Gathering,Recently, I had the opportunity to Zoom with Ezekiel Nhantumbo, my long-time friend and the coordinator for the Mozambique Initiative. He lives in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, but has traveled extensively all over the country and knows each village where we have funded wells for clean water. Few know the country like he does, and he gets to see all the celebrations and hardships of the ...  Read More

Thursday, December 17Luke 2:9-11Christmas brings up a lot of memories for me: hot chocolate with marshmallows, going out to the Christmas tree farm to pick out the perfect tree, and going through the Sears Catalog highlighting the things I wanted Santa to bring are among my favorites. But there is probably no Christmas image more holy to me than the sight (or more specifically, the sound) of Linus...  Read More

Wednesday, December 16Isaiah 49:13Do you ever find yourself needing to stretch your muscles? Sometimes it’s accompanied by a yawn. Most of the time it’s completely involuntary. We raise our hands, open our mouths, take a deep breath, and exhale. Comfort. Relief.I could almost be describing what it’s like to find joy in God through praise and comfort and relief through God’s compassion.I love the p...  Read More

Tuesday, December 15Psalm 19:7-11, Genesis 3:1-7Rules. I have a three year old son so my house has a lot of rules. Breakfast before any other activity in the morning. No toys at the dinner table. No climbing or jumping on the couch. No tackling his litter sister. And on they go.The rules are there for his own good, for him to be safe and happy. But he often doesn’t see the rules that way. Instead ...  Read More

Monday, December 14Psalm 105:42-43; Exodus 15:1-3Singing JoySinging is a practice in both Jewish and Christian expressions of worship. The cantor leads singing portions of scripture. In our worship, singing is an important means of sharing the scripture with music.In my family, music is so important. There isn't a family gathering where we don't sing. Truly, the family is known to have some great ...  Read More

Sunday, December 13The Third Sunday of AdventEvery Sunday during Advent we invite you to join us in lighting an Advent wreath in your home. These wreaths can be elaborate parts of your Christmas decor, or they can simply be four candles gathered from around the house (Pinterest is full of inspiration).Traditionally, many families light their Advent candle at dinnertime or during an evening quiet t...  Read More