Have you ever considered the situation of Mary, the young mother of Jesus? Imagine the fear, the wonder, the uncertainty, the hopeful expectation. Did she know what was really happening? Reconsider her story voiced in a beautiful song. ◊ It… Read More ›
Is it my imagination or do we just not hear as much “Happy Hanukkah” these days? And what’s the real story behind Hanukkah anyway? ♦ I remember as a kid how we used to say “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!” everywhere… Read More ›
The stories around the birth of Jesus are filled with supernatural dreams and visions. How do we deal with this? Did these really happen or are they all nice fairy tales? ♦ Most people welcome and celebrate Christmas even as they… Read More ›
You may attend a church service this Christmas week that has a choir performing Handel’s Messiah, a musical masterpiece. Do you know the full story of its composition? ♦ You’ve heard the song many times on the radio, on a recording,… Read More ›
If we celebrate Christmas, then how is it that we really don’t believe it all. ♦ Christmas is an odd time. Everybody buys into it (literally). At least the shopping, music, pageantry, beauty, coziness and festiveness of it all. It’s wonderful… Read More ›
Christmas is certainly a time of good tidings and cheer. But there are serious implications found in The Story, but also in a little adjunct story often overlooked. ♦ It’s the time of year when stories of homecomings, reunions and gatherings… Read More ›
Whether people honor the birth of the world’s savior or celebrate a secular culture’s happy holiday season, it’s Christmas nonetheless and a time of reckoning. ♦ In a casual conversation she initiated about religions, I once asked a young Jewish coworker what she… Read More ›
The birth of Jesus was fraught with uncertainty, danger, fear and hardship. It worked out well in the end. What about our own lives? ♦ When you think about it, most people associated with the very first Christmas had very… Read More ›
With the Christmas season comes the citing of Biblical passages that inspire and encourage. At the same time close examination may raise questions that confuse and dissuade. ♦ As mentioned in a previous post (see Nov 29, Nehemiah the Comforter), typology is common… Read More ›
