Today is a good day to read St. Oscar Romero's final sermon.

"I would like to make a special appeal to the men of the army, and specifically to the ranks of the National Guard, the police and the military. Brothers, you come from our own people."

I was reading an excerpt from a Gordon Cosby sermon that talks about how difficult it can be to live with a heart for the poor and refugees in a world that is often evil. He writes, "We must remember: Evil happens. So does love. We choose which place we will live. I want to live in love forever."

I lead a short service for my patients on Tuesday afternoons. Today the scripture is Mark 8:1-10, Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand. We will be thinking about that, and reflecting on this article: www.cjonline.com/story/news/p...

Wesley writes of the progression of faith in three stages. "The first has no light in the things of God, but walks in utter darkness. The second sees the painful light of hell; the third, the joyous light of heaven." Too many get stuck on the second but only see the light shining on their neighbor.

As I get ready for my service, here is a recording of an arrangement of "O Holy Night," I did a few years ago when we had to do Christmas Eve online. Merry Christmas all.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3olr...

As a pastor, I am finding myself irrationally irritated by people asking me what I am doing for the holiday, or if I am traveling.

I love reading Walter Brueggemann during Advent. I think his ideas about empire and imagination go well with the season. I feel like his ideas, particularly around empire's attempts to capture and contain God, feel particularly important right now. Time to reread The Prophetic Imagination.