On this holy night God stepped out of heaven to become a child, to dwell with us, to enjoin the cosmic battle that would defeat the powers of darkness and death, and to remove the burden of our sin. This momentous night is not just for sentimental...

The clock continues to tick down… As we press on with our Advent preparations, we hear again the song of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Upon hearing the wondrous words of the angel Gabriel, moved by the Spirit and remembering the words of Hannah, she...

It must have been quite a surprise that night in the hill country of Judea, as the shepherds were sleepily attending to their flocks, which the dark sky was suddenly torn apart by a bright light and an angel army appeared, singing. But even more...

On this third Sunday of Advent, as we light the candle of joy, we celebrate with the long-cherished tradition of combining Biblical readings and songs of the season. Led in worship by our many parish musicians, we once again read and sing about God’s...

Mary is a young woman (probably in her teens) living in the rather obscure town of Nazareth, about forty miles north of Jerusalem. She is betrothed to Joseph, an older man. One day the angel Gabriel appears with startling news: “You will conceive in...

“Prepare the way of the Lord! Make his pathway straight!” In the ancient Near East and the Roman Empire, highways were constructed by conquering monarchs to facilitate the movement of troops and for celebratory parades. Even in a wilderness paths...

Months before the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she would conceive and bear a son, Jesus, he appeared to an elderly temple priest and his wife—Zechariah and Elizabeth—and told them similar news. For his scoffing, Zechariah is struck...

Advent is about “the coming days.” God’s people have always lived in great anticipation, but that anticipation finds specific, repeated expression in the readings appointed for these four weeks. With the whole Church we eagerly await the coming days...

By virtue of our baptism into his name, our Lord Jesus Christ rules in our hearts and in our lives. Today he again welcomes us and invites us to worship him—King of all creation, Lord of the Church, Alpha and Omega….God for all eternity.

The final weeks of November bring us to the end of the church year and the beginning of Advent. Scripture readings anticipate the end of time and the final resurrection. We are reminded that Jesus leads us to our heavenly home, making a way for us...