the encounter

Already seeing Christmas decorations and sales at your local stores? Wanting to make a difference this year and ensure your purchases are slave free?

Be sure and check out NightLight’s and NotForSale’s online stores for products made by (and supporting) former slaves.

Both groups have some great jewelry and products for men, women and children.

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Guest post by Kari McHam

Ok, Here is the stats:
We gave away 7 dinners to 7 families, and 2 families got gift cards (for Christmas presents – they already had food). I thought we did 10 but the final count was 9!
In each of the boxes a family got everything to make their Christmas dinner complete including drinks and dessert and a $10 gift card to Walmart. This was the most fun we have ever had! Thanks guys:)

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

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The House for all Sinners and Saints blog writes about responses their tribe gave to the question, “Where did you meet Christ this week?”

• in friends who love us better than we know how to love ourselves
• in a baby, thought to have been miscarried…still in there!
• in a funeral
• in the flour dust of baking with my mom
• in the ridiculousness of my own consumption
• in the beggar near my house
• in coworkers
• in my partner’s painful home-stay
• in the mountains
• in my room
• in an unexpected conversation about faith with a new friend
• in a love letter
• in a shared meal
• in perceived regression
• in receiving a home-made gift from a 5 year old first thing in the morning
• in 2 old neighbors I had never met
• in sickness that has forced me to rest
• in the chaos of packing a house
• in tears
• in a co-worker disenchanted with the church
• in 10,000 turkeys donated
• in children laughing and playing in church
• in a young black youth struggling to be a father
• this morning in a man on the street with a bleeding forehead, he said he recognized me; i gave him some money and he called me “brother”
• in a young mother in transitional housing trying to stay clean and sober
• in the softness of the falling snow
• in that old lady’s laugh
• in kneading dough
• in an inebriated man with grandfatherly advise
• in a cat sleeping on my lap
• in quiet time alone
• in Jesse Sims on Colfax
• in Koreans in a Chinese restaurant
• in quiet time alone
• in my buddy Jason
• in someone noticing I had not been at church and praying for me. It was not someone I expected to do this.
• In conflict
• in doubt & hope
• in a hug from a security guard; a response to a simple gesture
• ?
• in ‘coincidence’ of a reunion
• in a conversation at the Thanksgiving table
• in carrying a couch
• at Quiznos
• in the face of the dying
• in myself
• in long dialogues with a friend
• in the simple presence of others during a tough worship service
• in a phone conversation with an old, wise friend
• in grace, when I did not expect it
• in my sister’s pain
• in learning from others
• in dinner with housemates
• in my babe
• in a cop
• in silence
• in a random drunk girl
• in a friend who has walked away from his faith but still is graceful in giving
• in my church and its generosity
• in my mother

Where did you meet Christ this week?

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encounter peep post :: Kari McHam

Some may say that its about presents. Some may say that its about being with family. Others may say that its about the birth of Christ. And me…well….i think its about sharing God’s love with those who dont know what its like. I mean, yes its about the birth of Jesus, but you know what…Jesus would be feeding the hungry and getting his hands dirty – I imagine that He would tell us to stop all the hussel and bussel and get your hands dirty, so Thank You Encounter Family – with donations of food and the $480 that you donated over the last few weeks – 8 families in Waco will get to have the best Christmas dinner they have ever had. Thank You for being Jesus with skin on. Merry Christmas.

The McHam’s

Pictures to come!

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I’ll file this under the “Guilty as Charged” file.

The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest, says he objects to Christmas cards featuring family photos.

Look, I love family photos during the holidays. Plus, I actually read those annual holiday letters, all of which start with “What a busy year it’s been!” Seeing photos of my friends and their families and even enjoying a few sunny beach scenes when it’s cold and dark outside is a highlight of December.

But I enjoy the photos more when they’re inside the card, not the card itself. Because more and more, even devout Christians have been replacing Jesus, Mary and Joseph with themselves.

Can I plead my case that we saved a lot more money by making our own cards and having them printed as pictures, rather than buying a Christmas card and including a family photo?

“Doesn’t it strike you as weird to set aside the Holy Family in favor of your family? Does a photo of Cabo San Lucas trump the story told by the original San Lucas? Is Christmas really about you?”

Ouch! It makes me really rethink how I’m celebrating Christmas this year — as I stuff a few more Christmas photos into envelopes.

Listen to the full commentary.

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