Prayer for Mission in Chile

This week we pray for Elena Huegel, our missionary to Chile, who serves as an environmental and Christian education specialist with the Pentecostal Church of Chile.

You can read more about the mission to Chile here, including a reminder of how recycling is obvious in nature.

There are Christian missionaries serving on our behalf in many countries around the world.  Each week, Global Missions highlights the work in one of these countries and asks the wider church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the Gospel.

More about the Promised Peace of Christmas

This weekend's Religion & Ethics Newsweekly has a feature story on the issue of Christmas peace, which was the subject of yesterday's sermon.  In our chaotic world, it is a worthwhile topic to consider this Christmas.

You can watch the full report here.

Prayer for Mission in South Africa

This week we pray for Susan Valiquette and Scott Couper, our missionaries to South Africa, who serve with Inanda Seminary in Durban, South Africa.  Susan is a school chaplain and instructor, and Scott is a development manager.  He also serves as pastor of Thafamasi Congregational Church.

You can read more about the mission to South Africa here, including a reflection on balancing tradition and modernity in family life and faith.

There are Christian missionaries serving on our behalf in many countries around the world.  Each week, Global Missions highlights the work in one of these countries and asks the wider church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the Gospel.

December 15 Worship: "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden"

The overall theme of Sunday's service was Love.  We lit a candle on the Advent wreath to remind us of love, and I suggested in the sermon that the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 should be read as a love story.  I hope that the theme was obvious and instructive, but I wonder.  As I listened to the sermon earlier this week, several times I wished that I had made the connection more explicit.  Hopefully, it was my listening and not my preaching that was off.

Often, when we come to the genealogy, we just see a list of endless names, which we frequently cannot pronounce.  And we wonder why they are recorded at all.  But I believe that one key point of Matthew 1 is that God was working -- lovingly, patiently working -- through these generations that preceded the birth of Christ.  Often, we have such a short-term, impatient view of the world, but here is a view of God working over 42(!) generations, more than 8 centuries, to prepare the way for Jesus.  Sometimes it was a bumpy road -- after all, there are villains among the people, as well as heroes.  But as the song "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden" reminds us, love does not come perfectly or easily.  If it is true for our romantic lives, how much more so for God's patient love of humanity across the ages.

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to the related Communion meditation and the closing benediction.

Prayer for Mission in Haiti

This week we pray for Tim and Diane Fonderlin, our missionaries to Haiti, who serve with CONASPEH, the National Spiritual Council of Churches in Haiti.  Tim is a community development consultant and Diane teaches in CONASPEH's seminary.

You can read more about the mission to Haiti here, including stories that show how progress in this island nation comes in very small steps.

There are Christian missionaries serving on our behalf in many countries around the world.  Each week, Global Missions highlights the work in one of these countries and asks the wider church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the Gospel.

December 8 Worship: "Old Bones"

On a cold and snowy morning, several brave (or perhaps foolish) souls gathered together for worship, determined not to let the winter prevent worship.  This led to a rather relaxed service, but no less sincere.  And the easy-going spirit in the room was a perfect attitude for the emphasis of the day, which was joy.

In the sermon, we considered some lessons from the story of the birth of Isaac, whose parents Abraham and Sarah were 100 and 91 years old, respectively, when he was born.  I suggested that most of us -- even those who aren't very old -- usually read this story with horror: Why would God punish old people by making them parents?  Drawing inspiration from the song "Old Bones," famously recorded by an 80-something George Burns, I suggested that there is an underlying joy in life which we often miss, including in this story of Isaac's birth to Sarah and Abraham.  Further, I suggested that we might do better to approach change -- and what else are promises for than for anticipating a different (that is changed) future -- with joy, rather than with fear or dread.

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to the closing benediction here.

Prayer for Mission in Laos

This week we pray for Xuyen Dangers, our missionary to Laos, who serves as a social work supervisor with responsibilities that include training student interns.

You can read more about the mission to Laos here, including a celebration of the recent graduation of social work students who will be part of the first generation of social workers in this Asian country.

There are Christian missionaries serving on our behalf in many countries around the world.  Each week, Global Missions highlights the work in one of these countries and asks the wider church to pray for its continued vitality in spreading the Gospel.

Video about Meaning of This Advent Season

The general office of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has prepared a special video for this Advent season, exploring a few of the opportunities and Christian meanings of this time of year.  The video features comments from Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President, as well as the new moderator team who serve as the chief officers for the next two years of the General Assembly.

December 1 Worship: "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

We entered the Advent season with a worship service about the promises of hope in this holy time of year.  As should be expected when the sermon series is "Songs of Promise," there was plenty of music, including the choir singing "Carol of the Bells" and yours truly singing the title song of the sermon.

The sermon, "Bridge Over Troubled Water," explores how the most important prophecies and promises usually contain underlying truths that cannot be fully captured in words.  Frequently, I believe, music helps to touch on some of these deeper meanings, including the powerful emotions that guide our yearnings in this world.  I offered the famous Simon and Garfunkel song as a way to explore a frequently cited passage of Micah, which offers hope in difficult times to a people in exile -- a context that informs the most recognized Advent hymn, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" ("That mourns in lonely exile here/Until the Son of God appear").

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to the related Communion meditation here and the closing benediction here.