“But what does “home” mean, really?  Is it a place we can return to, or is it more of a longing?  For many of us, the word “home” summons up a whole range of things that are past and that cannot be retrieved. For us, “home” isn’t a specific place anymore; it’s more like a whole set of longings… or a treasure chest of memories that combine to make us feel safe and loved.” Br. David Vryhof marvels that while "home" seems at the heart of Christmas, it is actually – at its heart – about homelessness.

“Our own name is what uniquely distinguishes us from others. However our name also connects us to others because knowing our name marks a relationship. People who know us will call on us by our name. With someone knowing our name, they can identify us, include us, and have a certain claim on their relationship with us. Everything important is given a name. And in the name and in the naming, there is the power of both identity and relationship. ”

On the feast of the Holy Name, Br. Curtis Almquist invites us to call on Jesus by name.

“In Advent, we embrace the mystery of God’s plan of salvation. Wrapped in that mystery, we wait. With God’s own humility, we watch. God’s response grows in the deep womb of time, until Christ is all in all.” Br. Keith Nelson shares a powerful image from his own prayer: the testimony of a lost lamb, rescued by the Son of Man.

“The destination and end of our walk with Christ is to finally meet God face to face, dwelling in light inaccessible.  To know even as we are known.  To behold the beatific vision of the Triune God, and there to dwell, to make our habitation.  But there is no direct flight, and the trek is often uphill.” As Advent begins, Br. Todd Blackham invites us to consider where we are on our pilgrimage of faith.

“Again and again in the gospels, we see Jesus perceiving the intentions of the heart, whether for good or for evil, and responding in ways that reveal the truth. The Triune God sees and knows everything about us, even what we keep hidden from others. When we realize that God sees it all and still loves us with an unwavering love, we can risk being honest in our prayer.” Br. David Vryhof urges us to be truthful with God in prayer, in response to the loving truthfulness with which we are seen and known by our loving God.

“It seems that “softening” and “allowing” are vital elements in the practice of Christian endurance. To put it another way: there is a subtle interplay between striving and trusting, with the accent on trust. Trust calls forth a softening and allowing of reality as it is even as striving calls for a firmness or rootedness in the face of immense pressure.” Br. Keith Nelson teases out the complex interplay of the Christian call to endurance and striving, which find their fullest expression in trust.

“What will the church look like in a year, never mind five? What will this country look like in a week, never mind a month? What will the world look like tomorrow, never mind the one our grandchildren will inherit? We look at what we have, and long for what we had, and our hearts sink as we gaze at the challenges ahead, knowing full well there are still other hills, still other sets of steep stairs, still other cliff edge paths, that we cannot yet see.” Looking into an uncertain future, Br. James Koester echoes God's words of comfort and reassurance: take courage; I am with you; do not fear.

“If you are now in a dark night of the soul where pain, despair, loss, or fear are your companions, how very difficult. You need the comfort that Jesus promises us. Presume that your dark night is the eve of the dawning of a new day, and that you are not alone. You are being carried on the wings of the prayers of those who have gone before you and who are looking out for you.” Br. Curtis Almquist finds companions for our prayer on All Saints Day and the eve that precedes it, All Hallows Eve, Halloween.

“God is not a theory. God is not a formula. God is personal—so personal that the restrictions our human desire for control creates—whether around worship or any other part of life—simply will not do.” Br. Sean Glenn reminds us that God's mercy overflows our expectations and undoes all our theories, formulas, and patterns.

“‘Hey! Do you go to church? Why?’ ‘Are you a Christian? Why? Just tell me in a few words.’ What would you say?  If you only had 30 seconds, a kind of ‘elevator speech’, what would you say?  ‘I go to church because…’ If you don’t say anything, you may have lost an opportunity. St Peter in this first letter tells us, ‘Always be ready to give an account for the hope that is in you.’ So, what would your 30-second account be?” Br. Geoffrey Tristram finds inspiration in the witness of Philip, for what makes a good evangelist, and he urges us to be ready to give an account of the hope that is in us.