Preacher: Nathan Hosler Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 96, Luke 2:1-20 A Mystery As I thought of love and the coming Christ child, the red leaf glittered. How and why? I wondered. There is almost a metallic character as the morning sunlight passed through. What is it that makes this growing energy-producing panel, which I mundanely…
Tag: Advent
New Life from a Stump (Holy Hope)
Preacher: Jennifer Hosler Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-10 This week, I was catching up with a parent at my kid’s school, knowing that they had visited their older adult parents over Thanksgiving and that they were tasked with hosting an extended-family-Thanksgiving. I asked how it went and he said, “I don’t know why we always put it…
Joy, or, You Brood of Vipers – Third Sunday of Advent
Lectio Divina Led by Jennifer Hosler Isaiah 12:1-6; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18 This is the third Sunday of Advent. Traditionally, the theme for this Sunday is Joy. Joy or rejoice is seen throughout several of our lectionary scriptures. For our candle lighting, we read a passage from Isaiah, which is read today in…
Watch out, I’m on my way.
By Dana Cassell Malachi 3: 1-4 – Third Sunday of Advent One Saturday in May of 2020, I left my house – which, if you remember, was kind of a big deal during that season – to go volunteer in the newly created community garden at the Parktown Food Hub, a community food pantry and…
Waiting. Hoping. Christmas 2023
Preacher: Pastor Nathan Hosler, PhD Date: December 24, 2023 Scripture: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26, Luke 1:26-28, 2:1-40, Titus 3:4-7 Waiting with bated breath we have been. Waiting for the coming Christ child. In these weeks of Advent—we have—at least principle, been waiting for the promised Messiah, the long-expected savior. Waiting. Longing. Hoping. If, however, you were distracted…
Mercy (3rd Sunday of Advent)
Preacher: Julia Baker Date: December 17, 2023 Scripture: Luke 1:46b-55; Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 At this time, only the audio is available for the sermon, which you can find below.
Voices that We Do Not Expect
Preacher: Pastor Jennifer Hosler, PhD Date: December 10, 2023 Scripture: Mark 1:1-8, Luke 1:39-55 I learned a new word recently: muzak. I was reading a Bethany Theological Seminary update email with a reflection by President Jeff Carter that included this word, discussing the saturation of stores with Christmas background music during this season. Momentarily puzzled, I…
Joy and Peace
Preacher: Nathan Hosler Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25 Date: December 18, 2022 It was Saturday morning and still dark. I awoke and looked at my clock. 5:19. Perfect—not too early, not too late. Still a few minutes until my alarm would go off. Headed off to my first race since April 2019. Which was feeling enormously long…
Hope Despite a Tree Cut Down
Preacher: Jenn Hosler Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-8a, 12-13 Date: December 4, 2022 Do you consider yourself a hopeful person? A glass half-full or a glass half-empty kind of person? Or, perhaps a third way, do you see a glass filled with possibilities? You say to yourself, I can work with the amount of water…
Bright, Shining Wonder
Preacher: Jennifer Hosler Scripture: Luke 2:1-20 For those of us in the northern hemisphere, December is marked by short days and long nights. It is an adjustment for everyone, that first troubling transition out of daylight savings time when it just seems so very dark, so very early. I find those first few weeks quite…
Washington City Church of the Brethren 