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There are few topics as challenging to address as suicide. Pain surrounds the issue, and words of comfort are hard to salvage amid these storms.

Years ago, mainstream American culture moved away from being a church-going culture.  Though still true in parts of the country, the idea of consistent, Sunday church attendance as part of a dedicated weekly routine shifted dramatically. 

In a beautiful line of theology, Emanuel Swedenborg writes, “Fruit born of love bears the seed.”  That process is at the heart of our faith journey.   A place where we come to both love our neighbor, and have faith in our neighbor as well.

I imagine we all feel a gentle easing as life appears to move towards more regular rhythms.   It is beautiful, for example, to witness the small steps as we start to gather in person.

Often in church, we hear a line of worry, a concern “du jour” as it were.  One heard a great deal are the deep concerns harbored over the debilitating divisiveness in our culture.

It is interesting to witness how something virtuous can be turned to a vice over time.  A simple concept, “We are here to save the world”, is one such example.  Listening to “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” on Podcast brought this home.

Last week a young woman from Texas reached out. This week, a young man from Oklahoma. Those are the people we know, joined no doubt by many others searching for community but not yet quite willing to raise their hand and say, “I am here.”

As a Pastor, Rev. Martin Luther King’s work simply overflows with beauty, all grounded in the richness of the Christian message. Every year, cyclically, I find myself re-drawn back to two MLK ‘legacies’. (A) A document – “Letters from a Birmingham Jail”. (B) A concept – “The Beloved Community.”

Don’t lose the day with fear or worry.  Don’t lose the day with distraction.  Don’t lose the day with entertainment or comfort.  Don’t lose the day with anger or drama.  Simply put, don’t lose the day.

There is an essential, anchoring goodness to God.  Despite our worries, our fears, our alleged assuredness that this time, we are indeed abandoned and alone, God’s faithfulness remains.

Many of us long for a fresh start.

We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of our congregation over the years.  What a joy it is to work with such amazing people trying our humble best to make a difference in the world.

In 2022, many of us anxiously wonder what world we are stepping into over the next few weeks.  There is the joy of Christmas.  There is, as well, fear around new waves of Covid about to make their rounds.  It makes the times, for many, strange.

With a smile, it is a forever task to flip our thinking away from Christmas just as a stand-alone day to celebrate, to a more life-giving view of advent as a call to the work.  Restated – advent then begins, not ends a story.