Dec 26, 2021
The Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah (the feast of trumpets) celebrates the launching of a new year, and the blowing of the trumpets signals that fresh start for the calendar. In that celebration, Psalm 47 is read seven times before the trumpets are blown, making it an integral part of anticipating the new year....
Dec 19, 2021
At Christmas time we often turn to Matthew 1 or Luke 1-2 to think about the story of the birth of the Savior, and those are wonderful records of Jesus’ coming. This Christmas, however, we invite you to explore with us a different telling of the Christmas story—the Christmas story as Paul told it to the...
Dec 12, 2021
At Christmastime, we often focus on the first half of Luke 2, and the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Later in that same chapter, however, Luke introduces us to two other characters who also have a story to tell. This week on the Discover the Word Podcast, we consider one of them—Simeon—and the sense of fulfillment...
Dec 5, 2021
How does the church respond to times of pain and hardship? Author and professor Soong-Chan Rah explains how Scripture models lament as an appropriate response to the reality of suffering in the world. He then explores why we see an absence of lament in Western Christianity and the dangers of wanting to quicken a time of...
Nov 28, 2021
The word advent means “coming” or “arrival.” For centuries, different churches have created various practices to help prepare hearts, minds, calendars, congregations, families, and individuals to celebrate the coming/arrival of Christ. Through the practice of observing advent and lighting the candles of an...