A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.... It was 2 a.m. as I sat in silence with a distraught friend when she suddenly whispered, “I don’t want God to give me a heart of flesh; my heart of stone keeps me safe.” She had been abused and abandoned in unthinkable ways by those who were supposed to keep her safe. Her heart of stone protected her.

A Reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent by Pastor Corenna Rae Lectionary reading for 12/07/2025: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12 Selected passage for reflection: Isaiah 11:1-10 Read Isaiah 11:1-10 CEB 1 A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse; a branch will sprout from his roots. 2 The Lord’s spirit will rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of planning and strength, a spirit of knowledge

Growing up 2 Peter 1: 5-7 was often quoted to me, and I started to believe that how I became a person of God was by my own efforts...