Pastor’s Column December 25, 2021 For many Americans, we have entered the “holiday season”, the “sparkle season” or the “winter solstice”. For them, “Christmas” begins after Halloween and ends as soon as the presents are opened and dinner is finished, if the word Christmas is used at all. We seem to be surrounded by “holiday” trees and fewer and fewer Nativity scenes. The canned Christmas music in stores is almost never religious anymore (have you noticed this?).The religious

Pastor’s Column 4th Sunday of Advent December 19, 2021 Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Luke 1: 39-45 At this time of year, many of us are often in a rush to get everything done before Christmas. Isn’t it interesting, then, that in this Sunday’s gospel this is the only scripture where we find Mary also in a hurry! Mary has just received the good news that she is going to

Pastor’s Column 3rd Sunday of Advent December 12, 2021 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 One time while still in the seminary I drove a long way to a department store warehouse in Portland to get a deal on some flannel sheets for my chilly room in the seminary. I got a great deal, great sheets, and was very pleased with myself when, halfway home, something made me look in the bag: sure enough, I had two fitted flannel sheets in there and n

Pastor’s Column 2nd Sunday of Advent December 5, 2021 “Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth, And all flesh shall see the salvation of God!” Luke 3:5-6 The first and third readings today almost sound like a big construction project, and in a way they are: valleys being filled in, mountains leveled, roads straightened, rough roads paved. What in the world is being desc