Jesus waits and longs with you. I shared this thought recently with a woman whose Advent waiting has lasted a few years. The trauma of abuse, the ongoing pain of a divorce, and the seasonal expectation of all things joyful and triumphant were conspiring against her, manifesting in some desperation, even despair. In the prior … Continue reading When Advent Groaning Doesn’t Let Up In Time For Christmas
Advent 4 | What If God Was One Of Us?
Joan Osbourne’s one-hit wonder What if God was one of us? continues to play in my head, nearly 20 years after its extended reign at the top of the pop music charts. It was the Call Me Maybe of its day, that song you’d make fun of but secretly hope to hear every time you … Continue reading Advent 4 | What If God Was One Of Us?
Advent 3 | Do Not Fear, God Will Make a Way
How do I get out of the wilderness? It’s a question I get asked often. When you’re a therapist and you write a book with the subtitle Finding God in the Wilderness Places, you’re inviting hard questions. Advent offers a clue. While the first week of Advent focused on Christ’s promised coming, and while the second focused on how … Continue reading Advent 3 | Do Not Fear, God Will Make a Way
Advent 2 | How Long, Oh Lord?
In the previous blog, we looked at the season of Advent, a time on the Christian calendar that marks a new beginning, an opportunity to observe our busy and frantic life and choose, instead, to live according to a different rhythm, a sacred rhythm. Embedded in the Christian calendar is a kind of ancient psychology, … Continue reading Advent 2 | How Long, Oh Lord?
Advent 1 | Finding Time for God
When I begin seeing the leaves turn, when I smell the turkey roasting in the oven, when the familiar Christmas jingles start playing on every commercial – I know it's time. My calendar still reads November, which makes it hard to believe that invitations to Christmas parties are already showing up in my Inbox. But Christmas … Continue reading Advent 1 | Finding Time for God
Advent Disappointment
Christmas stirs hope. There is a palpable excitement around gift-giving and tree-trimming and party-hopping. And there is also the (legitimate!) hope that the same Jesus who came once upon a time will come once again. But the reality for many is disappointment, once again. Sure, we'll numb ourselves with countless distractions. We'll play Bing Crosby … Continue reading Advent Disappointment