Glory to God in the highest. And on earth — in every tide pool, in every nook and cranny — peace. Amen.

Psalm 148 calls on us to offer God abundant praise. The Psalmist summons praise from all Creation – from the heavens to the depths of the earth, and from all living things, including sea monsters, birds, trees and even creeping things.

And with that, Mary’s world turned.

Carried on a “flood of reversal,” our lives are filled with reversals. Have fun looking for such moments and experiences in your own life.

This fall, I visited a farm that not only produced food; it also trained pastors in the meaning of restoration.

Advent is a time to celebrate the Israelites’ waiting and a time to remember our own wait. Just as Israel waited for Jesus, we also wait for his second coming. Until that time when humanity is reconciled with God and Creation is made perfect, we cling to Jesus who has already come to show us how to live justly in the tension of an imperfect world.

As we near the end of this Advent season, how can we invite a new flood to consume us?

In the end, all that truly matters is whether we loved.

I invite you to enter this season of rejoicing with love and service, but also with self-care. So, that the peace of God may enter you and hold your heart and your mind in Jesus.

It’s time to stop being afraid of God’s wrath, but instead to celebrate that God is the most powerful being in the universe and that God has chosen us to be his adopted and dearly beloved children.