“Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” – Wayne Dyer I think comparison and competition exist partly because we believe that there is a scarcity of good things in the universe. And that belief makes…
epiphany.
If you’re a long time reader of my work* you may be aware of the fact that not only am I an exceedingly mediocre person of faith, but that I get paid for my mediocrity in the practice of said…
Christmas music continues
Yesterday morning in worship we sang three Christmas carols because, officially, the season does not end until January 6th. It is always fun (but strange) singing carols into January even though much of the decorations are gone and everyone else…
Prayers for 2015
In this first blog article of 2015, I am reflecting back on the year that has just ended and am sharing some of my prayers for the year that lies ahead. First, I pray for health and happiness for all…
Matter matters
If Christmas means anything, it is that matter — the stuff of flesh and protons and quarks and quasars — matters. It matters to God. He became it. It amazes me how often I heard language that spiritualizes Christianity more…
Important origins
Important Origins (Part 2 in the series, How God changes our neighborhood) In the first part of this series I set up this idea that the key theological concept of Christmas, the Incarnation, can be boiled down into a simple…
10 things I wish everyone knew about Jesus
Father James Martin is the editor-at-large for the Jesuit magazine America and author of several books, including Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, and Between Heaven and Mirth. He is also, in the words of Stephen Colbert,…
Christmas – remembering the stable
I really can’t say Christmas better than this. “On one night of all nights Christ did it, coming down the stairs of heaven with a child in his arms.” –Paul Scherer, Love is a Spendthrift “Almighty God, who now in…
How God changes our neighborhood
Have you ever driven through an old neighborhood and thought, “Why haven’t they just bulldozed this whole place? This is a mess! This is an eyesore! The people still living here should get a medal.” How do we respond to a…
When God moved into the neighborhood
The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. – John 1:14a MSG Occasionally called the “forgotten Christmas story,” the first chapter of John describes the incarnation of Christ in philosophical prose. In contrast Matthew and Luke give…
Ministering to travelers on Christmas Eve
I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help overhearing her pain, frustration, and determination. The lady I sat down beside in the busy terminal was obviously troubled. As I took a load off and tried to find my boarding…
For such a time as this
In the Old Testament Book of Esther, we are told a story about how the very existence of a certain group of people was threatened because of the anger of one man towards them. This man made threats to wipe…