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 thought… Read More ›
Christmas
Jesus and the Jews
Jesus was Jewish, right? Two different Jesus genealogies are presented in the New Testament writings of Matthew and Luke. Is this still relevant for Jews (and Gentiles) today? Yes! ◊ The very opening lines of the Book of Matthew (written… Read More ›
Christmas Light and Dark
Christmas is a time of joy and giving. Yet the birth of Jesus was fraught with mystery, uncertainty, danger, fear and hardship. The story ends well. How’s your story? ◊ When you think about it, most people associated with the… Read More ›
Question: What Did Mary Know?
Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew only what she could trust but not fully understand. Imagine her fear, wonder, uncertainty and hopeful expectation. Reconsider her story voiced in a beautiful song. ◊ It’s actually an interesting question. Did Mary, the… Read More ›
Question: Did Isaiah Get it Right?
When you look at it more closely, the Old Testament prophet says something very confusing about the Baby Jesus. It’s enough to rattle one’s faith. It rattled mine until I learned this. ◊ Most of us are familiar hearing the… Read More ›
Question: What was the Christmas Star?
Have you heard of the Great Conjunction – the merging of Saturn and Jupiter? Was the iconic Christmas symbol really a new star, a comet, or merely aligned planets? Have you considered another option? ◊ The topic comes up every… Read More ›
Christmas – 2,000 Years in the Making
Not the 2,000 years from Christ’s birth to AD 2022, but from the 2,000 years prior to Christ’s birth. It’s a story for the ages. ◊ The Christmas Story of the birth of Jesus is familiar to children and adults alike as we’ve… Read More ›
What Did Mary Know?
On Christmas Day many years ago, imagine the fear, wonder, uncertainty and hopeful expectation of Mary, the young mother of Jesus. Mary, did you know? I believe she knew something. ◊ It was bad enough that Mary had to deal… Read More ›
What About the Star of Bethlehem?
Lots of talk this year about the merging of Saturn and Jupiter, or the Great Conjunction. Was the iconic symbol of the birth of Christ really a new star, a comet or aligned planets? Have you considered another option? ◊ So,… Read More ›
Still Believe in Christmas in 2020?
Everyone is looking forward to a new year. Getting past Covid and all issues of a challenging year. Does it carry over to a humdrum Christmas too? Do you still even believe in Christmas? ◊ Yes, it’s been a challenging year…. Read More ›
Has Isaiah Spoken Correctly?
An Old Testament prophet says something very confusing about the Baby Jesus when you look at it more closely. It’s enough to rattle one’s faith. It rattled me until I learned this. ◊ Most of us are familiar hearing the well-known… Read More ›
An Advent Season Like No Other
So now we wind down this adverse 2020 year with the beginning of the Advent season. But something’s changed – or has it really? ◊ We move right from Thanksgiving weekend and headlong into the Advent season. The year is… Read More ›