What do we need to release this season? How can I prepare myself for the arrival of Jesus when the Christmas season can bring about some unpleasant feelings? Visitation, 2010, acrylic on linen, 8 x 7 ft (2.4 x 2.1 m) Jackie Kazarian Source: [...]Read More
Embracing Advent: Preparing Our Hearts for a Meaningful Christmas Celebration
The lights are up. The stores are bursting with tinsel, decorative trees and gifts galore. All around the world, a great "to-do" is made about Christmas. But just what are we really celebrating? The coming of Christ is undoubtedly one of the most monumental events in history; however, [...]Read More
Holding onto Hope
I’ve been thinking a lot about the first Advent and the early years of Jesus’ childhood. I wonder what Mary was thinking as she brought her son into the world, so far from home. Instead of nesting she had to flee to Bethlehem. So much for planning a cozy home birth. And yet, she held [...]Read More
Building Community through Storytelling
Our Chicago Local Network has been gathering this past year, centered on fostering deeper relationships through focused circle conversations. After planning the 2018 National Conference in our city, we felt the urge to get a quarterly network connection time started. We wanted to create deeper [...]Read More
Our Turn to Wonder
Week One: Wonder Advent Blog Series featuring the Women of Cohort 8 The first Sunday in December marks the beginning of Advent, a season of expectant waiting and preparation of the coming Messiah. Our culture characterizes the season with carols, gift giving, and cheer. But, what many [...]Read More
A Call for a (W)holistic Approach to Education Equity
A Call for a (W)holistic Approach to Education Equity by Lorenzo Watson Higher education student loan debt has become a hot topic in the current political debate, with several presidential candidates calling for either full or partial student loan forgiveness. And as student loan debt levels [...]Read More
Dear CCDA Friend, Just imagine: a “love army” comprised of thousands of Christians moving forward to love and care for the most ravaged neighborhoods in America. Christians, en masse, actually being the hands and feet of Christ by relocating to live in the most forgotten neighborhoods in our [...]Read More
Waiting on His Justice and Transformation
By Sunny Sue Chang Jonas Transformation. We wait for His transformation. We wait in line to buy a snack, we wait for a friend to return a phone call, we wait for the day to be over, or for a new day to begin. We anticipate what’s coming next and in doing so, we wait. In fact, sometimes [...]Read More