Read Matthew 1:18-25 Did you have specific plans that you found thwarted this past year? I think most of us found ourselves in that situation, specifically because of the pandemic. Like me,...
Read Luke 1:45-56 Mary’s song—also called the Magnificat—is one of three hymns recorded in Luke 1-2 that declare the covenant faithfulness of God. Zechariah prophesies about God’s salvation after John the Baptist...
Read Luke 1:26-38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38). Ireneaus, one of the most significant theologians from the second century after Christ,...
Read Matthew 1:1-17 My dad would have been 58 this year. I was reminded of this by my Swedish grandmother, Mor Mor. Not that I needed the reminder, but I did enjoy...
Worship Experience Response: Mary Today is the final Sunday of Advent! Our season of waiting is just about over! Mary and Joseph draw close to Bethlehem, and in our readings, we focus...
Week 3 Family Talk: Joseph If you have ever seen a live play, you know that there’s something magical that happens between acts. The stage curtains open, and suddenly, the audience is transported to...
Read Matthew 2:13-22 I love the perspective we get in Matthew’s gospel on Jesus’ extraordinary birth. Luke gives us Mary’s point of view in his gospel, but Matthew gives us Joseph’s. We...
Read Luke 2:21-33; 39-40 When I think of Joseph, I have to admit that, at first, he seems a small part of the BIG story. There aren’t many songs sung about him during Advent,...
Read Luke 2:1-7 Luke 2:1-7 is my favorite Christmas story. We used to read it to our kids each year on Christmas morning, before we went downstairs to open our gifts. The...
Read Matthew 1:18-25 Have you ever faced a daunting life decision that entirely consumes your waking and sleeping thoughts? When we can’t seem to figure it out, we look toward heaven and...