Dear Joyful, A monk found a precious stone, a precious jewel. A short time later the monk met a traveler, who said he was hungry and asked the monk if he would share some of his provisions. When the monk opened his bag, the traveler saw the precious stone and, on an impulse, he asked…

As we age, our perceptions and expectations of Christmas — at least the secular Christmas — change. We remember the Christmases of our childhoods, and I attempted to make Christmas magic happen for my children, and that was fun. Then I went through my period of just tolerating Christmas as something we have to do.…

The 2nd Sunday of Advent had us considering opposite messages like we are each saint + sinner. We lit the 2nd candle on the Advent wreath, the candle for Love. If you missed worshipping with us, you can watch here. We take the message with us into our week. Does the Bible seem to give…

It’s hard to feel Advent-y here in Colorado this year. It’s warm and sunny. Yes, the dark comes early, but the days are so bea-u-ti-ful! Advent is a time to engage the darkness to prepare for the light. To get ready for Christmas. It’s a season. But perhaps the usual four-week season of Advent has…

“Now to him who is able to do more, than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever Amen!”  Ephesians 3:20-21 Paul calls us to this incredible mystery of life lived in faith,…

Dear Advent People, The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, after noting how many people in the 19th Century had invented all sorts of labor-saving devices, making human life easier in the developing countries, said that he would dedicate himself to a life of making people’s lives more difficult—he would be become a preacher! Sometimes I think Kierkegaard…

For those of us who have what is called a “Personal Relationship” with Jesus, that relationship for us is very personal, as it should be. We have shared some of our most significant struggles, our most intimate thoughts, our greatest fears and the moments of our boundless joy with Jesus. The quickest way to alienate someone…

It’s the beginning of a new church year, it’s the season of Advent: the four weeks before Christmas. We lit the 1st candle on the Advent wreath, the candle of hope. Pastor Dave taught on Jeremiah 33:14-16: “Better days are coming.” Waiting is hard but we have hope that God is out preparing the way…

Today is known as Black Friday. We all have images of shoppers fighting, people lining up at 5 am and general craziness. One day we’re celebrating Thanksgiving and being grateful for all we have and the next we’re focused solely on buying stuff. We forget these words of Paul: God loves you and has chosen…

Lord God, we gather around this table to humbly thank You for all that You have given us this past year – not just what is on this table, but who is sitting around this table. Thank you for life and laughter, for health and happiness, for relationships and memories. Thank you, too, for the…