What is the most precious thing in your life? The Magi, who represent the nations of the world being drawn to the King of Kings, bring precious gifts to the Christ child. These precious gifts represent their acknowledgment of His royalty, His divinity, and the anticipation of His sacrificial death. The Magi recognized the appearance of God's glory, and responded by bringing their most precious gifts.

Have you said "yes" to the invitation to play your part in God's story? As we prepare for Christ's return, this week's readings invite us to reflect on whether we have our proverbial "house in order". Do we live ruled by the tenderness of Christ? Have we allowed the atoning sacrifice of Christ to quiet and bring peace to our conscience? Are we filled with joy that comes from knowing our purpose in God's story of salvation?

Have you said "yes" to the invitation to play your part in God's story? As we prepare for Christ's return, this week's readings invite us to reflect on whether we have our proverbial "house in order". Do we live ruled by the tenderness of Christ? Have we allowed the atoning sacrifice of Christ to quiet and bring peace to our conscience? Are we filled with joy that comes from knowing our purpose in God's story of salvation?

Paul encourages us to rejoice as we look to the Second Advent of Christ with three reminders: 1) We can have joy now as though it is finished. 2) We can also live in the gentleness of Christ, so that his life becomes attractive to those who have known only bitterness and anger. 3) We can have peace, knowing that our God holds us with strong and mighty arms.

Advent is a time where we prepare for Jesus to be born anew into the "nitty gritty" details of our lived experience. Luke grounds the advent narrative in a particular historical context- a real time and a real place- because Jesus is coming in reality.

The once and future King declares what no other king can declare: "Innocent." Heaven and earth will pass away but his verdicts will not.

"Nobody can tell me what to do!" This sentiment may be the greatest challenge facing First World Believers today. All the benefits of our social and political liberties often lead us to forget that the freedom we have in Christ is the freedom to serve. We need the constant reminder that Christ is King, and we are not. Yet, we are also called to live as free people, children of the King.

What if we don't have to live in fear of tomorrow? When it feels like the world is falling apart, it really matters who you are following. Jesus invites us to follow Him through the chaos of this world as He brings us to New Life.

We need crash helmets for worship on All Saints Day: 1) because of mind-blowing truths (Jesus weeps, he ascends as King of glory, and he will set a table for us at the end of time when he makes all things new); and 2) because the saints who have gone before us are still a part of us, and are cheering us on!

Humans have historically tried to connect with the divine by offering sacrificial gifts. These offerings ultimately cannot perfect the conscience of the worshipper. Jesus, however, was designed to do what human sacrificial systems cannot. Christ offers a better sacrifice, one both human and divine.