HER STORY: The Birth of Christ, Anna the Prophet

How long have you been waiting for the longing you have been praying about to be fulfilled? A longing you have felt certain God has invited you to pray about, that you feel certain God has indicated will be fulfilled? Anna's story can be told in three stages: There was tragedy early in her life, … Continue reading HER STORY: The Birth of Christ, Anna the Prophet

HER STORY: The Birth of Christ, The Midwife

She is an imagined character, but she was surely there, a midwife to help the young Mary give birth to her first baby. What if the midwife was local to Bethlehem?  What if she had already helped the aging Elizabeth give birth to her one and only child? Even though the character is imagined, there … Continue reading HER STORY: The Birth of Christ, The Midwife

HER STORY: Birth of Christ, Elizabeth

What fascinated Luke, the scientist and doctor, was Jesusโ€™ special emphasis on prayer, the activity of the Holy Spirit, and joyfulness and in his account of Jesusโ€™ birth he highlighted the Holy Spiritโ€™s activity in the lives of five people in these first two chapters. Lukeโ€™s chronicle of Jesusโ€™ life is the longest of the … Continue reading HER STORY: Birth of Christ, Elizabeth

HER STORY: The Birth of Christ, Candle of Joy

Have you ever wondered why the third candle in the advent wreath is pink? Why pink? Why the third Sunday? The short answer is joy! But the long answer is fascinating, and it has something to do with Lent, and something to do with an early Gnostic movement that dismissed Jesus as a real human … Continue reading HER STORY: The Birth of Christ, Candle of Joy