The greatest gift we have is a relationship with our God. In this season of Advent we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ's birth. How do we do that? Here is a start. Follow the link below and get started on the journey.
http://www.montanasynod.org/newsletters/1111/AdventDevotionBooklet.pdf
Blessings!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
An Advent Conspiracy
I know I'm not the first to notice that Christmas displays go up earlier every year at stores all around us. I'm pretty sure Costco started stocking trees and lights in September. (A good friend of mine is a longtime Costco employee and he says that by the time December 25 arrives he is sick of all things Christmas.) As a pastor I do my best to observe the season of Advent instead of jumping right into Christmas. That observation includes decorating and pulling out the Christmas music.
For some reason this year I found myself putting in a Christmas cd in mid-November. Granted it was a gift from a dear friend and it wasn't your typical Christmas carols (to check it out look for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones "Jingle All the Way"). As I listened I thought again about Advent and Christmas practices.
For the last couple of years my family has been participating in the Advent Conspiracy. (You can find their website here http://adventconspiracy.org/) This simple idea revolves around reclaiming the season for the true celebration of the birth of Christ. Their four catch phrases are Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, and Love All. Their challenge is to really dive into this season by attending church and reading scripture, to buy one less gift than you normally would, use the time you would have spent in the mall with family and friends, and use the money you would have spent on that gift to support a mission in the world.
For the last couple of years my family has purchased an animal through Heifer International or the ELCA's Good Gifts catalogue. We've found this to be incredibly meaningful. Will you join the Advent Conspiracy?
For some reason this year I found myself putting in a Christmas cd in mid-November. Granted it was a gift from a dear friend and it wasn't your typical Christmas carols (to check it out look for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones "Jingle All the Way"). As I listened I thought again about Advent and Christmas practices.
For the last couple of years my family has been participating in the Advent Conspiracy. (You can find their website here http://adventconspiracy.org/) This simple idea revolves around reclaiming the season for the true celebration of the birth of Christ. Their four catch phrases are Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, and Love All. Their challenge is to really dive into this season by attending church and reading scripture, to buy one less gift than you normally would, use the time you would have spent in the mall with family and friends, and use the money you would have spent on that gift to support a mission in the world.
For the last couple of years my family has purchased an animal through Heifer International or the ELCA's Good Gifts catalogue. We've found this to be incredibly meaningful. Will you join the Advent Conspiracy?
Thursday, November 3, 2011
For All The Saints
Who are the saints who have made a difference in your faith life? Who are the people who have pointed you toward a life of following Christ?
As we remember the saints who have died in the faith this All Saints weekend, we do well to remember the saints who are still with us today. God has placed people in our lives who encourage us, who challenge us and who pray for us. Sometimes we don't even know that is what they are doing.
I would not be the man I am today without the saints in my life. One of the main attributes my saints share is the willingness to show where they are weak and how they rely on God in their weakness. Saints are not perfect. In fact, true saints are more than willing to share their brokenness.
The next question we do well to ask is, "Who am I a saint to today?" Whether you know it or not, there is someone paying attention to how you live and what you say. You can be a saint to them.
There are saints that I miss and saints that I see daily. I give God thanks for all the saints in my life.
As we remember the saints who have died in the faith this All Saints weekend, we do well to remember the saints who are still with us today. God has placed people in our lives who encourage us, who challenge us and who pray for us. Sometimes we don't even know that is what they are doing.
I would not be the man I am today without the saints in my life. One of the main attributes my saints share is the willingness to show where they are weak and how they rely on God in their weakness. Saints are not perfect. In fact, true saints are more than willing to share their brokenness.
The next question we do well to ask is, "Who am I a saint to today?" Whether you know it or not, there is someone paying attention to how you live and what you say. You can be a saint to them.
There are saints that I miss and saints that I see daily. I give God thanks for all the saints in my life.
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