I led morning prayer again this week and gave the following reflection on the Sunday readings. The texts for today are Isaiah 9:1-7, Psalm 36:5-10, Romans 15:8-13, and Matthew 4:12-17. In the first lesson today, we read: But there will be no more gloom for the land that was in anguish! In the past, God humbled the land of Zebulun, the land of Naphtali, but in the future, God will bring glory to this Road to the Sea, this Land Beyond the Jordan, this Galilee of the Nations. The people walking in darkness are seeing a brilliant light—upon those who dwell...
Welcome to Advent 2–the second Sunday of Advent. The bible texts for this week are all about bringing life to barrenness. In the Beginning The gospel of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus, and the gospel of John begins with the image of Jesus as The Word. But the gospel text this second Sunday of Advent is taken from the beginning of the gospel of Luke, which is the only gospel that records the story about Elizabeth and Zechariah. From the very beginning, Luke points us back to the older and larger story of faith and covenant between God...
When I volunteered to lead morning prayer last Sunday, I had no idea that the subject of the readings would be the apocalypse. The Old Testament reading was from Daniel, chapter 12: ”At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some...
Last updated: December 21, 2025 The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “arrival” and is also related to the words ad venire, that translate as “to come.” Since Advent has a number of moving parts, it is good for us, as pilgrims, to ask each year, “How do we Advent?” One answer of “how” relates to our journey in this season of waiting, where paradoxically we move and grow, but at the same time are called to sit waiting in stillness. Every year, we re-read the ancient prophesies, celebrate the joy of now, and look forward...
The story of Hannah in the Old Testament can be found in the the first book of Samuel. It is about the vow that she made to Yahweh and her subsequent song/prayer of thanksgiving. It is also about a larger narrative, where she becomes part of God’s greater plan of salvation. In this account of Hannah, we also see the classic biblical movement from barrenness to abundant life, from death to resurrection. At the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Hannah and her husband Elkanah. Similar to other Old Testament women like Sarah, Rachel, and Rebecca, Hannah was...
In January 2006, I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Egypt on vacation. As part of the trip, our transportation included a bus trip across the desert and – in case you are wondering what the desert of the Exodus looks like – well this is it. It is austere, but still exhibits its own kind of desert beauty. We also visited St. Catherine’s Monastery, which is considered the historic site of the burning bush at the foot of Mt. Sinai. In addition to a photo of St. Catherine’s, here is a closeup of a bush that...
