Adam & Eve
Posted January 19, 2026 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
Genesis’s iconic narrative of the creation of the Cosmos is quickly followed— “layered” might be more accurate to say—with another creation story, one far more intimate, focused on a symbolic, poetic, and yet particular place: a garden where a man named Adam and a woman named Eve arise. Much, of course, has been written about Eden and these two.
Genesis
Posted January 12, 2026 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
Not long ago, from a California hotel balcony I watched the biggest thing in our solar system, the star we call the sun, rise over the biggest thing on Earth, a body of water which, when he first encountered it in 1520, Ferdinand Magellan described as Pacific.
Last Page
Posted January 5, 2026 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
John faced a hard deadline for the short story a literary magazine had commissioned from him. He’d started and mostly finished an account of a fictional basketball player, a grizzled veteran, who against all odds had overcome a series of injuries, relationship problems, and assorted demons from his past to now find himself, at the climax of the tale, at the free throw line in the championship…
Awestruck and Wonder-filled
Posted December 25, 2025 by Steve Wells in Advent
It is finally Christmas Day. The packages have been unwrapped. The Cowboys are playing the Commanders. You made it through the gauntlet of parties, planning, and providing. For so many around us, that is all there is. Wrapping paper, cleaning up, catching a nap, and a game on TV. No wonder my grandfather used to say, “forgive us our Christmases as we forgive those who Christmas against us.” Few…
Welcome Others with Love
Posted December 24, 2025 by Everett DuBroc in Advent
My family began attending South Main in 2012 when I was just three years old. Over the years, this church has become more than a place of worship for me. It’s like a second home; a community where I’ve grown up and learned what it means to mirror Jesus. South Main’s Youth Group has helped me discover the importance of inclusivity and how our actions should reflect that ideal.
God's Love in Perfect Timing
Posted December 23, 2025 by J.T. Spoede in Advent
Have you ever prayed for something so deeply that it seemed to take over your whole heart—yet you wondered if God would ever answer? I know I have. For years, I prayed for my daughter, asking God to touch her heart and show her His love. I wanted so badly to control the situation—to make sure she wouldn’t miss what I believed was most important: experiencing Jesus for herself.
Monday Over Coffee: "Eternity"
Posted December 22, 2025 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
Though he was just twelve, Dave had been asked to read a scripture at his aunt’s memorial service. Though she was his only aunt, he was sure she would’ve remained his favorite even if he’d had a dozen or so to choose from. They had been very close.
Joyfully Welcoming
Posted December 22, 2025 by Michael Louie in Advent
My mother, Sylvia Louie, loved to decorate her house with colors and themes to suit the nearest holiday. Throughout the year, she spent her spare time researching and fabricating various arts and crafts projects, such as gnomes, roosters, fabric wreaths, and Christmas trees. In her anticipation of each holiday, she worked to ready her home and her heart for every celebration. She would put out…
Anticipation! A Gift is on the Way!
Posted December 21, 2025 by Charis Smith in Advent
I was raised to first know God as One whom I could rest on and as a ten-letter verb meaning wait: ANTICIPATE! My parents’ foundation was that God was to be trusted and depended on and that He could be anticipated to be a part of all phases of their lives. They had lived through a fire, a flood, some demanding health problems in the larger family, and the struggles of the Depression. They also…
Days of Goodness and Beauty
Posted December 20, 2025 by Tracy Chen in Advent
As a hospital chaplain, during orientation I have the opportunity to introduce the role of a chaplain, ways we can collaborate to support patients and families and encourage them to be intentional in finding ways to recharge. What draws many to a career in healthcare is their compassion and desire to help others. People who find fulfillment in caring for others can find it hard to care for…
Waiting with Joy
Posted December 19, 2025 by SMBC in Advent
Right before a song starts, there’s this quiet moment of anticipation that gets me excited for what’s next. For me, music brings so much joy. Whether it’s the choir singing beautiful songs or listening to my favorite song and singing along, music can make me forget about everything else and fill me with happiness. That moment of waiting for the music to begin reminds me of anticipation, the same…
The Promised Blessing of Joy
Posted December 18, 2025 by Erik Hawkins in Advent
Waiting for a first child is interesting, as there is a lot to prepare for, and it was more than I could even imagine before I went through it. No matter how much we prepared, there were still things we missed or didn’t know we should anticipate. But one thing you’re able to rely on is that the timing is generally rather fixed. Whether you’re completely prepared, or feel you need more time, you…
Waiting to Appreciate All That Lasts
Posted December 17, 2025 by Chris Dove in Advent
One of my greatest experiences of anticipation was the Advent season in 1999. It may be cheating to use a literal Advent to describe the metaphor of Advent, but it was a time of intense anticipation all the same. I looked forward to a joyous wedding, but there was also a non-zero chance I would be getting married in a darkened sanctuary while looters howled for our wedding cake.
The Joy of Anticipation
Posted December 16, 2025 by Carleigh Nickel in Advent
Everyone always anticipates the summer before starting college. Some plan massive trips, while others spend extended amounts of time with their families. I chose neither. Instead, I chose to spend my summer working on the South Main Summer Musical. Three glorious months of planning, rehearsing, and working to create a show to share with the community were the perfect way to spend my time before…
Monday Over Coffee: "Lamentation"
Posted December 15, 2025 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
Taking a break from anxiously studying for the last college final of her junior year, Maya looked up at the little paper objects she’d made that now lined the shelf above her desk. Curious, she picked up her phone and looked up what a gathering of swans was called.
Certainty of What is Going to Happen
Posted December 15, 2025 by Jordan Taylor Anagnostopoulos in Advent
My favorite day of the week is Thursday, and my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Besides the charming alliteration that ties these two favorites together, there is another theme: anticipation. Thursday is the day before the weekend starts; regardless of plans, just the promise of what is to come is more exciting than the event itself. Thursday promises one more day in the work week, along with…
Traveling to Seek Joy
Posted December 14, 2025 by Katie Bryant in Advent
A time when I anticipate joy is when I’m in the car going to summer camp. The camp is Episcopal and is called Camp Allen. It is the place where I go every year to reset and refresh my faith and connection with God. Camp Allen is the place where I go to get off the grid, relax, and most of all, have fun! When I’m in the car, I think about the week I am going to have. I pray, sing the camp song,…
Everlasting Peace
Posted December 13, 2025 by McKenzie Vivatanasorn in Advent
Children love asking questions. What day is it? What am I having for dinner? Where are we going? Who is stronger, Daddy or the Hulk? Currently, in our home, our children are fascinated by questions about opposites—light and dark, sink and float, fast and slow. This constant stream of comparisons helps them grasp the idea of contrast and becomes the foundation for understanding more complex…
The Faith We Hold in Our Hearts
Posted December 12, 2025 by Isabella Jones in Advent
The space between waiting and receiving can be very hard to manage, but anticipating peace can become a tremendously rewarding experience. For me, one of the most meaningful times I’ve anticipated peace was right before I got my very first car. While being surprised with a brand new car can be a great thing, waiting for the car itself came with many beautiful lessons, like looking forward to my…
Actively Anticipate
Posted December 11, 2025 by Andrea Hoxie in Advent
We not only anticipate the coming of Christ, we who are of the small working model of the Kingdom of God on earth, live as though the promise is already unfolding. We actively anticipate, knowing that true, divine, and enduring peace is both a gift and a calling, not with despair or uncertainty.
