This week we began our Lenten journey through Mark. We are traveling with Jesus as he works his way to Jerusalem, seeking to find our way behind him. This journey begins in the wilderness, and this wilderness offers a stark contrast to the end of Jesus's journey in Jerusalem, the city.

This week's discussion of Sabbath ends our time of Epiphany while also preparing us for our spiritual practice of Lent by having us engage with the practice of Sabbath. In this Elvins asks us to think about Sabbath as rest as well as risk, and to imagine Sabbath as something we do, rather than something an individual does on their own. It is a practice that does not comport well with out surrounding culture's obsession with work and efficiency, but perhaps precisely for that reason, it is a practice that is so necessary for us.

This past Sunday, PMC celebrated Consecration Sunday. Consecration Sunday is the day that we set aside at the beginning of every year to come together as a congregation with our "first fruits," committing to our specific engagement with the community for the year.

We often think of prayer as simply asking God for our needs, and it certainly can be that, but in many ways, prayer is the very heart of our existence because it teaches us to attune ourselves to the heart of all existence, God. Prayer is practicing God's presence. Prayer can be difficult, silent, overflowing, or any other number of different things (and not always easy and warm feeling), but prayer is turning our ears to the Word that God is speaking, and opening ourselves to that attunement more and more.

Harding tells us to tell our children that Dr King no longer found the older dream sufficient, but instead planned to march on Washington again in massive civil disobedience “calling on thousands and hundreds of thousands of lovers of justice until the cause of the poor became the nation's first priority, until all people were guaranteed jobs or honest income, until our nation stopped killing Asians abroad and turned to tend to the desperate needs of its people at home.”

For Epiphany, we had multiple reflections that touched on God’s real tangible concern for justice, peace, and life with attention to three passages, Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; and Matthew 2:1-12. Two of these reflections were from Tim Almquist and Eddie Beres.

"I am glad, brothers and sisters, that our church is persecuted precisely for its preferential option for the poor and for trying to become incarnate in the interest of the poor..." This week we remember Jesus's incarnation, consider God's presence with us in body and solidarity, and reflect on the incarnationn through the living parable, Oscar Romero.

This week, Rob led us in our reflection for the fourth Sunday of Advent on Luke 1:26-38. Here we find Mary as an example for us in responding to God's purposes, and we learn from her what it means to "let it be." How do we respond to interruptions? How do respond to the unexpected?

In Advent, we continue to focus on our need for a savior. We anticipate the hope, but we reflect, in our brokenness, “God, where are you?” How can we find wholeness in our brokenness? Dotti reflects on this this week in here sermon “Can I Be Whole When I'm Broken.”

“May we venture into the wilderness this Advent with expectant hearts preparing ourselves to meet God in our suffering and emerge with a renewed commitment to bring about the leveling of uneven ground and an increased capacity to comfort all who suffer.”