This Week at UPC

This week, we celebrate the fourth Sunday in Advent. As we prepare for Christmas, we hear the story of Joseph’s surprising preparation and change of heart. Joseph plays an important role in this birth story, providing support, protection, and naming the child yet to be “God with us.” Matthew 1:18-25 The gospel of Matthew tells Joseph’s side of the story of Jesus’ birth. God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus and, equally, God chose Joseph to care for them. Joseph had a difficult choice to make. His fiancée was pregnant. Had Joseph chosen to accuse Mary, the traditional punishments could have meant ostracism, or death. This story is marked with human vulnerability. Mary is in a fragile position. She could lose her fiancé, her family, her reputation, her life. Joseph was confronted with a difficult reality. This was probably not how he imagined starting out his marriage. What emotions might he have experienced? Anger, fear, shame, guilt, broken trust, confusion? Joseph did not wan

Luke 1: 39-56 More than any other female, Mary has indelibly marked Christian and Western history and culture, bearing the Christ child as well as all manner of gifts and baggage about the feminine ideal. For the Christian tradition, the Magnificat (which takes its name from the first word of the Latin text) is the great New Testament praise song of liberation. With elegant power and directness, Mary preaches as the prophet of the poor. In Luke’s gospel, as Mary arrives, Elizabeth’s unborn child – who will be the prophet John the baptizer – leaps for joy at Mary’s greeting. Mary responds to this blessing by singing the glory of God’s powerful love that has chosen her to carry the Christ child. She sings because God acts with justice and mercy to lift those who are considered lowly and feed those who are hungry.  The Magnificat is revolutionary, with a long history of being banned by various church or political bodies. As recently as the 1980s, the government of Guatemala f

Advent is the beginning of the church year.  “Advent” means “beginning” or “coming”. We begin, not with the birth of Jesus, but with a time of waiting and preparation for his coming. Advent is about actively preparing for and anticipating God coming into our lives – not only preparing for the celebration of Christ’s birth in a few weeks but actively preparing for God to come into our lives EVERY DAY! God’s presence with us – and our presence with those who are precious to God – brings us closer to God. We grow spiritually, love deeply, and work for peace and justice for all God’s people. During this Advent season we hear God’s message of love, peace, and justice from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah challenges us with a message of peace that demands us to work for the well-being of everyone, not simply to set aside our weapons (Isaiah 2:1–5). God’s peace requires our participation and energy – just as much energy as we might have spent fighting. Isaiah also shares a vision of power that’s