The season of Advent is only four weeks long and before you know it the celebration of the Christ Child on Christmas morning is just about here. Advent literally means the significant arrival of some person or event. Like so many seasons of the Church Year (and themes of Christianity itself) there are multiple layers […]
Tag: Jesus
On Hope and Despair
When waiting in the dark for God, there are two companions at our side: hope and despair. One is there to comfort and the other is there to destroy. The story of Jesus’ birth and the season of Advent urge us to have hope when despair is leaning heavily on our spirit, or even threatening […]
On Waiting
The season of Advent is a time of anticipation and waiting. For the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day, when we get to finally and fully celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ into the world, the Church Calendar invites us to slow down and wait. During this period, many churches and Christian homes light […]
On Maundy Thursday
I’ve come to view Maundy Thursday as one of the most meaningful dates on the Christian calendar for me. It is a day steeped in lessons that seem to become more and more needed in our modern times, where we have become so desensitized to the dehumanization around us and partake in such acts so […]
On Holy Week
For churches that follow a lectionary of Scripture readings, each year there is typically a different Gospel narrative that is the focus for the year. For many churches, this year’s featured Gospel account is the one attributed to Mark. If you want a fast-action narrative, it is the perfect year to open the Good Book, […]
On Differing Actions
Jesus’ disciples did not fast, while at the same time John the Baptist’s disciples fasted. When asked about this, Jesus explains why his disciples eat and also does not denounce John’s disciples actions. Nor does John denounce Jesus’ disciples behavior. (Mark 2:18-22) The lesson is quite simple: some are called to fast while at the […]
On Needing One Another
Jesus appointed twelve apostles. Did he really need to? As the Son of God, he surely could have just gone about his mission on his own, right? In today’s culture we tend to idolize those who are strong solitary characters that appear to not need anyone else. People who take on the evils of the […]
On Satan
While writing my last blog post, I realized that it was the first time on here I discussed Satan and I struggled with the concept of writing about our Adversary. (I even wondered if I should capitalize the word Satan or not. Was he worthy of such font treatment?) Of course, as is natural for […]
On Being in the Wilderness
The Lenten journey takes us into the wilderness. This means different things for different people. For some it is a place they are already at and for others it is a foreign place. For all of us, we will find the same two forces at work in the wilderness: Jesus and Satan. The writings of […]
On Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day
Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day were the same day this year. It’s a fairly rare occasion and apparently happening only one more time this century (2029). And this almanac synergy is occurring at a time in human history where division is great and conflicts between peoples are growing more abundant every day. For those who […]
Relevant Reformation 