Liv Larson Andrews

On the first Sunday of 2017, Christians will gather for worship. It will be the eighth day of Christmas, but instead of maids-a-milking, we will be greeted with a much darker, more difficult image in the readings for the day.

The message of Christmas is not mandated joy or merriment. It is a call to feast. And we gather to feast not because we are happy. We feast because God sees fit to feed us

I’ve wondered how to contribute as a faith leader. I can tell you I’m definitely ready to “grab back.” I feel as though I “grabbing” all the time: my space, my voice, my authority, my role in the community.

How is our picture of God be shaped by our encounter with the natural world, its rhythms and its drama?

So when recent news came of another "Casual Priest" in another city interrupting Donald Trump during a visit to her church, I was instantly curious. When I learned that she intervened because his comments became political in nature during a visit that was ostensibly about the hard work of the people of Flint, Michigan, I was cheering.

I thought I'd collect some items of wisdom that I think I've learned this year from these amazing couples.

My family is very Lutheran. On my mother's side, most of us can sing all four verses of the hymn Beautiful Savior from memory.