Posts from December 2009
Advent Blog: Trust
Special Blog Series Grace Staff on December 21, 2009
“Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way. To be happy in Jesus is to trust and obey”
Advent Blog: White Christmas?
Special Blog Series Grace Staff Aaron Lundberg on December 18, 2009
We are just about a week away now from the celebration of the birth of Christ. As you probably know, December 25th is more of the commemoration date than the actual date of Christ’s’ birth. There are varying and debatable historic dates ranging from 5 B.C., 4 B.C. and even 1 A.D.
Advent Blog: Great Expectations
Special Blog Series Grace Staff Jill Mintsiveris on December 17, 2009
In Diane Wright’s excellent first person account of Mary last Sunday, she talked a lot about expectations. Things in Mary’s life didn’t turn out like she thought they would. I have several things on my personal “not like I expected” list:
Advent Blog: Satan
Special Blog Series Grace Staff Larry Shallenberger on December 16, 2009
I had, subconsciously, edited Satan out of the Nativity accounts. It was an honest oversight. I wasn’t intentionally revising my theology to be cool, hip, and twenty-first century. I think the Evangelical subculture wore me out by promoting Satan as some kind of quasi-deity capable of reading minds, being everywhere at once, and custom-tailoring temptations for each and every person.
The truth is that Satan doesn’t need these comic book powers to hurt humanity. Sin is uncomplicated and banal. Sin is the lack of a conversation between God and people. The history of sin goes like this:
Advent Blog: Family
Special Blog Series Grace Staff Mike Watson on December 15, 2009
I love Christmas. I record a new Christmas CD for each of my daughters and their families every year and deliver it to them in August. We start playing the music early and somehow still enjoy it all the way to the big day. For me, it’s far more than decorations, lights, the spirited unity of the season, gift giving or even the traditional Christmas story that enamors me with this special holiday.
Advent Blog: Slumdog Messiah
Special Blog Series Grace Staff Larry Shallenberger on December 14, 2009
I’d never watched an episode of Extreme Home Makeover in its entirety before. I have clicked on the TV and caught the last ten-minutes where they move the bus and the family sees their brand new home for the first time. I always get caught up in the family’s emotions and find myself welling back emotion and tears even though I don’t know thing about their story. Can’t have that.