After Elizabeth gives birth, her neighbors and family celebrate with her. When it comes time to name the child,

Zechariah affirms the name given by the angel and by Elizabeth. In that moment of affirming the promise,

Zechariah’s speech is restored. Everyone is filled with awe. How often do you allow yourself to be amazed? Wonder

is all around us—can we recognize it? As we learn how to rejoice in a weary world, can we live in a way that allows

amazement and wonder to surprise us often? In Psalm 126, those who expect to reap tears are granted a surprise:

shouts of joy. Amazement is a balm for the weary.

Advent 2: In community, our joy expands. When we can’t rejoice, we can carry each other’s joy. That is what Elizabeth and

Mary do for each other. The good news begins to take shape in Elizabeth’s womb, but scripture tells us that she

stays secluded, hiding her pregnancy from others—that is, until Mary arrives at her door, also pregnant. Perhaps

Mary’s arrival is the inbreaking that changes everything for Elizabeth, for in that moment, her child leaps in her

womb and she is filled with the Spirit. She can’t help but to rejoice. Her joy is contagious and wraps around Mary

like a hug.

As Advent begins, we start by acknowledging the weariness, grief, rage, and hopelessness we carry—and we also

affirm that we are made for joy. Joy is designed to live in a full house of other emotions. We start the season with

Zechariah and Elizabeth; they have battled infertility and have lived many years steadfast in their faith. Perhaps

they feel the weight of hopes and dreams unattained. The angel comes to Zechariah with a promise of good news,

but Zechariah can’t fully receive it, and he is cast into silence for the duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Sometimes

weariness can harden us and prevent us from living fully. We’ve had hard journeys. Grief has left a scar on us. This

is how we show up to Advent. Let us acknowledge the ways we, too, are hardened by disbelief. Like the psalmist, let

us ask, “how long?” and plead for restoration.

A Sanctified Art LLC/sanctifiedart.org. 

The poor were not invisible in the villages of Jesus’ day — as they too often are for too many of us because of where we live. Our idea of mission often involves financial contributions from afar. But in the communities of ancient Judea and Galilee, the rich and the poor knew each other. Jesus seems more interested in a personalresponse to the needs around us.

Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 5:1-12

Director/actor Woody Allen is known for a lot of quotes. But maybe his most famous quote is this one. Anyone want to guess what it is? “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.” Jesus tells a parable about a wedding banquet. But one guy just shows up and then gets tossed out? Why?

They lure you in with low rent only to insist you live in dangerously low standards. They're not landlords, they're slumlords, and New York City has a website to crack down on the worst of the worst. Like New York City, the Kingdom of God has a similar problem. Only in this case, the problem isn't a bad, neglectful owner. God is no slum Lord. We're simply terrible tenants.

Matthew 21:23-32

"Winners never quit and quitters never win." Vince Lombardi of football immortality may have been referring to the importance of perseverance. On the face of it, however, he had it wrong. Sometimes, the right thing to do is quit.

Matthew 18:21-35

What can a short-lived insect teach us about practicing forgiveness? Jesus knew the answer. Forgiveness is at the heart of Christianity. Like the endangered mayfly and its important role in nature, forgiveness supports an ecosystem of faith. But it’s in increasingly short supply as we let self-righteousness and revenge replace our capacity for grace.