What Do You Want for Christmas? by Kim Reisman
Kim Reisman
December 18, 2017
Advent is about an intensity of desire. It’s about deeply desiring the presence of God in our lives and our world.
Advent is about an intensity of desire. It’s about deeply desiring the presence of God in our lives and our world.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of
In a world filled with brokenness and estrangement, poverty, violence and death, we need Godbearers.
From the beginning, God has desired a relationship of love and wholeness with something other than God.
One of my great hesitancies when I first entered the ministry concerned leadership. I was afraid to lead. I had too many doubts. What if I choose wrong? What if I lead my people poorly? What if I make a mistake and it all falls apart? As I was going through ordination in the United Methodist Church, my mentor suggested I read In the Name of
As unpopular as it may seem the reality of Advent is that it doesn’t need to occur in the best of circumstances.
Thank God for his presence. Express your feelings about following God despite your fear.
As Christ followers, in all times and seasons, but especially during Advent and Christmas, we declare to the world that we’ve seen that great light.
Sometimes there are questions that simply do not have clear solutions. As my husband and I neared the end of our first ministry assignment, a woman said to me, “I think if you hadn’t have been in your position of leadership, we could have been good friends.” Even in my late twenties, I didn’t completely comprehend what she was saying. It stung,
That is the surprise of the Beatitudes—what appears to be a source of unhappiness, turns out to be a source of joy and blessedness.
Many struggle endeavoring to conquer areas of weakness. Resolutions are made but change, if it comes, is only short lived. Their efforts are dependent on their own strength and will. Time in God’s Word is lacking. If you desire stability in the ways of the Lord the process must begin. Give time daily to read his Word, study to show
If the unity of a “communion” is dependent upon order and covenant in relation to Scripture and doctrine, as the World Anglican Communion is insisting, how much more is the unity of The United Methodist Church, as one denomination?
I wake up on a Saturday morning. It’s a beautiful day. The sun is out and flowers are in bloom. Should I go to the zoo and watch the animals, or would I rather work in my garden? Am I even free to decide? Most people would say, “Yes, of course you are free to decide.” And I am. In
Beyond any book review or helpful ministry-related text I could recommend as a “must-read,” I would encourage you to pull a book off the shelf that has nothing to do with church, leadership, preaching, management, or finance. Let grace, beauty, and truth be revealed to you from the words of those who wish to tell a story, paint a picture
And so we pray today for our some day ending, for the will to keep on working, descending and ascending…
I’m tired of the struggle. I ask my 14-year-old to clean his room…again…knowing that there is no good reason I should have to tell him constantly to actually put his clothes IN the hamper, instead of AROUND the hamper. “Clean” is subjective, and our definitions clash. This is new to me, as my firstborn is not quite as laid back
Christian worship, whether expressed in the sacrament of Holy Communion, or in classic hymnody, is premised on gratitude for an act of sacrificial love that Muslims reject by virtue of denying not only the incarnation, but even that Jesus died on the cross. These distinctively Christian beliefs not only inspire Christian worship and devotion, but also define its content.
Yet day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, and decade after decade, Jeremiah persistently did what God had called him to do. He didn’t give up, he didn’t move to a city where people were more responsive, he didn’t modify his message, he persistently carried on doing what God had called on him to do.
“Unified and fearless, we charge ahead into a fun and adventurous life as a family. We are kind-hearted and fervently loving toward each other. We serve others to enrich their lives. Jesus is our strength and our song.” – The Jones Family Mission Statement A year and a half ago I felt kicked in the gut. A dear friend’s sister-in-law
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