God has the will and the power to make all things, especially the strange and unexpected things, work together for the good. He is the creator and ruler of the universe. And that counts for a whole lot more than a collection of regal stage props.
… this Mizzou football team is no stranger to standing up for what’s right. This is the same team that last year came out in solidarity when their star defensive end, Michael Sam, announced that he was gay.
It is the work of learning to care for one another, to dream together, to sacrifice for the greater good that make a thing worth doing.
… what are we persistent about and how do we turn it into a positive result rather than just repeating words or actions? It’s not all up to God; we are expected to do our part.
November can often be a hard month. It can be a month of losses, starting with losing that precious hour of daylight in the evening when the clocks change. It is also the month of All Souls’ Day and Veterans’ Day and my late father’s birthday
Sometimes God’s demands on each one of us are the demands of the lover. “Turn away from all distractions and put your focus here, on me.” “Take on the searing joy, the profound mystery and the deep commitment of this relationship.”
I had not realized until now how much St Martin’s historical feast day had been a part of the development of our tradition of Advent. From the late 4th century through the middle ages, St Martin’s day on November 11th, marked the beginning of 40 days of fasting through to Epiphany on the 6th of January.
So the big question is not if and when we go to God, but how we go to him. Do we go to face heaven’s Judge as indifferent or alienated strangers? Or do we go as faithful children into the arms of our loving Father?
We raise our hands An offering, our helplessness, Our empty hands, Open trusting, it is enough Because in the quiet Emptiness we find
But what about those outside the church doors, the people we see on the street or maybe in the grocery store or even begging on the sidewalk? Do we greet them with the same kind of greeting we use for our friends in church?