Claimed, gathered and sent

Read what Internet Monk has to say about Advent our need of a savior. http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-mood-of-advent-we-all-need-a-savior

Yesterday, I read on the Lutheran Zephyr's blog ( http://www.lutheranzephyr.com/main/ ) about a Journal of Lutheran Ethics article that is thought provoking. The title is "Spiritual Reinvention and the Andrew Greeley Principle." It is sobering, calling us to deeper relationship with the God who loves is. The link is: http://www.elca.org/jle/article.asp?k=769 .

The Journey goes on forever and ever Our journey with Christ does not end in a specific destination; it always continues in yet another direction. The spiritual journey is about taking a step, even when we are unsure where that will take us. An Hasid story asks the question, "When did the Red Sea part?" According to the Jewish storyteller, the waters separated not when Moses commanded them, not when he waved his staff over the waters. The waters parted when Moses put his feet in. Faith is a journey that is often formed in our weakness. So it is right that we seek safe places to ask questions that lead us forward...questions about death, about life, about Jesus, about tragedy and pain. This concept of journey as an on-going process was beautifully captured in a prayer attributed to Martin Luther sometime in the 16th Century: This life is not one of righteousness, but growth in righteousness..... Not health, but becoming...not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we should be...

There are many outside the church that see it/us as irrelevant. Take a look at what Sally Morgenthaler's thinking about it this regard. The url to her post is: http://blog.christianitytoday.com/giftedforleadership/2007/12/a_more_soulful_religion.html#more