Even if he were the most devoted and dedicated angel in all of heaven, Gabriel must have been taken by surprise The Almighty, Immortal, Omnipotent God of all Creation Was going to become one of those frail, fallible, fearful humans. Before Gabriel could decide if he had heard correctly, God springs another surprise. Gabriel must go to the backwater town of Nazareth And tell a poor, peasant teenager that she is to ...
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Find traditional Christmas music grating, irrelevant or just plain silly? I've never been a fan of separating music in to sacred and secular categories--particularly at Christmas. What better time to be reminded that the holy and the human are inextricably intertwined? I think all (most?) music can be sacred if it touches your heart, reveals to you a universal truth, expands your understanding of God and God's people or just ...
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It's the second Sunday of Advent. The time is drawing nigh. Houses are being decorated. Christmas cards are being addressed. Menus are being planned. Cantatas and children's pageants are being rehearsed. Budgets are starting to strain, and nerves are beginning to frazzle. We swore last year that we wouldn’t do it again. We would not spend our weekends and evenings elbowing through crowds or driving around in the rain searching ...
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Make your holiday a happy one. Based on my experience and extensive research, here are the top 10 questions to avoid this Thanksgiving Day. So, what do you think about the impeachment hearings? When are you two getting married?When are you having kids/another kid/trying for a boy/girl? (basically stay away from all talk of people's sex lives and reproductive choices)Do you have a job yet? Or the related: When are you ...
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In response to those Christian voices who decry and denounce the celebration of Halloween, my friend Rev. Marie Mainard O’Connell (minister and unapologetic celebrant) penned this ode a few years ago. She graciously allows me to re-post it, because it makes me happy every Halloween. I think it should be read aloud in the town square (if we still had such things) every year. In defense and praise of Halloween! Rally the ...
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All Saints and All Souls day are coming up November 1 and November 2, respectively. Historically, in the Catholic tradition, All Saints Day has been a celebration of the communion of saints, those people who were believed to have made it to heaven. All Souls was a day to pray for all souls--particularly those who may be lingering in purgatory. Today, many Protestant liturgical traditions use the days interchangeably. ...
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If you are over of the age of say, six, then you most likely know what it’s like to have life pull the rug out from under you. Things are going along just great and then out of nowhere disappointment, disaster or disease strikes (sometimes all three at once). These are times when it can seem like hope has abandoned us. Times when we make choices we never thought we ...
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Prepare ye the way of the Lord. That’s what her preacher had said. That’s what she was trying to do this Advent season. She desperately wanted to prepare her heart to receive the peace of Christ. God knew she could use some peace. Carol was a single mom trying to raise two kids. Her husband bailed after the second child was born prematurely and had some developmental problems. The doctors couldn’t guarantee ...
Read MoreThis season is not lacking in cute, funny, romantic and sappy sweet movies and televisions specials. But if you're not in the mood for extreme Christmas cheer and looking for something a little more substantive in your holiday entertainment, check out these flicks. A Christmas Without Snow Michael Learned (the Walton's mom) plays a divorced single mom trying to pull her life back together. She joins the choir of a local church ...
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