December 24/Fourth Sunday of Advent I have been with you wherever you went. ~ 2 Sam 7.9 Some people have a knack for picking out wonderful gifts — the book that delights, the scarf that adorns, the kitchen gadget that transforms. Others of us worry, as we put the last presents under the tree, whether we have chosen well. Will…
Category: Keeping Advent
Keeping Advent 21: MYOB
December 23/Third Saturday of Advent So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. ~ Luke 1.51 For the past few years, I have carried around in my wallet a nugget of wisdom from the great contemporary Presbyterian minister and author, Frederick Buechner, reminding me that I should mind my own business when it comes…
Keeping Advent 20: Devil’s Food
December 22/Third Friday of Advent He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ~ Luke 1.51 PEWSAGL: the mnemonic I created for the Seven Deadly Sins (Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony, Lust, since you asked) still occupies space in my brain from my high school study of Chaucer (and yes, it is fair to ask what…
Keeping Advent 19: Why Me?
December 21/Third Thursday of Advent Elizabeth . . . said, “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” ~ Luke 1.42 If there are any fashionable virtues these days — and sometimes it seems that the very concept of virtue is obsolete — we can be sure that humility is not among…
Keeping Advent 18: Ordinary People
December 20/Third Wednesday of Advent Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” ~ Luke 1.38 The culture in which we live and breathe seems to idolize the extreme and the extraordinary. Leading an ordinary life is not enough: we have to be the best, the richest, the…
Keeping Advent 17: The Waiting Game
December 19/Third Tuesday of Advent But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard.” ~ Luke 1.13 In the course of raising four children, I spent plenty of time waiting. Not only waiting out the nine months of each pregnancy, but waiting in carpool lines, waiting for toddlers to fall asleep and…
Keeping Advent 16: Exit Strategy
December 18/Third Monday of Advent When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. ~ Matt. 1.24 Joseph wanted out. His plans to marry a young village woman were upended when he learned of her unexpected – and inexplicable – pregnancy. Being a righteous man (obedient to Jewish…
Keeping Advent 15: Preaching From the Choir
December 17/Third Sunday of Advent He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. ~ John 1.8 Having been a second soprano or an alto in every choral group I’ve ever sung in, I have a keen appreciation for what it means to play a supporting role. Rarely do altos get the show-stopping numbers; their job is…
Keeping Advent 14: Vineyard Vines
December 16/Second Saturday of Advent Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see;Take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted. ~ Psalm 80.15-16 Each spring I enthusiastically launch my annual tomato experiment, trying different breeds and planting strategies to see what will generate the most positive return. Trouble is, as veteran…
Keeping Advent 13: Just Say Yes
December 15/Second Friday of Advent Jesus said to the crowd: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,…