Title: Exactly what you want
Date: December 28, 2008
Texts: Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Luke 2:22-40
Author: Isaac Villegas
Sometimes you get exactly what you want. Eric wanted bike gloves and bike pants—those nice spandex kind with the butt padding. I thought he was going to wear them to church as a sermon illustration. He was asked what he wanted for [...]

Title: Waiting for what?
Date: December 21, 2008 (4th Sunday of Advent)
Texts: Luke 1:26-38, 47-55
Author: Isaac Villegas
What are you waiting for? Think about it. What are you waiting for?—a new job, a child, friends, a paycheck, love, a restored relationship, forgiveness. Or maybe you’re simply waiting for the end of my sermon. What are you waiting [...]

Christians are people who make room for God. Mary is the first one in the Christian story who shows hospitality to Christ. She gives her very body as the space where good news can be born in our world full of bad news. In his Advent reflection for The Mennonite, Isaac looks to Mary as [...]

For the past few years Nathan Charles has worshiped with us. He recently decided to serve with Mennonite Central Committee in Bangladesh for the next three years. Below is his latest letter.
- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – [...]

Title: Isaiah’s Advent vision, and ours
Date: December 14, Third Sunday of Advent
Texts: Psalm 126; Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28
Author: Tom Lehman
The sequence of passages in the Revised Common Lectionary during Advent reminds me every year that the Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas are more varied and complicated than I ever imagined [...]

Title: Anticipating Glory
Date: December 7, 2008 (2nd Sunday of Advent)
Texts: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; Isaiah 40:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8
Author: Monica Schmucker
Growing up with a German mother, advent was a season we celebrated, and so I have long felt that I understand the concept of Advent better than most Americans. I was taught that you [...]