The opening of Luke’s Gospel draws us to contemplate the promise that Christ is coming into our midst. Coming into our lives. Entering into our day. Invading our space. Such a promise is bound to make some of us leap for joy, and make some of us sweat. Sooner or later, Christ will pierce his way into our lives. When that finally happens, will we be ready for him? Will we make for good hosts when he gets here? Luke…

After Jesus was born, how many people do you think walked right by Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, totally oblivious to the fact that this baby was in fact the Christ, the hope of Israel? Do you think you would have known? Be honest. In Luke 2, Mary and Joseph bring a month and half old baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem (40 days, according to Torah custom). This is normal for newborn boys in Israel. Even though Mary…

The season of Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, is a time to be honest about everything that’s still broken, all the healing that hasn’t happened yet. When Christmas finally comes, we will praise the God who has come into our midst, but until then, we remain in the language of Advent, in which God’s transforming work in and around us isn’t done yet. While the season of Advent makes room for the sourness of not-yet-healed brokenness, it…

Malachi, the final of our Minor Prophets and the final book of the Old Testament, addresses Jerusalem at a time when the temple has been rebuilt as Haggai initially sought out. The priesthood is back in full swing and the temple has once again become the center of Jerusalem’s religious life. But there’s a problem: the priesthood is doing a pretty bad job. Under the priests’ leadership, the Israelites’ worship is lazy and indifferent, their sacrifices and prayers devoid of…