Sanctuary: Making Room When Pressure Closes In. November 30, 2025

In Joshua 2:1-21, a woman named Rahab hid a pair of Israelites who were spying on the city of Jerico and the surrounding land. When pressure closed in, Rahab threw her loyality to God. Despite the risk, she provided sanctury to the spies and in doing so she changed her trajectory. When Rahab made room for the spies, she found refuge in God.

Sanctuary is a sacred or holy place, and it is a place of safety. We naturally provide sanctuary by standing in solidarity with others who are in peril. Regardless of whether we're directly affected by a crisis or being a supportive ally, standing in solidarity means we could take a hit because we've put ourselves close to those who suffer. Solidarity is a holy action. God demonstrated solidarity with us by taking on the risk of becoming the human, Jesus.

With the season of Advent now underway, God invites us to make room for others. However, the stress of preparing for Christmas grows in many forms. Will the shopping, baking, and gift wrapping be done in time? And for some us, offering hospitality during the Christmas season is daunting. Making space for a holiday get together is a challenge when you're going to be dealing with family tension. In this time of anticipation, Pastor Mia reminds that we can find our sanctuary in God because the Creator is making room for us as the pressure closes in.