Advent: Prince of Peace Four weeks of Advent – four names of the Christ-child from the prophet Isaiah. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,...
Advent: The Everlasting Father Father. A title that may evoke joy or sadness, blame or gratitude, depending on your personal experience. One thing it does not evoke is indifference. Four weeks of Advent—four names of the Christ-child from the prophet Isaiah....
Advent: Mighty God Soft, adorable bundles of joy. Who doesn’t love sweet little babies? Vulnerable, helpless, and defenseless. They bring out the best in us, don’t they? Our instinct is to cuddle and protect them. To keep them safe and give them everything they...
Advent: Wonderful Counselor Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. Since most of my friends know this, they either feed my passion or tease me about it. Either way, I relish the four weeks of Advent as a time of joyful expectation as I count down the...
The People of Christmas: Those Who Worship We see them in most nativity scenes: three men off to the side, dressed in opulent robes. They seem out of place in the tableau, rich men bearing luxurious gifts, coming to worship a baby belonging to poor parents. We...
The People of Christmas: The Antagonistic How could you believe in a God who allows bad things to happen to good people? Believing in God is fine for you, but I don’t need a crutch. Keep prayer out of schools. ...
The People of Christmas: The Trusting I trust gravity will keep my feet anchored to the floor when I get out of bed. I trust the light will turn on when I flip the electric switch. I trust the sun will rise tomorrow morning. There is a slight chance that one or...
All You Need is Christmas Love In 1967, the Beatles had a hit with their song, “All You Need is Love.” That song became a theme for the 60s and 70s. Love is all the world needed to solve its problems, or so the song claimed. About that time another refrain...
Christmas Joy How joyful are you feeling right now? Yes, joyful. Are you rejoicing in everything about the Christmas season? No? Not so happy about the COVID-19 restrictions, the extra traffic on the road, the additional expenses resulting in more month left at...
Christmas Hope If there’s one thing in short supply these days, it’s hope. Politicians promise, then fail to deliver on their promises. Family members make commitments, then disappoint us. The resurgence of the pandemic has us wondering if we’ll ever see...
Christmas Carol: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” When I think of Christmas carols, I think of joy. Celebration....
Christmas Carol Messages: Joy to the World As the Christmas season draws to a close, it seems appropriate to...
Christmas Carol Messages: O Come All Ye Faithful Christmas is a time of coming together. Families reunite...