Lord, teach me. . . .

Not all is doom and gloom. We are beginning to understand the natural world and are gaining a reverence for life—all life. –Roger Tory Peterson On Bended Knee They came to Bethlehem, on foot, by donkey or camel. Shepherds and angels, Wise Men from distant lands received the Good News of a Savior’s birth—and they came. They brought gifts, as they were able: a lamb, a song, gold, frankincense, myrrh. And in the presence of the Holy Child of God, they bowed down in reverence and awe. Can you see it? Something else happened on the first Christmas long ago, something that’s nearly gotten lost in the hustle and bustle of preparing our homes for the holidays. All who came to worship the Christ Child, shepherds and kings alike, received a gift greater than any they gave. They received the gift of the Messiah, the Chosen One, whose arrival marked the beginning of the restoration of all Creation. And each one of us has been re-gifted this very same gift: the gift and blessin...

A true friend encourages us, comforts us, supports us like a big easy chair, offering us a safe refuge from the world.—H. Jackson Brown, Jr. We are almost there. We have paused to remember the promise of the Prophet Isaiah (64:1-9) as we lit the Candle of Hope. We conjured up images of a wild man clothed in camel’s hair (Mark 1:1-8), and lit the Candle of Love. Last Sunday, we heard about John’s call from God (John 1:19-28), reflected, perhaps, on where God is working in our lives, as we lit the Angel’s Candle, the pink Candle of Joy. Finally, this week we light the Candle of Peace. The waiting is almost over, the journey nearly complete. Peace. It’s an elusive thing, isn’t it? We know, far too well, it seems, how to wage war, but we can’t seem to figure out how to “wage peace.” Maybe that’s what this season of waiting is for: to give us good reason to slow down and remember. Remember shepherds, lowly and uneducated—yet these are the ones with whom the angel first share...

A wise man can learn more from a foolish question  than a fool can learn from a wise answer.  –Bruce Lee Advent Three. The week we light the candle that doesn’t match, the Candle of Joy, or the Angel’s Candle. The pink candle reminds us of when God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary—with news that rocked her world, and continues to rock our world today. The way Luke shares the story (1:26-38) is pretty “bare bones,” leaving plenty of room for imagination—and speculation. Was Mary excited and eager, or fearful? (What about Joseph?) Did they tell anyone else? What did the angel look like? Does it matter to my faith whether Mary was a virgin? (The words in the original languages simply mean “young girl.”) This time of year, it can be tempting to stop asking questions and simply lie back and bask in the “Christmas card” imagery of starlight, snowflakes and quiet peace. But it’s important to remember that God came as a vulnerable, human baby into a world filled with vi...

As we give presents at Christmas, we need to recognize that sharing our time and ourselves is such an important part of giving. –Gordon B. Hinckley This week, we lit the second candle in the Advent wreath, the Candle of Love. It’s only fitting; each week draws us closer into God’s loving presence, and each week’s message brings us to a new Kingdom task. Last week, we were reminded that we are called to live as a people of hope . This week, it’s all about the two most important commandments: love God, love one another. There are two other parts to those commandments that you may not have thought about. First, in loving God, let God love you . Of course, we have been taught since we were little, that God loves us. But have you let this message really sink in? In your heart of hearts, when you’ve had a lousy day and are feeling particularly unlovable, do you know and trust and believe that even then, God loves you? It’s true. The second part is this: Before you can lov...

There are two ways of spreading the light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. –Edith Wharton Advent is upon us. This week, we lit the first candle in the wreath, the candle of Hope. Now we begin four Sundays of waiting, watching, listening—remembering when Love first came down at Christmas. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to perceive even a glimmer of light in the midst of a cold, dark winter, and even harder to believe my little light can make any difference at all in the world. Every headline, every story on the evening news reminds us how far the world has wandered from the loving good news of the gospel. Even on days when my light burns brightly, it barely lights my corner of the city. In the face of expansive evil in the world and problems faced by people across the globe, it’s tremendously important to remember: I cannot do everything, but I can do one thing. I can buy one book to donate to our local schoolchildren.  I can fill one bag of gr...