Sanctuary

Sanctuary - Room for All

“There is no room at the inn” is a phrase we hear each Christmas. We see it in our Christmas pageants, as kids dress up like Mary and Joseph. Providing sanctuary was not only part of the Christmas story but is part of our story as people of faith. This Advent, how do we create space in our lives, our churches, and our communities for Jesus, for those close to us, and for the stranger?

November 30 - Room in Your Heart

John the Baptist went ahead of Jesus to make way for him and his ministry. In our own season of Advent preparation for Jesus, may we find ways to make room for Jesus in our minds and hearts.

December 7 - Room in Relationships

The story of Mary and Elizabeth shows us the importance of having relationships that can serve as sanctuaries for us—where we can bring our joys, fears, and full selves.

December 14 – Room for Hope

When Joseph found himself in an impossible situation, an angel of the Lord arrived with hope, making room for a new God-given possibility! How is God making room in the places in our lives that feel impossible and hopeless?

December 24 – Making Room

When there seemed to be no room, God made room for Jesus—placing the holy in a humble manger and calling shepherds as messengers—inviting us to see that sanctuary is not about grandeur, but about welcome and unexpected grace.

December 28 - Refuge and Sanctuary 

This postscript to the Christmas story is a painful reminder of the evil and hatred that humans are capable of. While we celebrate the survival of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we are also challenged to see the ways people still suffer this kind of persecution and violence today and to discover how we are called, as agents of the Prince of Peace, to work for a world where there is room for all.