Third Sunday of Advent 12/13/15 By Melody Kroeger Last week while trimming the rose bushes, in between rain squalls, my thoughts wandered to Christmas. More to the point, I thought about why the time leading up to Christmas is difficult transition for so many people. (It is a tough time of year for me, too.) Christmas is a time of great anticipation and expectation but also of unfulfilled promises. It is, for many reasons, a season of contradictions. Working in the garden between rain drops … [Read more...]
Which Star?
2 Advent C—12/6/15 Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6 Pr. Scott Kramer (Star Wars theme music) A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John…son of … [Read more...]
Hail Mary Full of Grace
Advent, Week 4 Luke 1:26-38 By Melody Kroeger In the late 15th century, the gifted Italian Renaissance master Sandro Bottecelli, commissioned by the Church, painted the Annunciation scene. His painting, hanging in the main gallery in the Uffizi in Florence, is so powerful and beautiful that, 600 years later, people still travel across the world to see it. Bottecelli’s painting is unique because it captures, at least for me, that moment of hesitation - between Gabriel’s announcement and Mary’s … [Read more...]
The Seasons of Poverty
Advent tries to tell the truth about the need of the world. As the world grows darker--at least in the northern hemisphere--the readings and the hymnody of the Christian assembly, its simplicity, and the slowly growing light of its wreath of candles all speak of waiting and hoping. The point is not a pretended waiting, as if Jesus were not yet born and we were waiting for his coming. That use of Advent inevitably short-circuits its elemental power. Rather, Advent helps the church tell the … [Read more...]
Ready?
Mark 13:24-37 by Melody Kroeger Well, are you ready? Not for the bell ringing, or the frenzy at the mall, not for decking the halls, or bowl games or the annual visit to Santa. Are you ready for Advent? Advent, that season that kicks off every liturgical church year by setting a tone of preparation and attentive waiting. The common thread linking today’s readings is waiting for God’s return. All 3 readings speak of people in the midst of suffering – waiting to be brought from darkness … [Read more...]
Unexpected Angels
My wife and I are among the millions of people around the world addicted to Downton Abbey. In case you haven’t heard, this is the hit PBS series about a wealthy English family and their servants who are trying to cope with a rapidly-changing world. The story begins just before WWI and continues into the 1920s. We’ve wondered why we like the show so much. Is it the acting? The directing? The music? Yes! Most of all, it’s about the story. Here is a family that has immense wealth and privilege. … [Read more...]
Hope in Prison
We’ve heard much about Nelson Mandela over the past week. One of the quotes that has stayed with me was part of a letter he wrote from prison to his wife Winnie in 1975. Personally, I think of prisons as places of despair and yet Mandela writes, You may find that the cell is an ideal place to learn to know yourself, to search realistically and regularly the process of your own mind and feelings. Prisons and prisoners have been on my mind lately. I went to a benefit concert by Brandi Carlile … [Read more...]
Hope and Reconciliation
If you’re a sports fan this has been an amazing week! The Huskies, the Mariners and the Seahawks all had something big to celebrate. And in the midst of all this, former South African President Nelson Mandela died. We might wonder what Nelson Mandela has to do with celebration in the world of sports, but Mandela accomplished for the world of sport something that will never be matched by the Seahawks, the Mariners or the Huskies! In 1995, South Africa won the World Cup of Rugby. Nelson … [Read more...]
Which Light?
This past week I’ve been waking up early. Part of it might be a little bit of jet lag after returning from China. But I think it’s something else, too. I’ve been excited these past weeks about the appearance of Comet ISON. Did you hear about this comet? It was supposed to put on quite a display in December but it got too close to the sun. Waking up early, I’ve gone outside to look for the comet and have been amazed by what clear skies we had in November! But even on those clear early mornings … [Read more...]
Mary’s Song
What better news could we hear than the Word of God that comes to us today! Mary was as young as thirteen, as old as fifteen, when she learned that she was to be the mother of Jesus. Her response was fear and confusion, so she ran as fast as she could to the only person who could possibly understand her situation: her cousin Elizabeth, who was also expecting a miraculous baby. And there, her fear and confusion give way to singing, which is our gospel reading for today. Mary wasn’t the … [Read more...]