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.
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.
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,
One of my favorite Holy Days is Pentecost, partly because (thankfully) it hasn’t been co-opted by western consumerism. Maybe that’s why it comes and goes without too much attention. We don’t have weeks of lead up like we do for Christmas or Easter; and the Holy Spirit definitely doesn’t have the economic punch of Santa or the Easter Bunny. Pentecost
“Plan your work and work your plan.” That phrase is great – in theory. Usually, it carries with it a practical application. But sometimes those plans are suddenly laid aside. That’s where our churches found themselves in March of this year. We planned our work ahead of schedule – but then weren’t able to work that plan. Coronavirus took the
A significant aspect of the Embrace understanding of showing and sharing the love of Jesus is the idea of interdependency – the idea that human beings flourish in the context of relationships with others. Rather than focusing solely on our independence, to truly thrive, we must recognize that we are interdependent – both separate and connected to those around us.
I’ve always been an “early adapter.” I may not be the first person to try a new technology, but I’m not far behind. Following the arrival of the first iPhones, I wasn’t at the Apple Store at midnight for a new release – but I’d show up sometime the next day. So I joined social media early on. As soon as
It is startling to encounter words that easily puncture what troubles us, in a moment aching for the holy iconoclasm of the poetry of Madeleine L’Engle.
If we are guided by Scripture, the content of our preaching will always have aspects of the pastoral and the prophetic.
Is it tempting to stand back and admire God who heals, but to neglect allowing God to heal you? God doesn’t want to leave you half-done and stalled out.
The founder of our Methodist movement, John Wesley, is often celebrated for declaring that “The World is my parish…” This quote has inspired many to serve in ministry around the world. However, most contemporary Methodist churches do not organize themselves in parishes the way Wesley’s church did. What did Wesley mean when he said this? What does it mean to see the world
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid – You read our hearts like an open book: you see our meanings, our intentions, our knowledge, our opinions, our questions, our backstories, our wounds, and our promise. Our hearts are open to you even when wisdom seems closed to us. You
I’ve been thinking a lot about the Great Commission in Matthew 28. It’s a passage many know well, finding it an inspiration, a call, a light to guide the way. It’s a powerful text, one that has inspired Christians for thousands of years, so it’s not a passage usually associated with doubts. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to
Get articles delivered directly to your inbox as soon as they come out.