²¹ Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” ²² This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” ²³ But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴ I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” ²⁵ “Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. ²⁶ “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” ²⁷ They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. ²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. ²⁹ The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” ³⁰ Even as he spoke, many believed in him. John 8:21-30 NIV

Shortly after Jesus scattered the accusers of a woman with a scarred past, those in the crowd became more curious about the identity of the one who dismissed the law professors by simply writing a mysterious message in the sand.

A short time later, as Jesus resumed his teaching he announced, “I am the light of the world” (v.12). This again caused the Pharisees to challenge his declaration and question his true identity.

Identity verification has come a long way since the time of Jesus. Often, one or more printed documents are required to confirm one’s identity. In the United States, acceptable identity documents include a state-issued driver’s license or identity card, a social security card and a United States passport.

There are also more advanced ways to authenticate one’s identity including digital fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, voice recognition, and DNA comparison.

Rather than pulling out a heavenly ID card or scanning an incarnate fingerprint, Jesus identifies himself by his words and actions. John’s gospel underscores that Jesus is not of this world, he was sent on a redemptive mission by God the Father, he forgives those that others condemn, he is a light that shines in darkness, he is one whose aim is to please God, and he is one whose identity will be widely known once he is lifted up or raised.

Just as there were those who came before Jesus claiming to be the Messiah, there are many more who came afterward claiming that they were the Christ. Perhaps a greater dilemma has been the misrepresentation of Jesus by the people professing to represent the Christian faith. Too often Jesus is portrayed as the accuser or he is depicted as a mascot for one’s preferred political party.

There are some surefire ways to identify Jesus. Jesus is the one who says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more!” (v11). Jesus is the one who brings light to the dark spaces and places in your life. Jesus is the one who, like God who sent him, doesn’t abandon you in the tough times in life.

During Lent, as we revisit the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry, let us sort through the urban myths and superstitions about Jesus, and let us rediscover and reaffirm his identity as the Son of God who was sent to deliver us from our sins.

(Barry Howard serves as the pastor of the Church at Wieuca, a diverse, mission-driven congregation in the Buckhead Community in North Atlanta. He and his wife, Amanda, reside nearby in Brookhaven, Georgia. Barry also serves as a columnist and leadership coach for the Center for Healthy Churches.)

When a congregation welcomes a new pastor, it is an exciting time for both the congregation and the minister. To maximize this new beginning, it is important to prepare spiritually, cognitively, and emotionally for a new chapter.

Once a call to a new pastor is confirmed, there are a few things you can do personally and congregationally to prepare to follow a new spiritual leader:

• Pray for your new pastor.

In most of the churches I know, members pray for the pastor search team throughout the search process, and they pray for the pastor even before they know the identity of their new minister. They also pray for their new pastor in the pastor’s inaugural days of ministry.

However, I suggest making a commitment to pray daily for your pastor throughout the duration of his or her ministry. Once the “honeymoon period” is over and the daily grind of ministry begins, praying for your pastor will strengthen your pastor’s ministry and will fortify your bond with your pastor.

• Send your pastor a welcome note or email.

Be careful not to make this correspondence a lengthy epistle and certainly don’t make it a diatribe itemizing your personal expectations or agenda. Just offer a brief note, introducing yourself and/or family, and offering a heartfelt welcome.

When I moved to my last pastorate, I received over a hundred such notes, which confirmed and intensified my excitement about my new place of service.

• Mention your name on your first several encounters with your new pastor.

Once your new pastor arrives, make sure to offer your name in each greeting for the first few weeks. Learning names is important for pastors. And be sure not to embarrass the pastor by quizzing, “Do you remember my name?” Give your pastor the opportunity to learn your name and, over time, to learn a part of your life story.

• Embrace the uniqueness of your pastor.

Your pastor has a distinct personality, a unique set of spiritual gifts, and a diverse set of experiences. When the Spirit leads a church to a new pastor, the Spirit seldom leads a church or committee to a person just like the previous pastor or the beloved pastor from the church’s history. To compare your new pastor to any other is to disrespect the Spirit’s role in guiding you to your new pastor in the first place.

• Be prepared to follow.

A pastor who is worth his or her salt must lead in both optimal and challenging situations. And the kingdom of God is enriched when we as a congregation follow our pastor and embrace our mission with enthusiasm.

As a veteran pastor, I am quite aware that there is a small minority of pastors who are “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” whose motives are deceptive and whose methods are manipulative, and they need to be held accountable. However, the vast majority of pastor’s I know provide proactive leadership that is Spirit-led and mission focused.

Don’t be a backseat driver. Serve with your best gifts.

• Encourage your congregation to provide a coach for your pastor for the first 100 days or longer.

The first 100 days of a new pastorate are a precious resource that should be thoughtfully and carefully spent by the pastor and the congregation. Inviting a coach to guide this process is a worthwhile investment of resources and time. The intent is to proactively engage a series of opportunities and key people. Without a thoughtful plan, the pressing agendas and needs of the church and people will crowd out the less urgent, but very important agenda that deserves attention.

Although I had several years of pastoral experience, I hired a coach a few years ago to help sharpen and update my leadership skills. I only wish I had retained a coach earlier in my ministry. The Center for Healthy Churches can assist your church in providing a leadership coach for your pastor during his or her first 100 days.

• Be attentive to caring for the pastor’s family during the transition and afterward.

You are not just calling a pastor; you are calling a pastor’s family. Moving is difficult for everyone, but it is perhaps even more challenging for a pastor’s family. Sometimes the children and spouse stay behind to complete the school year. Often the pastor’s family must live in temporary housing before they find a permanent home.

It is especially challenging for a pastor’s children to leave their friends behind and move to a new school and church. It is also difficult for a pastor’s spouse to transfer to a new community, a new social network, and possibly even a new place of employment.

While your church is excited about welcoming a new pastor, keep in mind that your new pastor and their family are going to be dealing with grief of departure even as they are trying to embrace the excitement of a new beginning. These emotions are tough to balance.

• If your new pastor moved during the pandemic, provide an opportunity for your church and community to meet the pastor’s family in-person.

During the past two years, quite a few churches have proceeded to call pastors via one of the many video options. A few of those pastors preached via livestream only for their first several months. Others met a few members in-person and look forward to meeting other members of the church family.

Unusual circumstances call for radical creativity. Once it is reasonably safe to do so, plan a picnic, a reception, or some other fun event to welcome the pastor and their family even if they have been on the field for several months. A Zoom introduction just isn’t the same as a face-to-face welcome.

• Give your pastor permission to fail.

The best pastors don’t succeed 100 percent of the time. And as churches and pastors adapt to ministry in the post-pandemic world, there will be higher degree of trial and error than there was in the pre-pandemic era.

A few weeks into one of my pastoral assignments, a sincere church member said to me, “I am glad you’re here. Every pastor I have had has disappointed me. I hope you never disappoint me.” I quickly countered, “Let me just disappoint you right now and get it out of the way. Like you I am an imperfect human being who will make mistakes. But if we forgive one another as God has forgiven us, we will get along just fine.”

I must admit, I think my response disappointed this well-intentioned member. Don’t hold your pastor to a standard of perfection that is impossible to maintain. Allow your minister room to make mistakes.

• Speak positively about your pastor publicly and privately.

One of the ways we bring out the best in our ministers is to speak well of them publicly and privately. With most pastors, it is easy to find something to criticize, because every minister has weaknesses: “He is too loud.” “She is too soft-spoken.” “He uses big words I don’t understand.” “She is not a people person.”

However, every pastor has more strengths than weaknesses. A healthy pastoral tenure is nurtured when we magnify our pastor’s strengths, and then minimize and compensate for our pastor’s weaknesses.

There are many other ways to welcome your new pastor and to launch your pastor into an effective and healthy tenure. If you compare them to your favorite football coach and expect them to “win every game,” not only will you be disappointed, you will also make your minister miserable and ultimately ineffective.

But if you receive your new pastor as a spiritual leader sent to encourage your faithfulness, challenge your presuppositions, and bring out God’s best in you, then the relationship between pastor and congregation will be vibrant and effective.

A few years ago, one of my colleagues and mentors, Hardy Clemons, reminded a group of us of the peculiar role of serving as a pastor: “Our goal is to minister: it is not to show a profit, amass a larger financial corpus or grow bigger for our own security. The ultimate goals are to accept God’s grace, share the good news, invite and equip disciples, and foster liberty and justice for all.”

And as church members, we are privileged to co-labor with our pastor in this transformative work of demonstrating grace, sharing the good news, and equipping disciples.

The Center for Healthy Churches promotes healthy practices and relationships among clergy and congregations. CHC consultants are committed to the local church and we stand ready to assist you as you navigate the unique challenges and opportunities of your place of service. For more information about our services, please contact us.

(Barry Howard serves as the pastor of the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta. He also serves as a Leadership Coach with the Center for Healthy Churches. He and his wife, Amanda, currently resides in Brookhaven, Georgia. His writings also appear on his blog, Barrys Notes, and you can follow him on Twitter @BarrysNotes.)

One of the most important things we can do this side of heaven is to encourage another person. Encouragement is a game changer. An encouraging word spoken at just the right time can unleash the God’s best in another human being even as it utilizes God’s best in us.

As a part of our Spring Sermon Series on The God Factor, I shared a message this morning about “The Encouragement Factor” based on I Thessalonians 5:8-11.

Jamila Smith, our Pastoral Care Intern, read the preview of my sermon, then composed a poem about encouragement which I asked her to share following the scripture reading. Jamila’s poem not only prepared the table for today’s message; her inspiring words illuminated the sermon.

Here is the poem, shared with Jamila’s blessing…

Encouragement

By: Jamila Smith

Encouragement

In courage I meant

So often, we forget that it takes courage to encourage.

For in my weakness, I tear you down, but in courage, I will build you up.

In my weakness, my words taste sour, but in courage, they will be sweet like honey.

In my weakness, I hate, but in courage I love.

This is not as easy as you think.

It is easier to see your flaws than it is to see your strength.

It is easier to see what is wrong than it is to see what is right.

It is easier to leave than it is to stay and endure the night.

But friend…I will stay.

I will stay and tell you the beauty of your ways.

Affirm in you that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Remind you that your mistakes do not compare to God’s grace.

To let you know that your voice matters.

That your character is strong despite the gossip and the chatter.

For you carry the imago Dei.

You are an awe-inspired mirror of God’s face.

You are not an accident but strategically placed.

Know who you are and whose you are as you run this race.

Encouragement

Encourage, this is what I mean.

This is what I intend.

Did you know your tongue is a pen?

It chooses to write life or death on the hearts of those who take it in.

So dear friend, may your pen write life.

And even in the darkest of deeds a person may commit,

Somewhere deep inside them is a spark of God’s light.

Embarking on a journey through a challenging book is a soul-nurturing, mind-stretching adventure. Mortimer Adler suggested, “Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.”

My appreciation for reading was slow to develop. But when it emerged, it surged. As a teenager, I perceived reading to be a nuisance and somewhat of a necessary evil to attain decent grades in school. However, at some point early in my college experience, I learned to value the gift of reading, not just for assignments or entertainment, but for personal growth and development.

As a pastor, I need to read widely to stay current and to speak with fresh relevance on a variety of topics. More importantly, I need books like I need food, to satisfy cognitive hunger and to probe intellectual curiosity. Books stimulate my thinking, exercise my memory muscles, and challenge my presuppositions.

As I grow older, I continue to find that reading is relaxing, engaging, and often inspirational. The discipline of reading not only exercises my mind, it expands my thinking.

Typically, I read a variety of genres including fiction, spirituality, theology, history, and biography. And I usually keep from three to five books going at the same time, a practice that was recommended by Opal Lovett, one of the most influential faculty members from my college years. This approach invites a variety of authors to be conversation partners in my internal dialogue.

I also intentionally read books I disagree with. Rather than making me combative, the practice of reading opposing viewpoints challenges me to test my assumptions and it familiarizes me with a variety of perspectives. This discipline equips me to dialogue and debate intelligibly, and not just emotively.

Around the beginning of the year, I make a list of books that I plan to read during the coming year. While I expect to read 40-50 books this year, I have already compiled a list of twenty-two books I want to be sure to read in 2022:

1. What Comes Next?: Shaping the Future in an Ever-Changing World – A Guide for Christian Leaders by Nicholas Skytland and Alicia Llewellyn. 
2. Up and Down by Bubba Watson.
3. A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message by Winn Collier.
4. Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans and Jeff Chu.
5. The Wilderness Zone by Walter Brueggemann.
6. Winsome Conviction: Disagreeing without Dividing the Church by Tim Muehlhoff and Richard Langer.
7. Searching for Certainty: Finding God in the Disruptions of Life by Shelly Miller and Emily Freeman.
8. Letters to the Church by Frances Chan.
9. The Influential Mentor by Maina Mwaura.
10. The Stranger in the Life Boat by Mitch Albom.
11. Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom for Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World by John Phillip Newell.
12. Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church by Scot McKnight.
13. Dream Town by David Baldacci.
14. The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin.
15. The Pastor’s Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry by Austin Carty and Thomas G. Long.
16. The Lord’s Prayer: The Meaning and Power of the Prayer Jesus Taught by Adam Hamilton.
17. The Luminous Web: Faith, science and the experience of wonder by Barbara Brown Taylor.
18. Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask about Social Justice by Thaddeus Williams.
19. God of All Things: Rediscovering the Sacred in an Everyday World by Andrew Wilson.
20. Hope in Times of Fear: The Resurrection and the Meaning of Easter by Timothy Keller.
21. Insider Outsider: My Journey as a Stranger in White Evangelicalism and My Hope for Us All by Bryan Loritts.
22. At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor by Carey Nieuwhof.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a fast reader or a slow reader, a hard print reader or an e-book reader, read for quality, not quantity. Richard Steele observed, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”

Enjoy the books you choose in 2022!

(Barry Howard serves as the pastor of the Church at Wieuca in Atlanta. He also serves as a columnist and leadership coach with the Center for Healthy Churches.)

My high school youth group was encouraged not only to have a “quiet time” each day, but also to “read the Bible through.”

I remember how intimidating this challenge was for a group of teenagers. Back then, for me to read one chapter of Leviticus or Deuteronomy was like taking a sedative. Nonetheless, I accepted the challenge.

Now, all these years later, I have made it a regular practice to read, or listen, through a variety of translations of the Bible.

One of the blessings of growing up Baptist is that I was taught to love and appreciate the Bible as a uniquely inspired volume, “a treasure of divine instruction.” (Baptist Faith and Message 1963, Article I).

There are multiple ways to approach the Bible, and not all of them are good.

It is possible to weaponize the Bible, using it to attack others by stringing together “cut and paste” verses to bombard those who do not live according to its teachings.

Some politicize the Bible, using it to endorse their candidate, to affirm their party platform or to legitimize their agenda.

And some are content to romanticize the Scriptures, reducing it to slogans and platitudes and speaking of it affectionately without allowing this two-edged scalpel to biopsy their own souls.

Healthy churches encourage their members to read and study the Bible regularly, immersing their lives in its teachings, allowing it to inform and transform their worldview.

Healthy churches hold a high view of Scripture, proposing that the Bible defies antiquity and speaks with fresh relevance into the issues of our day.

Healthy churches teach and preach a curriculum anchored in the whole body of Scripture, not a redacted canon of favorite verses.

One good way for a church to help its members deepen their faith and develop a theological foundation is to promote the discipline of reading through the entire Bible.

There are many benefits of reading the Bible through. Here are 12 that have enriched my life and faith:

1. Helps us understand the Bible in context. We are better equipped to interpret whole passages, rather than merely citing our favorite verses in a way that disconnects them from their original stories.
2. Heightens our awareness of the major themes of the Bible. Salvation, grace, redemption, suffering, perseverance and hope are just a few examples of the refrains we encounter from Genesis to the Revelation.
3. Highlights the diversity within God’s family. The various characters in the drama of Scripture illustrate that an assorted human cast comprises a vast spiritual family.
4. Introduces us to various genres of literature. In the Bible, we encounter prose and poetry, history and prophecy, parable and proverb, commandment and beatitude. And each typology serves as a vehicle of communication offering specific clues on the interpretation and application of a given text.
5. Equips us with interpretation skills. As we grow more familiar with the text, we are better able to discern between the descriptive passages and prescriptive teachings. By becoming better acquainted with the ancient community of faith, we may readily extrapolate the implications and applications for our own emerging culture.
6. Inspires us to wrestle with difficult texts. Serious students of the Bible must contend with seeming incongruities and perplexing paradoxes. It is either naïve or dishonest to pretend such challenging passages do not exist. Scripture is durable. Don’t be afraid to grapple with the tough texts.
7. Deepens our appreciation for those human instruments who gave us the Bible. In reading the whole canon, we grow in gratitude for the writers, editors, scribes and scholars who penned, edited and preserved the biblical texts across the ages.
8. Expands our worship repertoire. As we encounter the rich variety of liturgies, prayers and instrumentation included in Scripture, we more naturally value psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as our native tongue for worship.
9. Builds a reservoir of wisdom and knowledge in us. As we “hide the word in our heart,” we are collecting a repertoire of spiritual wisdom to help us navigate all the seasons of life.
10. Opens our minds to new ideas. We are inspired toward relevant and contextual applications of Scripture for our day. And we are much more likely to welcome the Spirit to work in new ways among us and much less likely to approach church life with a “back to Egypt” mentality.
11. Deconstructs our preferences and prejudices. We are called to move beyond our own assumptions and presuppositions and to realign our lives with newly discovered truth and insight.
12. Encourages us to be lifetime students of the Bible. Reading the Bible through enhances my appetite for a deeper investigation, compelling me to continually probe its content and reflect on it claims.

There are many read-the-Bible-through plans available online. Even if you are not a faithful reader, you can become an avid listener. Most Bible apps have audible options, which allow us to listen to the Bible through.

If you want to be a more devoted follower of Jesus and a more knowledgeable student of the Bible, embark on the journey of reading through the Bible in its entirety. And don’t skip the difficult sections. You may unearth a cache of spiritual treasure there.

(Barry Howard currently serves as the pastor of the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta. He also serves as a columnist and leadership coach with the Center for Healthy Churches.)

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”  Isaiah 9:2

It’s dark outside, and today seems even darker than usual. And it should. Today is the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year.

We may be prone to greet the day like Simon and Garfunkel singing, “Hello, darkness, my old friend. I’ve come to talk with you again.”

For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere, the Winter Solstice, usually occurs on December 21.  The solstice, which literally means “sun stood still,” officially marks the beginning of winter. The Earth’s axial tilt is at its furthest point from the sun, allowing the least amount of daylight to reach the earth.

While it may be merely coincidental that the darkest day arrives just prior to our customary celebration of Christmas, from my experience as a pastor, I am aware that holidays can be dark days emotionally for many of us.  If we have lost a family member or friend this year, our grief may peak during the holidays. If we have had a tumultuous year, a sense of melancholy or depression may hang over our life like a dark cloud. If we tend toward being anxious, the uncertainties of life may trigger feelings of panic or rob us of our motivation. There are many reasons the darkness may deepen.

Remember the ancient epic poem about Job, the good man who lost everything. As Job grappled with his grief, he initially blamed God. In The Message, Job 23:16-17 translates the lament of Job like this: God makes my heart sink! God Almighty gives me the shudders! I’m completely in the dark, I can’t see my hand in front of my face.

Darkness and grief come in many shapes and sizes. As we deal with our own grief it is important to remember that the Bible never tells us not to grieve, but it does counsel us not to grieve “as those who have no hope” (I Thessalonians 4:13).

Our faith does not exempt us from the darkness, but our faith does help us to process our grief with hope and courage. Grief does not have the final word. In those seasons when the darkness deepens, help us catch the glimmer of the Light of Christmas.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you for being our comforter and friend.  May the Light of Christmas help us navigate our darkest moments.  Amen.

(Barry Howard serves as the pastor at the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta. He also serves as a columnist and leadership coach for the Center for Healthy Churches.)

Grief is tough to deal with any time of the year, but it is especially challenging during the holidays. Why does grief seem to turn up the volume during the holiday season?

I think there are at least three reasons that grief is more pronounced from Thanksgiving through Christmas. First, the nostalgia surrounding the holidays and other special occasions prompts us to recall memories more readily. Second, these events tend to frame the absence of our loved ones. For example, a chair that was occupied at the family table may be vacant this year. And third, we tend to be more emotive during the holidays. Our sensory capacity is thrust into high gear.

Since grief is more profound during the holiday season, how do we deal with it? One approach is to repress the grief under the guise of being strong. However, repressed grief becomes toxic and can lead to depression or illness. It’s better to confront grief head on. Here are ten helpful ways to navigate grief during the holidays:

• Proactively prepare for holiday grief. Don’t avoid it or deny it. Engage it. The best therapy for grief is to grieve.
• Do a soft re-set on your holiday traditions. Determine which traditions to keep and which to eliminate. And start at least one new tradition. Since grief has a way of reconfiguring life, relationships, and family, embrace the new configuration by beginning at least one new tradition.
• Highlight a favorite event or experience of your loved one. Choose something that was a favorite food, game, song, or activity of your departed loved one, and find a way to highlight it during the holidays. For example, if they loved driving around to see Christmas lights, do it this year in memory of them. If they loved coconut cake, make one and have everyone try a bite.
• Be creative in “work arounds.” Let’s say that Grandpa always read the Christmas story after dinner from his recliner. It may be too emotional for the family to have someone else read the Christmas story from Grandpa’s recliner. Consider having one or more of the grandchildren read the Christmas story before dinner around the dinner table.
• Plan a strategic holiday memorial gift. If Grandma was in a mission group and supported the Christmas Mission Offering, plan for the family to each give a gift to the mission offering in her memory. If Grandpa served on the Properties Committee at church, consider a gift toward campus improvement in his memory. Plan the gift to correspond to one of the passions of your departed loved one.
• Tell lots of stories. For years I’ve encouraged families to continue to treasure the memories and tell the stories. Stories are therapeutic, for sure. But they are also formational and nurturing. One reason genealogies are included in the Bible is because stories of our ancestors help shape our identities.
• Continue the conversation. Most of us tend to continue an internal dialogue with our departed loved ones after they are gone. Sometimes it involves a gut-wrenching confession such as, “Daddy, there are so many things I wish I had told you.” Much of the time it is something as simple as, “I sure do miss you.” And of course, such a dialogue may include good humor such as, “The lights at the top of the tree have gone out again, and I suspect you may have had something to do with that.” It is important during the holidays to keep the conversation going, and maybe even rev it up a bit.
• Designate moments for quiet and solitude. Be careful not to withdraw into a cocoon of isolation. But likewise, be careful not to bury your grief in a flurry of holiday events and activities.
• Participate in holiday services at your church. Not everyone is ready to return to active participation in worship or a small group for the first week or two after a memorial service.Of course, things will be different when you return. But the longer you wait to re-engage, the tougher it will be to adjust to a new normal. Somehow, the music and message of Advent and Christmas invoke hope and courage. So, the holidays may be the best time to return to active participation.
• Write a letter to your departed loved one. In the letter tell them what you are feeling during the holidays. Then read the letter aloud as though the departed friend or family member is in the room with you. We think and we speak with different sides of the brain. To reflect, write, and then speak what you have written is healthier and more holistic than simply writing it down. It’s your choice whether to keep the letter confidential or to share it with other family members.

Healthy expressions of grief include finding the right balance of tears and laughter, of connecting and disconnecting, and of lamentation and celebration.

And remember, not every member of the family grieves in the same way or at the same pace. Allow space for family members to grieve in their own way.

There’s no doubt the weight of grief can be heavier during the holidays. But the holidays also present great opportunities for finding positive and proactive ways to deal with our grief.

(Barry Howard serves as pastor of the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta. Previously, he served as a pastoral counselor in Pensacola, Florida.)

Advent is a prime season for deepening or re-igniting one’s devotional life. Devotional reading, contemplation, and prayer are disciplines that nurture our spiritual health in all seasons; And if you opt to go “paperless” in your devotional reading there are many excellent Advent resources available online.

When I was in high school the student ministry at my home church challenged us to begin the practice of a daily “quiet time.” Since that time, my personal devotional practice has been a primary catalyst for spiritual growth and direction.

Across the years, however, that seedling notion of a “quiet time” has emerged into an early morning ritual that is grounded inspirational reading, prayer, and meditation. And the devotional resources I utilize are highly diverse, including classic devotionals, books by noted authors, and reflections shared by church members.

A few years ago I decided to go “paperless” in my devotional time choosing to utilize online Bible apps and a variety of e-resources for my devotional time. Online resources are especially helpful during holiday travels because the resources can be accessed on any internet computer or smart device including laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Going paperless also keeps my desktop a lot less cluttered whether I am at home or in my office.

Most online devotional sites provide complimentary access, and the costs are covered through donations or advertising revenue. And perhaps most importantly, like any electronic communication, e-devotionals save paper and are friendly to the environment.

As I began preparing for Advent this year, I previewed a few good resources to share with my congregation and to use in my own personal devotional time. I wanted to find resources that are easily accessible, theologically sound, and culturally relevant.

Like other online devotional resources, Advent E-Devotions may be posted by churches, missional organizations, or individuals. A few of the devotional sites invite you to register your email address and they will send a daily devotional directly to your inbox. Other sites have corresponding “apps” that you can download making access easier on your mobile devices. And all online sites can be bookmarked or added to your favorites list for ease of access.

Here are a few examples of online Advent devotional options that you might find helpful:

Local churches often provide links to their Advent Devotional Booklets. For example, my friend Dave Snyder, pastor at First Baptist Pensacola, has written a series of Advent Devotionals posted at https://www.fbcp.org/events/2021-advent-devotional. These booklets can usually be accessed as a PDF file, or downloaded to a tablet, Kindle, or E-reader.

D365.org is sponsored by Passport Camps and provides a daily Advent devotional that is appropriate for students or adults. (http://d365.org/)

Buckner International is a faith-based social service organization based in Dallas that serves hundreds of thousands of people each year across the United States and around the globe. Their Advent guide, written by assorted authors, can be downloaded at Advent starts today · Buckner International

Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) offers an option to read Advent devotionals online or to listen via apps such as Spotify, IHeart Radio, Alexa, or Google Home. Advent Devotions :: Lutheran Hour Ministries (lhm.org)

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary provides an Advent Devotional W-Book written by members of the seminary community. This e-book also offers a read option and an audio option, and can be accessed at http://www.pts.edu/devotional_1.

Sacred Space is an online prayer site provided by the Irish Jesuits. They provide a guided Advent devotional series and an Advent Retreat option at www.sacredspace.ie.

Whether you are new to the practice of a daily devotional experience or a long-time practitioner, you may discover that an Advent E-Devotion will enrich your preparation for Christmas and deepen your faith as you learn more about the life and teachings of Jesus.

(Barry Howard serves as pastor at the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta. He also serves as a leadership coach and columnist for the Center for Healthy Churches.)

In the 1970’s when Interstate 20 opened between Atlanta and Birmingham, many in my home community were looking forward to faster travel on the new freeway. For years, my family had traveled to Birmingham from Anniston on old highway 78, a two-lane road that would take us past Lake Logan Martin near Pell City and over the mountain near Chula Vista.

After I-20 opened, I was excited to accompany my grandparents on our annual trip to the Eastwood Mall to see “the real Santa,” to ride the escalator in Pizitz Department Store, and to do a little Christmas shopping. I was surprised, however, to find that my grandfather preferred to drive the old two lane highway rather than the new expressway. He would often say something like, “The freeway is for people who are in a rush. The backroads are for people who want to enjoy the trip.”

I didn’t know anything about Advent back then, but now I understand that, in a sense, Advent really is the scenic route to Christmas. There seems to be a subtle force in the ethos of our economy that pushes us to travel toward Christmas in the fast lane, implying that the season is all about shopping and spending, and acquiring and accumulating. Advent encourages us to go slow and breathe in the landscape as we make our journey to Bethlehem.

As a young pastor, I was introduced to the colors and candles of Advent and my trek toward Christmas changed drastically. Today, I am convinced more than ever that as mission-driven Christians who live in a market-driven culture we need the reflective disciplines of Advent to keep us alert to stealth influences like materialism, busyness, and greed, illusive forces that tend to cloak the real message of the season and replace it with superficial slogans and commercial clichés. 

Advent is a time to listen for a truth that is bigger than words and to long for a gift that cannot be bought in a store or ordered online. By helping us reconnect with the heart of the Christmas story, Advent challenges us to reject cultural notions of a Jesus who promises prosperity, success, and self-fulfillment, and calls us to follow the biblical Jesus who offers forgiveness, exemplifies simplicity, and teaches self-denial.

For a Jesus followers, the season of Advent is like a scenic tour that begins with the promises of the prophets and concludes with the nativity narrative. Advent is a journey of emerging expectation that culminates when the Christ candle is lighted and the Christmas Star shines over the manger in Bethlehem.

Somehow when we revisit the prophets and we re-read the gospels, we are better equipped to empathize with the anxiety of Mary and Joseph and to feel the labor pains of God. By observing Advent, when we celebrate the birth of the most renowned newborn in history, we can hear both the joyful sounds of angels singing and the repercussive sobs of Rachel weeping.

If we dare to avoid the expressway and we opt to take the scenic route to Christmas, we may discover that we are willing to follow Jesus from the cradle to the cross and beyond.

(Barry Howard serves as pastor of the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta and he also serves as a leadership coach and columnist for the Center for Healthy Churches.)

• 

O God of grace and justice,

On this 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

We confess that we need your strength to sustain us

And your Spirit to guide us.

For we are all too mindful that this date still haunts us.

Our emotions are singed with anger

And our thoughts trend toward vengeance

Even as we attempt to apply your words to life

And to live by faith as we hold to your promise of a better future.

We confess that our anger and grief from that awful day are not nearly resolved

          And that retaliatory impulses of revenge still incubate deep within.

And yet we acknowledge that our hurt does not compare to the pain

of those who were touched more directly

through the unexpected and unfair loss

of family members, friends, and co-workers.

We shudder at the memory of those horrid images of death and destruction,

And we grieve over the succeeding conflicts which have resulted in even more deaths.

We mourn the deaths of the daughters and sons of our nation,

   As well as the subsequent casualties among our allies and our adversaries.

And we long for a civilized and lasting resolution

   So that wars may cease

   And that those who have longed for liberation from tyranny and terror

          Might govern and be governed with dignity and integrity.

Rather than being consumed by our grief,

          And controlled by our fears,

And plagued by our anxieties,

    Let us set our minds to addressing the injustices that preface hostility,

    Let us direct our souls to living out our moral and ethical convictions,

    Let us turn our hearts to loving the poor,

and the disadvantaged,

and the disenfranchised.

    And let us determine to fight terror,

          Not with our own terroristic threats,

    But with a responsible and courageous exercise of freedom,

          And with a proactive and authentic faith.

 And though it swims against the tide of our deepest instincts,

You continue to teach us to love our enemies,

so that we do not become like them.

Today we are grateful for first responders:

For emergency medical professionals, for law enforcement officers, for fire and rescue personnel,

And we pray for their protection and ongoing dedication.

Today, especially today, we pray for the leaders of our nation and our world,

          And for the leaders of our state and our community,

  To act and react with wisdom and discernment,

To choose a course that will defuse conflict

And to advance the cause of peace.

And we pray for the leaders of our churches and synagogues

          And for people of diverse faiths

  To promote transformative grace and eternal hope,

          And to proclaim and live by a truth that dispels propaganda

          And to pursue your path of justice, mercy and compassion.

We offer our prayer in the strong name of the One who came to bring peace on earth
and goodwill to all humankind.  Amen