Jesus is all set; the time is almost here. It could be any minute. The angel armies stand ready; the Last Trumpeter is warming up backstage. Your God is coming to save. You won’t have to wait forever. The journey may get long or dark or confusing, but final Homecoming is just around the corner […]

Ever since our first parents left the Garden of Eden, we have carried with us a sad and quiet longing for home. The distance was too great for us to find our way back to God; being home, really Home for Christmas, was possible only in our dreams. So God did something about it… read […]

John the Baptist prepared the way. He preached with a fire and conviction that produced repentance. He pointed to Jesus, the Lamb of God. And now, the Baptist wants to know, was I wrong? Is there maybe someone else who will bring God’s kingdom and God’s will, on earth as it is in heaven? read […]

Who knows how long it took for Zechariah’s name to be drawn in the Priest on Duty lottery? I’ve seen some research that suggests this might have been the only time Zechariah ever got to personally go into the Holy Place and perform the sacred rituals to lead God’s people in prayer. And then an […]

I kind of like all the preparations this season of the year brings: planning party menus, shopping for presents, making travel plans, deciding not to send out Christmas cards again this year because we started too late.… You know, all the normal hustle and bustle that go to make the season right… read more

Martin Luther once said, “Where the Church is, there is hospitality.” To be the people of God is to extend God’s acceptance and welcome not only to the people we know and like, but to the stranger and the exile. We have acceptance; we have eternal welcome; we, who were once foreigners and enemies, have […]

I remember, like I was there, the wind coming off the Red Sea, the smell of dust and fear in the air, the sound of Egypt’s infamous chariots getting louder, the grumbling of recent slaves, and the clear voice of Moses: “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14, NIV)… read more