As we light the fourth Advent candle of peace, it's hard to think that achieving peace in our world or in our hearts is anything but a distant dream. But with God, maybe a dream is exactly what we need. Like Mary's bold Magnificat dream of a world turned upside-down for justice, in this Advent season, God is calling us to dream big dreams of hope, love, joy, and yes, even peace.

Sometimes we all struggle to get in the "Christmas Spirit." Today, on the Third Sunday of Advent, known as the Sunday of Rejoicing, we feel most keenly the tension between joy and sorrow, the Already and Not Yet of God's Beloved Community. But maybe this tension is the point of Advent...and maybe by hearing the Good News that our Lord is near, we could begin experience an Advent Joy that doesn't require fake smiles and perfect Christmas gifts...a joy that meets us right where we are...

Luke 3:1-6

Jesus and the governor Pilate talk about kings and kingdoms, but these words mean something very different to each person. Jesus is building a kingdom quite different than any earthly kingdom we've ever known. All too often, we Christians, like Pilate, get the idea that Jesus is coming as a conquering warrior-king. But when we listen for Jesus's truth, then we start to see how this kingdom of peace and justice is already among us, spurring us to lives of holiness and service.

From action movies to ancient stories, we humans seem to have a fascination with the end of the world. These apocalyptic tales speak to the times when it feels like everything is falling apart around us. But when Jesus talks about this idea, it's for a much different purpose. Because through the love of Jesus Christ, the end of the world is just the beginning...

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-8

Jesus seems to defy all laws of physics and economics, declaring that a widow's small gift is worth more than many other's more weighty offerings. As we explore this story, we start to see how God is calling us to pay attention to the needs around us, seeing that even our smallest gifts of service and neighborly love can have a huge impact in the world.

Scripture: Mark 12:38-44

Like Lazarus in John's Gospel, we have received the gift of life from Jesus Christ. But in order to move forward into the world, we need help from others to unbind our hands and feet, to put aside the things of death and live fully into the freedom Jesus offers. On All Saints Day, we remember the great cloud of witnesses who goes before us, giving thanks for their lives and the love we have shared, and the ways they have taught us to fully embrace the liberation of Christ in our world.

For millennia we humans have been awed by the beauty of the earth, inspired to give thanks to God and deepen our connection with God and all creation. Sadly, far too often we have also seen the earth as a resource to exploited, which has lead to our current climate crisis. But maybe our experiences of wonder at the world could spur us to find common ground and love our neighbors, as we hear Christ's call to live not as tyrants and rulers, but as servants of all...

When a rich man asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life, Jesus tells him to sell all he owns and give the money to the poor. Today, whether we're the richest person on earth or not, we still struggle with this idea that we can buy happiness or earn eternal life. But when we accept Jesus's free gift of life, things are never the same, and we start to learn to give as freely as Jesus gave...