This is a service of scripture readings and carol singing. The lessons are drawn from the Old Testament with one or two readings from the New Testament. They reinforce the message that the Messiah is coming. The music, as well as the lessons, should reflect Advent and a note of expectation rather than Christmas and…
We are not good at waiting. In 21st Century America, we want all of it, and we want it now. And thanks to smart phones and credit cards, we have come to expect instant gratification more than ever. Some things are worth waiting for, however. The birth of our Savior is one of those things.…
Used with permission. The following was written by Amelia Cleveland-Traylor, Co-Superintendent of the Free Methodist Church River Conference, as part of the River Conference newsletter. There have been a couple of times in my life I have been in extreme darkness. In 1992, my husband and I were a part of tour group that hiked…
We are more isolated today than ever. No, I’m not referring to COVID. We were already isolated before the pandemic. It takes time and effort to resist the isolating trends in our society. Now COVID is likely to solidify habits of isolation. Resisting this trend is especially difficult for those of us who are introverts,…
Did you miss Michaelmas this year? Haven’t even heard of Michaelmas? Well, you’re not alone. It’s a Christian celebration in Britain, with quite a few non-religious traditions added over time; sort of like Christmas and Easter. To learn what you missed, go to: https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Michaelmas/
I’m going to hurt you. Not intentionally, mind you, but through my carelessness and imperfect words or actions, at some point you will likely feel hurt by me. And you will almost certainly hurt me. This is a fact of life together in a sinful world. It doesn’t matter if we are biological family, family…
Let’s be honest. We all get things wrong some times. The more firmly we believe something is true, the harder it is to let go, even if we learn it is false. We are also typically quite busy, and intellectually lazy, meaning we prefer not to spend too much mental energy evaluating ideas—we go with…
We live in a culture that says attention equals power. This power is a scarce resource for which we must compete. Welcome to the world of social media, where anyone can post content or curate a self-image for the world’s purview. It’s one thing to seek attention online, but it doesn’t stop there. Attention-getting has…
July is a time when we celebrate our freedom in America. For those of a more reflective bent, it could raise some questions, such as, Are we really free? How could we be more free? And even, What is freedom? By starting with the last question first, it will enlighten the others. Many might assume…
Christians often quote scripture to give their decisions a sort of godly approval. While there is nothing inherently wrong in this, we must be very cautious, when it is so easy to accidentally misuse Scripture. When that happens, one is misinterpreting God’s word to support what they want to do, when he or she would…