On Life Sunday, we celebrate what God is doing in the life of our congregation and beyond. We have much to celebrate. At the same time, our world is facing another crisis: war. What does it mean to be people who make peace in a world of violence? On Sunday, we celebrate and we lament, trusting that Jesus has given us even greater weapons than those our world wields.

In the spiritual life, we will face many valleys. Valleys are the spaces that are hard—where doubt, uncertainty, and suffering press against the life we actually long to live. In moments like this, we can find comfort in the mountaintop experiences we’ve had with God in the past. While these aren’t the only means of being sustained in hard seasons, they can remind us that even when evidence seems to the contrary, God still is present and still loves us.

How does God see us? How do we see God? How does this inform how we see our world? There are external forces at work that shape our picture of Jesus: our world, culture, institutions, and families. Our image of what God is like is often a blurred distortion of reality. “Vivid” is an invitation to see Christ with greater clarity so that he can become the foundation of a life free from shame. God’s posture towards us all is love. Seeing Jesus in this way changes everything.

How does God see us? How do we see God? How does this inform how we see our world? There are external forces at work that shape our picture of Jesus: our world, culture, institutions, and families. Our image of what God is like is often a blurred distortion of reality. “Vivid” is an invitation to see Christ with greater clarity so that he can become the foundation of a life free from shame. God’s posture towards us all is love. Seeing Jesus in this way changes everything.

How does God see us? How do we see God? How does this inform how we see our world? There are external forces at work that shape our picture of Jesus: our world, culture, institutions, and families. Our image of what God is like is often a blurred distortion of reality. “Vivid” is an invitation to see Christ with greater clarity so that he can become the foundation of a life free from shame. God’s posture towards us all is love. Seeing Jesus in this way changes everything.

How does God see us? How do we see God? How does this inform how we see our world? There are external forces at work that shape our picture of Jesus: our world, culture, institutions, and families. Our image of what God is like is often a blurred distortion of reality. “Vivid” is an invitation to see Christ with greater clarity so that he can become the foundation of a life free from shame. God’s posture towards us all is love. Seeing Jesus in this way changes everything.

How does God see us? How do we see God? How does this inform how we see our world? There are external forces at work that shape our picture of Jesus: our world, culture, institutions, and families. Our image of what God is like is often a blurred distortion of reality. “Vivid” is an invitation to see Christ with greater clarity so that he can become the foundation of a life free from shame. God’s posture towards us all is love. Seeing Jesus in this way changes everything.

Advent is a season that anticipates the coming of Jesus into the world. With ancient Israel—after years of violence, upheaval, disobedience, times of repentance, and longing—we look forward to the coming Messiah. Only he is able to bring true peace to the nations and to usher in the renewed creation. So during this season, we anticipate. We step into the tension with the ancient people of God to experience prophetic longings with them—all the while knowing that Jesus will come (and indeed has come!) to fulfill all the hopes of previous times.

Advent is a season that anticipates the coming of Jesus into the world. With ancient Israel—after years of violence, upheaval, disobedience, times of repentance, and longing—we look forward to the coming Messiah. Only he is able to bring true peace to the nations and to usher in the renewed creation. So during this season, we anticipate. We step into the tension with the ancient people of God to experience prophetic longings with them—all the while knowing that Jesus will come (and indeed has come!) to fulfill all the hopes of previous times.

Advent is a season that anticipates the coming of Jesus into the world. With ancient Israel—after years of violence, upheaval, disobedience, times of repentance, and longing—we look forward to the coming Messiah. Only he is able to bring true peace to the nations and to usher in the renewed creation. So during this season, we anticipate. We step into the tension with the ancient people of God to experience prophetic longings with them—all the while knowing that Jesus will come (and indeed has come!) to fulfill all the hopes of previous times.

Advent is a season that anticipates the coming of Jesus into the world. With ancient Israel—after years of violence, upheaval, disobedience, times of repentance, and longing—we look forward to the coming Messiah. Only he is able to bring true peace to the nations and to usher in the renewed creation. So during this season, we anticipate. We step into the tension with the ancient people of God to experience prophetic longings with them—all the while knowing that Jesus will come (and indeed has come!) to fulfill all the hopes of previous times.