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During my time as a volunteer jail chaplain, my favorite thing to do was anoint people with oil. We would wait while people lined up in dorms or we would reach through bars along the rows of cells, making the sign of the cross on their foreheads. “As this holy oil anoints your forehead,” I would say, “may the Holy Spirit dwell in your heart and give you peace.” These encounters were powerful, but they were ephemeral. In our brief interactions with the people behind bars, we did not change their material conditions. On top of that, I would only see people once or twice because of how frequently the jail population changes; between the background noise of TVs and my own bad memory, I would almost never remember their names. Yet, I believe these moments of presence and touch, of bearing witness to people’s humanity and their suffering, teach us how to wait for God and God’s justice during Advent. I also believe that these moments must be tied more closely to building ongoing relationships and engaging in transformative social change to help us “prepare the way for the Lord.” My favorite passage of scripture for Advent is Isaiah 40:1–5. In these verses, the themes of comfort, preparing a way, and reversals of power resonate with the revolutionary work of bearing witness in our modern world.
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Our Latest Why ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ Is a Radical Christian Classic (by Mitchell Atencio) The Muppet cast (and Michael Caine) took Charles Dickens' rebuke of capitalism and emphasis on repentance to another level. Sojourners’ 2022 Film and TV Roundup to Inspire Faith and Justice (by Zachary Lee) Here are 10 things to watch from 2022 that put the spotlight on communities, issues, and stories that we usually don’t see. Why The Bible’s Teaching on Lending Matters to Climate Justice (by Adam Russell Taylor) Sure, “international lending policies” sound boring, but the Bible takes debt — and the people who profit from it — seriously. The People Singing Mary’s Song Today Are Youth Climate Activists (by Nate Rauh-Bieri) This Advent, climate activists are asking us to imagine a future where the rich are sent away empty and the poor are filled with good things. |
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From the Magazine The Joyful Risk of Christmas (by T. Denise Anderson) December reflections on the Revised Common Lectionary, Cycle A |
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Festival Center 2023 Collectives The Festival Center invites you to join one of our 2023 Collectives. Working to bring about justice doesn’t have to be daunting. You can find your call and join others who share your passion. Join us. This year’s collectives are Discernment, Climate Justice, and Community Organizing. Seeking Settled Pastor for UCC church in Charlotte, North Carolina Holy Covenant United Church of Christ is a progressive, open & affirming community of believers in Charlotte, NC. We seek a full-time settled pastor to lead & walk with us in our faith journey. The successful candidate will be a prophetic preacher, with a heart for congregational relationship-building & social justice. Apply by January 31 to join Trinity Leadership Fellows Join a diverse cohort of emerging leaders on a two-year journey of faith-inspired learning. This non-residential, free program will prepare lay and ordained professionals with the tools they need to energize and empower their congregations and communities. Learn from leading scholars, experts in the field, and mentors. How do we live this life in Christ? As a spiritual director, my weekly blog is written from the point of view of how do I, how do we, live this life in Christ? The 12.12.22 post is entitled "John is Born." |
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