DEVOTIONAL:

One of my favorite television shows is the BBC’s The Vicar of Dibley, which follows the life and adventures of the first female priest in a fictional little village in England. In one of the show’s Christmas specials, the parish hosts a carol-writing competition with the winning new carol to be sung at the Christmas Eve service.
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DEVOTIONAL:

The glory and brilliance of the night sky is a great comfort. I am always thrilled to walk under a dark clear night sky and observe the grandeur of the universe on display. The familiar constellations and the band of our galaxy – the Milky Way – inspire awe and acknowledgement of our place in the universe. I am at peace – surrounded by the God who created the cosmos as an expression of love. (more…)

DEVOTIONAL:

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DEVOTIONAL:

Praise the LORD. Psalm 148 calls us to join together in praising God. No matter who we are or where we’re from, we are called to come together. In the Christmas season especially, we need to remember to put aside our differences and celebrate the love God freely gives that unites us. (more…)

DEVOTIONAL:

This past summer, I trained for and ran my very first marathon. I can still recall one particular training run that happened to be especially torturous. I was running after church on a sweltering August afternoon, and had completed about one quarter of my 17-mile run when a sharp pain began to shoot through my right hip. Determined to press on, I continued to run in a state of hot, painful misery. (more…)

DEVOTIONAL:

It’s finally here! Christmas is this week!

Or, perhaps: It’s already here? Christmas is this week?

Amid the bustle and busyness, the 20s of December have arrived. As I think about the year coming to a close, I wonder how it can seem like whole weeks have evaporated from my packed schedule of work, church and other responsibilities. (more…)

DEVOTIONAL:

Like a lot of angels in the Bible, after calling Joseph by name, the angel in today’s passage starts with “don’t be afraid.” Once years ago when my kids and I were reading their Children’s Bible before bed, one of them asked “why would I be afraid of an angel – aren’t they supposed to be nice?” He had me there … and I was uncharacteristically at a loss for words. We talked about the big voices they have, the situations in which they appear and the idea that if you were not expecting it, it might be pretty scary to see even a sliver of God’s power up close and unfiltered – especially if God was not too happy with you. Then one of them asked, “So Jesus and the angels tell us that God doesn’t want us to be afraid – is that all?” I told them, “Well, that’s not all, but ‘be not afraid’ is a good place to start.” (more…)

DEVOTIONAL:

Have you ever felt called to do something? As a college senior, I have spent four years thinking that I couldn’t wait to be a music teacher. But recently I have felt myself called to do something completely different, to go overseas and involve myself in mission work. I must note that this isn’t something that I have ever imagined myself doing until now and I can’t say that I am ready to leave the minute I graduate. (more…)

DEVOTIONAL:

Every year I get myself pumped up for the winter season. Then it gets here and I immediately remember that I actually do not like the winter because it is just too cold and wet. I then become annoyed and upset, and every breath of wind and every snowflake I scowl at. (more…)

DEVOTIONAL:

We’ve all heard that we shouldn’t put God to the test, and yet, in this passage, God invites Ahaz to do just that. He tells Ahaz to ask for a sign, be it in the Heavens or on the Earth, but Ahaz declines. My first thought was, “Wow, what great faith!” But I wonder if maybe Ahaz was simply afraid that God would prove himself. (more…)