Having once been required by the circumstances in my life to work in retail, I remember well the experience of Black Friday from a worker’s standpoint.
Am I missing the point, I wonder? Like one in the crowd surrounding Jesus in today’s Gospel reading, following him about the countryside out of my gratitude for bread and fish, do I lose sight of who the Son of Man really is?
When I live my life in fear, I lose sight of how the small contributions of my life, when added to the contributions of others, can have a big impact. I forget that while my cause may not be your cause, they likely intersect in a way that makes each of our work more powerful. I forget that the world is wide enough for many roads to lead to the same goal.
The Christian world needs women saints like her, reminding us today that, even from times of antiquity, there are stories that remember and honor the lives and witness of women who are wise, brave, and faithful.
…as we enter Advent, the challenge before us is: How will our Chronos advance God’s Kairos? How will we spend our time to bring about God’s time… in this Advent, this Christmas and beyond?
God is no chump. If he keeps coming back, then there must be something real about that seventy-times-seven. If he’s modeling forgiveness, then we know we’re supposed to be loving and forgiving in our relationships, too, but that’s a challenge.
Before Advent gets here take some time to identify the ways the world tries to lie to you and remember that those things are not true. You belong to God’s kingdom, and the truth is that you there are no accusations against you.
The three composers we celebrate today — Byrd, Merbecke, and Tallis — were all English composers who lived around the same period of time and who helped Anglican church music grow from plainchant and simple tunes more complex melodies and harmonies of psalms, anthems, and service music.
It’s in our national DNA to distrust kings. Yet here we are, preparing to celebrate “Christ the King” Sunday. Actually, it goes deeper than that.
It’s true I could be wrong about them. I could be fooled. But that’s not the important thing. What matters here is that I know who I am – who I am in relationship with God. I am a person who helps people in trouble.