Sometimes the reminder of why we celebrate Christmas looks like nothing expected. In fact, it may feel like the sting of sin in the midst of dazzling decorations. And that’s when we sit in the tension of living in a place that is aching toward reconciliation and restoration. Weary souls are still seeking their soul’s […]
Advent/Christmas
How Adoring Jesus Goes Beyond the Lyrics of a Christmas Carol
“O Come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him O come let us adore him O come let us adore him Christ the Lord.” The chorus evokes warm nostalgic memories and ecclesiastic connection to Christmas’s past as the words pour from our lips. There is reason for that: for the church and […]
Jesus’s Birth was Not Reason for All to Rejoice
Not everyone was happy. “In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising,[b] and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard […]
What it Means That Jesus Entered a World that was Not Calm and Bright
Truthfully, I find the lyrics of “Silent Night” a bit misleading. All is not calm or bright on this earth. It never has been. The world in which Jesus entered was characterized by greed, lust for power, sexual deviation, oppression of marginalized people, violence, murder……One need only scan through scripture to recognize the destruction of […]
Holding on to a Generational Deep Hope in our Brokenness
The wounds cut deep; both physically and figuratively. Several Decembers ago, I fell down the stairs. People sometimes talk about traumatic events as experienced through a surreal slow motion reality at the time. That would perfectly describe how it played out for me. Returning from a late church meeting, I longed for rest. While snuggling […]
Why Eating Meatloaf Reminded Us How to Love Others
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture speaks at least that many.You see, there is much more going on here than meatloaf in a pan. As I ponder on what to make for dinner, ideas rotate through my mind. And then….meatloaf presents itself. It’s not particularly recognized as anything fancy. Actually, […]
