are blessed, blessed for believing the Lord would fulfill His promises to you.” Reading: Luke 2:1-7, Matthew 11:28-30 Song: Labor of Love by Andrew Peterson /// Mary never imagined the […]
The promises have been spoken. There’s a child coming, and something great beyond understanding is underway. Reading: Today, there is no reading.We’re in between the announcements and the fulfillment. We’re sitting in the tension, so let’s take a moment to reflect. Whatever connected with your heart, take some time to remember God is with you […]
He remembered standing under the canopy with his bride. His heart swelled as he passed the cup of covenant for her to drink, showing her commitment to join their lives. From that day on, they were husband and wife. Then Joseph went to prepare a place for her. /// Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 Song: It Came […]
The coming began with a miracle. And it began with erasing shame. Before Mary and Joseph encountered angels, before the birth in Bethlehem, there was another birth. Zechariah and Elizabeth had done everything right:they were faithful, upstanding, close to God. Zechariah was a priest who stood blameless before the Lord – not perfect, but repentant […]
Reading: Hosea 2:8 & 11:1-8* Song: So Long, Moses by Andrew Peterson* The first promise was in Genesis, hot on the heels of the first betrayal: a woman’s seed and a bruised heel, but the serpent would be crushed. The lying mouth would one day be silenced. They come again throughout the years, these promises […]
