Perhaps the only way to really experience Christmas as it was intended is to renew the faith of a pre-Christmas people who did not yet know the Savior whose justice and righteousness we seem to stubbornly resist at every turn
Mary sings her joyful – and radical – faith. Do we have the courage to join her?
Let us rejoice with Mary that God keeps promises and will ultimately conquer all that tramples the weak and outcast. The Mighty One did great things for her – and will for us.
The Good News of Christmas calls the Church to embrace the ‘F’ word
As a Baptist pastor I can no longer avoid the “F” word; if anything, I must lean into it, embracing it for the sake of the Gospel.
Don’t succumb to criticism of ‘Happy Holidays’; it can be an expression of God’s inclusive embrace
The negative reaction to “Happy Holidays” is mostly about changing demographics, the politicization of Christianity, and Christian fragility. This greeting can be an expression of kindness, warmth, acceptance and love that transcends narrow sectarianism and reflects God’s inclusive embrace.
I decided to make a list: 20 actions to cultivate hope
For me, the practice of cultivating hope during the Advent season began with a list of simple action steps.
Rather than ‘spiritualizing’ Mary’s song, let’s be open to its subversive message
“Mary’s Song” is a reminder that when the biblical message gets difficult (as it frequently does), the Church often “spiritualizes” the text and its subversive message.
Damaging fundamentalist theologies aside, in Advent we proclaim Christ’s return and re-creation
Now that we have passed the midpoint in the journey of Advent, it’s helpful to remember that Advent is an unfamiliar word for many in our world and in our evolving American culture. It’s a “churchy” word, like Lent or…
Advent: a good time to remember the power of blessing – for the ‘blesser’ and the blessed
Advent is a great time to notice how much of the Good News of Jesus Christ is couched in words of blessing. All week long the people in our churches are brutalized by words which attack them, devalue them and challenge their core worth. These souls are crying out for the healing balm of a blessing.
The Christmas Story is not an invitation to be safe and warm
Joseph is a supporting role in the Christmas story. Luke hardly mentions him, and he doesn’t get a single line of dialogue in the entire New Testament. But he should be the patron saint of taking chances.