When we gather with friends and family at Christmas, we celebrate the many gifts that we have both given and received. Looking toward the Star of Bethlehem, we give thanks for the blessings of the past year and anticipate a future filled with hope and possibility. We live in hope that the Christmas gift we offer is exactly what that special person has been hoping for. Yet for those of us celebrating Advent’s expectation, we know that the only perfect gift ever given is the one we receive in Jesus Christ.
When the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell was asked to speak at the Presbyterian Youth Triennium last year, he knew it would be both challenging and extremely personal.
When Don Stribling looks at the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program, he sees an experience that challenges the
individualism that pervades much of today’s religious practice.