A blessing, an Anabaptist course, a joy, and a little music

Some holiday thoughts, with my thanks for your reading this year:

1. A blessed Christmas and all good wishes from our place of worship to yours!

Allison Troyer made our (Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship) beautiful, hanging artwork for the Advent season. Here is what she says about it:

‘The scrap-art weaving created for this Advent season was inspired by the stories we remember this time of year, the connectedness of all created things, and the spiraling movement of both winter solstice and of our journeying. I invite you to take a closer look, even touch, as you reflect during this time of waiting, watching, and hoping. What textures of “journeying” do you notice? What colors do you see, and what images or stories do they bring to mind? How is everything connected, both drawing in and expanding? What or whom do you experience in the space at the margins? Remember the words of Mary’s song or “My soul cries out” (STS 124) as you observe this art together. Where is the revolution? Where are you called to join in?’

2. As I complained last blogpost, I’m not comfortable spending the money to get any new degrees this late in life. But I can take AMBS (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) lifelong learning courses! Hurray! You might want to look at the courses they are offering in 2019. I’ll be participating in:

Understanding Anabaptist Approaches to Scripture: What’s Different and Why? (online)

Taught by Loren Johns, PhD
Jan. 9 – Feb. 19, 2019
Early registration deadline: Dec. 31, 2018

I’ll let you know what I learn, if I can absorb it.

3. I so deeply enjoyed my time at the Women’s Conference (AMBS) this fall. Such smart, hard-working, and spiritual women! I aspire to be more like them.

Here is a picture of my niece, Addie Liechty, who sang some of her original pieces at the conference. ”Oh Esau, your daddy got it wrong, you are the chosen one, too.” We sang along with her.

Enjoy members of ‘Addie and the Subtrax’ below (in San Francisco,) with Alicia Hooton, Addie, and Ra Criscitiello as they sing ‘The Eye’.

I wish you a deeply meaningful and warm family time this season.

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I welcome your comments: gretaholtwriter.com/blog.

{Thank you to my niece, Addie Liechty, for taking the picture that is this blog’s featured image. Her blog is: https://addieswriting.wordpress.com.}

Best wishes and have a good week.

Greta