Christmas

  • Darkness does not win

     4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5, NIV) I have this text in mind as I read through the life of Bonhoeffer. Currently, I am searching out the opinions of those scholars who believed Bonhoeffer was only “assassin-adjacent,” so… Read more

  • Peter Wehner’s piece for Christmas is beautiful. Jesus came through a family full of brokenness and dysfunction. That is significant for each of us and will hopefully move us past the perfect postcard pictures we’re flooded with in this season. Read more

  • You can find daily readings for this season HERE. Read more

  • The hope of the world

    Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with and… Read more

  • Christmas and the gospel

    On Christmas Eve we sang “Once in Royal David’s City.” Our music director, Wendell Kimbrough, has an amazing ability, as a psalmist, musician, and composer, to put together a rendition that is beautiful to sing. I couldn’t find anything like it on the internet, so chose the King’s College Choir rendition. It’s very formal, but… Read more

  • Christmas. The celebration of the birth of our Savior. What I take comfort most in the story of Christmas is the chaos. Read more

  • Holy isn’t comfort

    We come to the place of Christmas. We sing with gentleness, “O Holy Night.” Holy is not comfortable. It is not even predictable. We want a sweet song to sweep away our problems and lavish us in comfort. But what is holy does not avoid pain or difficulty. Holy makes way for the good, but… Read more

  • Feast of Holy Innocents

    We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives… Read more

  • Christmas prayer

    O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the True Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. Read more

  • God with us

    Some thoughts from last Sunday’s sermon from Taylor Ishii, our church’s youth pastor. “God will stop at nothing to be with us.” Also, a quote (in my paraphrase) he gave from Stan Hauerwas: “What shouldn’t stun us is that Mary is a virgin but that God won’t abandon us.” May we be reminded of the… Read more