It’s the Christmas season. You settle into your seat and stare at a stage that doesn’t say much about Christmas. There’s no Bethlehem backdrop, no rustic stable, no twinkling stars. The lights dim, and … boom! Your senses are roused…
The greatest Christmas hymn ever written
Sitting on the floor Christmas morning in my bright red Union suit, I brace myself for the forthcoming onslaught of ripped wrapping paper at the hands of two small children. The kids already have found Santa’s presents resting beside the…
No room in the inn: The story revisited
In July 2021, when we adopted our daughters, I left my pastorate to focus on their transition into our family. I took a job that following August as a night auditor at the local Hilton property. This has been a…
J.D. Salinger, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and why Christmas is in trouble
Christmas has been in trouble for a long time. This year, decorations were out in Home Depot just past Halloween. And have you seen some of the yards around town? The Star Wars characters in the display down the street…
Rome for Christmas
One of the factoids for which 2023 will be remembered is the TikTok hashtag #romanempire. This was the year a generation of women (much to their surprise and bemusement) learned the men in their lives think about ancient Rome regularly…
God’s gift of love: What do we do now?
Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. … Take hold of the life that really is life. — 1 Timothy 6:12-19 Pursue … love … gentleness. Loving with gentleness can be a struggle in the world of today. “Natural selection,”…
Christmas is about worshiping Jesus
How are we to celebrate Christmas this year when Gaza is being bombed, children are being murdered, and the city is being demolished into a rubble? It is hard to fathom the immense heartbreak, horror, fear, anger, hopelessness and suffering…
The messiness of Christmas
Often, Christmas is a time of making sure everything is just right. We sing of joy coming to the world, we read poetry of how stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and we mail Christmas cards imprinted with…
A thrill of hope? Reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas with my sister
When my sister, Olivia, graduated from college in 2018, the former mayor of our hometown was the commencement speaker. As she sat in her graduation robe, bobby pins stuck in her hair to keep her graduation hat from falling off,…