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In this episode Pastor Dave Hall and Pastor Doug Brauner talk about the importance of traditions and how these traditions affect our celebration of Advent and Christmas. They talk about the importance of hearing the story of Jesus’ birth every year and how close we are to forgetting the story.
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Kathleen Norris: Dakota: A Spiritual Geography
Scripture:
I know that some of you reading this blog believe the military is too large others too small. Some of you believe in gun control and others don’t. Yet, this blog is NOT intended to be a platform for a political agenda.
The psalmist is not singing about politics. He sings about hope.
What do we hope will save us? There are many things that we could substitute for the war horse, all of which we hope will save us. “The television is a false hope for salvation…” “My spouse is a false hope for salvation…” “The Oregon Ducks are a false hope for salvation…” (Hey, just trying to keep it light.)
What hits us between the eyes is that we misplace our hope. We think that the created thing can act as a substitute for the Creator.
After declaring that “the war horse is a false hope for salvation” the psalmist writes, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.” Psalm 33:18-19 English Standard Version
The right “thing” is the steadfast love of God; a love reflected to a broken world on a cross and sealed in an empty tomb.
This hope will not disappoint.
Copyright Douglas P Brauner