Isaiah 40:1-11 Mark 1:1-8 I remember one day back in kindergarten when the teacher gave us a coloring sheet and told us, “Color it all in, nice and neat.” I was a little rule follower, so I made it my job to color in and cover over every speck of white within the lines of the picture. I wanted teacher to know she could count on me. I colored just as hard as I could – but I ran into a problem. The pressure of the crayon in my hand was making flakes of colored wax flick right off the paper. Naturally, I panicked. I colored harder, but that only made it worse. Finally, exhausted and out of time, I had to surrender. I just wanted to do it right but, in my mind, I had failed. I’m older now and no longer so obsessive as I was. But a […]
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Pillars of Faith, Part 3: Faith Facing Opposition
Luke 13:10-17 Alice Hoffman wrote a story called Seventh Heaven. It’s about a suburban community in Long Island, near Levittown. It’s the kind of community that popped up all over America after World War II, like Levittown. Tract homes, affordable for first-time homeowners. Streets that never go straight, but change directions, winding around in loops to make sure you won’t drive too fast, but also ensuring you will get lost. Sidewalks everywhere for strollers and tricycles, to keep the kids safe. All the houses look alike, so newcomers driving into the neighborhood get confused about where they are. Neighbors can walk into each other’s homes and know just where everything is, because it is exactly the same as their own house. The story takes place at the end of 1959 and the beginning of 1960, a time when the world is on the verge of change. And the people […]
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