Our Christ was born into a weary world. King Herod ruled the land with a legacy of cruelty. The Romans treated the people of Israel with contempt, imposing heavy taxes and seizing land. Then — all of a sudden — a thrill of hope. During Advent, the Church around the world leans forward in expectation, longing, and hope as we prepare our hearts for Jesus' birth. In our Advent series, we will ask the question: “How does a weary world rejoice?”  Luke 1 tells us that after the angel Gabriel...

Dear Edinburg FUMC family, As we head into November, I offer you the poem “When the sun returns” by Sarah Browning. it is hallelujah time, the swallows tracing an arc of praise just off our balcony, the mountains snow-sparkling in gratitude. Here is our real life —  a handful of possible peonies from the market —  the life we always intended, swallow life threading the city air with our weaving joy. Are we this simple, then, to sing all day — country songs, old hymns, camp tunes? We even...

Beloved and Sent “Just as [Jesus] was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on...