Christmas decorations appeared earlier this year in my small town, even before Thanksgiving. Houses and lawns transformed overnight into wonderlands of color. Despite a year that body-slammed many of us, my neighbors used the night’s canvas to paint pictures of…
Amid COVID-19, some will do more for Christmas, some will do less, some will travel and some will stay home
Attending religious services, gift giving and travel are expected to decline for many Americans during this Christmas season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, LifeWay Research has reported. But the coronavirus apparently cannot dampen the spiritual yearnings of some Americans who…
Fasting, feasting and the meaning of Advent 2020
My annual Advent tradition is to stand in a pew and choke back tears while trying to sing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. This year the location moved to the kitchen table, my trembling hand clutching my red coffee cup….
The thing with feathers
I put up my 4-foot Christmas tree a few days ago. It took about 15 minutes from box to display. I slid one skinny pole into the other, draped two or three boxes of ornaments over the stiff branches and…
Advent reflection: Holy eruption
BNG is pleased to partner with Baker Publishing Group and Perkins School of Theology at SMU to present a twice-weekly Advent reflection series written by Jack Levison. The reflections will be published every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the season. An…
Advent reflection: The genesis of Jesus
BNG is pleased to partner with Baker Publishing Group and Perkins School of Theology at SMU to present a twice-weekly Advent reflection series written by Jack Levison. The reflections will be published every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the season. The…
‘We need Advent more than ever’ this year
Marci Wilson-Boggs grew up in a church that promoted the King James Version as the only valid biblical translation and in which liturgical seasons, like Advent, were rarely if ever mentioned. “I was raised Independent Baptist,” the Nashville resident said….
Simple, creative holiday activities you can do at home this year
Phawnda Moore is one of the four panelists for BNG’s free webinar on surviving pandemic holidays offered tonight at 7 p.m. Central time. Register here. Being home for the holidays can be a refuge from the ongoing, dramatic events of…
Advent reflection: The advent of liberation
BNG is pleased to partner with Baker Publishing Group and Perkins School of Theology at SMU to present a twice-weekly Advent reflection series written by Jack Levison. The reflections will be published every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the season. In…
Advent reflection: An infinity of grace
BNG is pleased to partner with Baker Publishing Group and Perkins School of Theology at SMU to present a twice-weekly Advent reflection series written by Jack Levison. The reflections will be published every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the season. The…
We’re not ready for Advent, but it’s coming anyway
The arrival of Advent this year may be more important than it ever has been before. The definition of the word itself should make this reality clear: the “arrival of a notable person, thing or event.” We often speak in…
Central Seminary offers free Advent resource for congregations
A free Advent resource for congregations in this season of pandemic discernment is available thanks to a Lilly Endowment grant administered by Central Baptist Theological Seminary and Pinnacle Associates. “Preparing to Hear God’s Call” is a new downloadable Advent resource…