Sunday, December 24, 11a.m. In-Person and Online
“Two Sides to Every Story”
Rev. Leah DeLong
The Advent and Christmas season is a time filled with stories – stories shared at the family dinner table, at gatherings with friends, and in churches. Have you ever shared a story with a close family member or friend, only to have them tell you that they remember it differently? Whose story is correct? Can both be true? The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament are filled with stories. The stories were meant to be great teaching tools. There are times we find two or more stories that describe the same event, but in very different ways. Indeed, there are two sides to every story. How do we respond to that? Confusion? Skepticism? Curiosity? Enlightenment? Let’s hear a few of these two-sided stories and see where they lead us!
Rev. Leah DeLong is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. Retired for the past year, she has experience serving as pastor for over 20 years in several small churches. She holds a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in D.C. and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Seton Hill University in Greensburg PA. She came to Virginia in 1980 to work as a naturalist in Shenandoah National Park. While her two children were in school, she worked as a long-term substitute teacher and library assistant in Fauquier County. Interests include organic gardening, canning and preserving harvests, opportunities to be a “citizen scientist”, such as monitoring bluebird trails at Blandy Experimental Farm, sewing, quilting and spending time with her two grandchildren. She shares a home and gardens in Middletown with Dana Crone and a very goofy Husky/Golden Retriever mix named Balto.