Gathering,It is Christmas Eve, and I am not rushing around. I am not putting on a tie or preparing for 14 services. Instead, I am praying for you, and eager to worship alongside you. I am going to miss seeing you in person, but today there is an incredible opportunity for all of us, wherever we are, to worship together. Most of us have been so consumed with what is happening in our world day to da...  Read More

Wednesday, December 231 Corinthians 13:1-7Let’s all be honest with each other for a second. If you’ve been to a wedding, you’ve heard this little section from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians read aloud. Love is patient. Love is kind. Yada yada yada. It’s a beautiful sentiment, full of aspirations that we’ll likely never live up to in our relationships, but it feels really good for the beginning o...  Read More

Tuesday, December 22Mark 12:29-31, Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18In Mark, Deuteronomy and Leviticus we learn that we should “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” Equally as critical is the fact that we must love our neighbors as we love ourselves.These passages strike me as a powerful lesson that our love for God and our ...  Read More

Monday, December 211 John 4:8, 4:16, 3:16, John 15:9-13There are particular somethings about you that bring delight to both God and others. The way your cheek curves, the scatter-color flash of your eyes, how the breeze seizes your hair and soars, be that beard or billow or buzz. The ways in which you walk and smile, each moving and speaking of the journey you’ve taken to get here. Within your bod...  Read More

Sunday, December 20The Fourth 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 ...  Read More

Saturday, December 192 Corinthians 6:8-10Could experiencing joy really be a choice? Is it a posture of our heart? Is it based on the hand we think we think life dealt us? Are there personality types that make some people more prone to finding joy than others? Is joy part of God’s plan?Father Richard Rohr said, “Whatever is received is received according to the manner of the receiver.” This concept...  Read More

Type your new text here. Gathering,One of my earliest Christmas memories is setting up the nativity set at our house. My mom would bring out the box, and I would usually be responsible for unwrapping each figure and arranging them in the stable. Before I could read (and certainly before I ever read the Bible on my own), I learned the Christmas story through the image of that nativity set. Kids and...  Read More

Friday, December 18Matthew 5:11-12, Acts 13:50-52, Hebrews 12:1-3I can vividly remember the first 5K I ever ran. I was a freshman in college, in relatively good shape, and had never run over 1 mile before. I signed up with some sorority sisters to support a local charity and did absolutely nothing to prepare for it. I figured it would be easy, dare I say it would be fun…The run itself was anything...  Read More

Gathering,Ten years ago, The Gathering had one site, was packed with three services, and was trying to figure out how to continue to welcome new people.  We began exploring the idea of a second site. I was invited by the Clayton United Methodist Church to speak with their leadership team about this idea. It was an intimidating proposal. This church had a long history in downtown Clayton but had re...  Read More

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

Saturday, December 12Philippians 4:1-9I’m a cynic by nature. Or maybe I have become one over time. That’s probably the actual truth. I’ll get to that later.We are struggling and trying to navigate a world where everyone is out for themselves and/or their own values, disregarding the cares and needs of others. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and now we can no longer be in right relationship.”Frankly, tha...  Read More

Friday, December 11Ephesians 2:11-15, 4:1-3, 4:29-32This Christmas season undoubtedly looks different. At a time that is usually marked by holiday parties, rushed shopping and a general atmosphere of hurriedness, we are instead sheltering in place.Earlier this fall I felt a sense of dread for what Christmas might look like this year. I feared the loneliness of experiencing the holiday without my p...  Read More

Thursday, December 10Colossians 1:19-23We are told early in the book of Genesis that every person is tselem demuth, a Hebrew phrase which suggests something pretty mysterious. According to these ancient words, every person ever created is carved in the image and likeness of the God who has made them. Again, every person. Even in our beginnings, God weaves all of us for harmony. Now, this isn’t a t...  Read More

Wednesday, December 9Luke 2:9-15When I was a child, I read the Christmas story out of my Precious Moments™ Bible, and it was beautifully illustrated with those childlike figures portraying an idyllic nativity scene with plenty of adorable baby animals. I imagined a quiet, peaceful, and joyful scene as beautiful angels delivered the good news of the Savior’s birth to a sleepy world below.Of course,...  Read More

Tuesday, December 8Isaiah 9:6-7This beautiful description of Jesus was written over 700 years before he was born. Jesus was prophesied to bring healing to all brokenness.Jesus was compelling. He was counter-cultural and he changed everything. Jesus was invited to temples by the elite and religious but he chose fisherman to accompany him while frequently dining with the likes of tax collectors and ...  Read More

Monday, December 7Proverbs 16:7When I was young, I went through a major peace sign phase (who can understand the loves of a middle schooler?). I had peace sign clothes, accessories, and decorations in my bedroom. It became my thing. As a college student I was still receiving peace sign gifts even though the phase had ended.At the time I put little thought into the meaning of the peace sign. I most...  Read More

Sunday, December 6The Second 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

Saturday, December 5Romans 8:18-39My very favorite Christmas tradition is my father’s annual rendition of “O Holy Night.” In my childhood, the pinnacle of Christmas Eve would be my father singing this beautiful song as my Aunt Leslie played the piano. Traditions are forced to evolve as we grow and, in recent years, my father belted out “O Holy Night” during car rides home from family parties and e...  Read More

Friday, December 4Colossians 1:25-29 When I was younger, there were two Christmas presents that I was most excited about opening. (And no, neither of them were the inevitable underwear we’d find in our stockings. Thanks Santa…) The first was whatever big present I’d asked for, which I got about half the time. The other was batteries, because more often than not, my presents were going to need batt...  Read More