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Spiritual Practices for the 12 Days of Christmas

“What if we allowed the space from Christmas to Epiphany to be a time of sacred pause, a time to reflect on the year past, the present moment, and the possibilities held in the year to come,” asks Christine Valters Paintner in an essay posted on the Patheos website. Click here to join her in… Read more»

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The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Lectionary Reflection for Christmas Eve 2011
How can we share the gift that keeps on giving in a way that honors the timelessness of the message but allows us to see, hear, and embody that message in a fresh way?

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One Congregation’s Stewardship Miracle

On Christmas Eve, First Congregational UCC will celebrate and worship in a newly constructed sanctuary on the original church site. It’s a stewardship miracle story you won’t want to miss. Click here to read Gregg Brekke’s story about this congregation’s journey–fraught with roadblocks and mercies–and an ending that is only the beginning. (Photo courtesy of… Read more»

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Creating Less Holiday Waste

Click here to read Laura Moss’s guide to creating less holiday waste this year posted on the MNN website. It’s good stewardship and makes good sense, too! Photo by kugelfish used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!)

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Giving That is Blessed, Indeed!

“IT’S PERSONAL” BLOG
What did Jesus mean when he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”? Is all giving covered? Paul, who quotes Jesus in Acts 20:35, gives us some important hits in the context. (“In Paris Texas” photo, used by Creative Commons license. Thanks!)

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‘The Perfect Gift’ for Anyone

IT’S PERSONAL BLOG
Stop driving yourself crazy looking for “the perfect gift” for someone who already has everything they need and want. Here is something perfect for everyone! (Photo by Deklofenak, via Big Stock Photo.)

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The Gift of Time is Good Stewardship

Francine Jay (aka Miss Minimalist) offers some wonderful ideas for giving the gift of yourself and your time, along with a printable “Holiday Gift Exemption Certificate.” Time is a precious gift, and it’s good stewardship, too! (Photo by meloveschallah used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!)

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Merry Christmas! What Now?

1st SUNDAY IN CHRISTMAS, Year A, Dec. 26, 2010
Christmas Day is almost over and the gospel text for tomorrow reminds us of this broken world’s painful reality. If you are still working on your sermon, perhaps you will find a word here along with an idea for your children’s time. Merry Christmas! (Photo by blacklord used under Creative Commons license. Thanks!)

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Be Stewards, Not Consumers, this Christmas

The secularization of the “holiday season” is based upon rampant consumerism. Unfortunately many of us have become not disciples of the Lord, but consumers of religion. We want the Church to provide programs and services for us so that we will have options from which to pick and choose. (Photo by Brockvicky, used by Creative Commons license.Thanks!)

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Last-minute non-consumer Christmas gifts

If you’ve been trying to avoid the commercialism of the mall, but still find yourself with an unfinished gift list that you need to fill, here are a few last-minute ideas from Angela, a writer and member of The Compact.