Claire Jerry: Happy New Year! Wait a minute, isn’t that something I’m supposed to say next month?

Jordan Rippy: Much like Lent, the dawning of the new liturgical year is ripe for exploring a new spiritual practice.

Steve Sin: When I decided to seek a commission in the United States Army, I had a simple goal – to be a part of something larger than myself and live every day of my life making a difference

Lynne Parta: Lord Jesus Christ, teach us to listen and respond from heart to heart, with joy and with wholehearted thanksgiving, in gestures and words inspired by your Spirit within me.

Margaret Costello: The church year gives us Advent, a time to reflect more deeply on how Christ continues to come again in our individual lives and in the life of our world.

Kathy Deal: By cooperating with God’s grace, we can be helped to transform our bitterness into joy, our pain into gratitude, our focus on ourselves into love of others.

Paula Mays: When we anticipate the coming of Jesus each Advent, we also anticipate his coming in truth. For Jesus, truth is paramount to salvation.

Matthew Eldred: Peace, that which we are called to contemplate this week, seems to be far afield—perhaps we do not even know what peace looks or feels like.

John Prochilo: Even when the day-to-day chaos feels overwhelming, reflecting on the changes of this year and on the miracle of Christ's birth remind me that we do have truly amazing things in our lives...

Shanda Cooper: In this season of expectant waiting, we reflect on what we have done, what we will no longer do and will do in the days ahead.

Erica Aungst: Advent-time is a time of contemplating arrivals and for contemplating our waiting for arrivals. We remember Jesus’ birth, and celebrate the arrival of God’s presence among us in human form.

William Aram Kachadorian: I regularly study beforehand, when available, the leaflet for any church service I plan to attend, hymns and all, in hope of being fully engaged.

Shawnda Hines: The whole point of all this celebrating Advent is to immerse myself in a community that is walking with integrity toward the light of something new and mysterious but earnestly desired by all of us.

The Rev. Thomas C. Murphy: We wait and look for Jesus, not in the world as it should be, but in the world as it is.

Lin Tate: “Be strong!” Isaiah says. What does that mean? Our current days provide plenty for reflection, and, it seems, many opportunities to be brave and strong.

Jaime Coleman: The Christ-child came and will come again, not only to draw our hearts closer to God, but our whole selves.

Deborah Shepard: On this Advent road, even I can see the North Star, and no neon sign outshines it.

Elliott Shaw: To hope is to meet our questions; our frustrations; our rage; our cynicism; our assuredness with the greatest force of all: love.

Jessica Cain: Rest. Rest. Rest. The call to rest beckons even as I add more tasks and holiday events to my calendar.

Tommy Lee: The stained glass surrounds us with stories, images and words from the Good News.

Maggie Osborn: As we prepare the way of the Lord and to celebrate His birth into the Blessed Family, we must reflect and act to ensure that, like in Bethlehem of old, our communities’ families and individual neighbors are counted as cherished members of our family of God.

Charlotte McKnight: God calls us to hope that tomorrow will be better than today, and that we will do our best to make it so.

Gabe Kajeckas: This Advent season and throughout life, I pray that I may follow Mary’s example, and always say Yes to God’s call, with open hands and open heart.

Vikki Montgomery: Finally, it was a holy night.

Libby Hart: The simple and wonderful truth for us today and every day is that the Christ child brings good news of great joy for us to access at any time.