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Pastor Annette's Blog

"OF ALL THE THINGS GOD HAS SHOWN ME, I CAN SPEAK BUT A LITTLE WORD NOT MORE THAN A HONEYBEE CAN CARRY AWAY ON ITS FOOT FROM AN OVERFLOWING JAR."
~ MECHTHILD OF MAGDEBURG, 13TH CENTURY MYSTIC

How to Reset Heart and Mind

12/4/2018

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December 4, 2018

Beloved:

Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in one lifetime;  therefore, we must be saved by hope.
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
    therefore, we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; 
therefore, we are saved by love.
                                  ~ Reinhold Niebuhr

  
Picture
          While Reverend Niebuhr titled his poem The Irony of American History, it rings with the lyrics of Advent.  Hope, faith, and love are the essential skill set for life in the spirit.  Without them we have only the promises and powers of this world to sustain us, a known recipe for calamity.

          Advent invites us to reset heart and mind to what we believe deep down:  that all we see and hear is not all there is to see and hear; that God is at work in the world right now, visible and audible to whoever will watch and listen.  Where justice, kindness, and humility are thriving, God is there.  Where peace persists in the midst of violence, where the hungry are fed, the prisoner set free, and the poor regarded with dignity, God is there. Where hatred fails and love thrives, where truth prevails in the face of duplicity, and evil dies by its own sword, God is there.

           Abide in me, Jesus tells us.  The task, always, is to pray.  Put heart and head, body and soul outside this world’s reach as often as we can for as long as we can, practicing the watching and the hearing so necessary for this life.  I pray you are made strong in hope, faith, and love this Advent season. 

~ peace & prayers,
pastor annette
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    I write a Tuesday morning devotional to members and friends of UBC.  It is also posted here. 
     
    Enjoy!  
    Pastor Annette

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    Everything on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons license, which gives you permission to copy freely, provided that you attribute the work to me, that you use the work for non-commercial purposes, and that you do not produce derivative works.

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  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Staff
    • Annette Hill Briggs, Pastor
    • Rob Drummond ~ Music Minister
  • Listen & Read
    • Sermons
    • Pastor's Blog
    • #ITSYOURCHURCHTOO >
      • About >
        • When & Where?
        • Ministries >
          • Worship >
            • Music
            • Worship Arts
            • Worship Resources
          • Fellowship >
            • Wednesday Night Supper
            • Church Recipes
          • Service >
            • MCUM Collections
            • Habitat for Humanity Project
          • Vacation Bible School
        • Our Story >
          • Denomination
          • Who We Are
        • Contact
        • Calendar
    • Social Media Feed
  • Give
  • Newsletter