When the rush of Christmas wears off and the realities of the world begin to wear us down again, the Epiphany season of the Church Calendar invites us to revisit the beginning of our faith journey by recalling the significance of baptism. Regardless of denominational differences regarding baptism practices, the meaning of baptism itself does […]
Tag: Lifestyle
On the Unexpected
It doesn’t take long for us to see that the expectations we have for the Christ Child might not match the plans of God. The Epiphany season of the Church Calendar is here to disrupt our expectations of Jesus. After Advent and Christmas, Epiphany rolls on in with equal amounts of celebration and confusion. Following […]
On Epiphanies
Epiphanies tend to come in waves. That is to say, one epiphany can lead to a second. Or, a singular epiphany can morph over time into an even greater one. The same is true for the Church’s Epiphany season that follows Christmas, during which there is much to discover. Epiphany kicks off with the celebration […]
On Arrival
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 […]
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 Choice of Words
When we look at both faith and politics, we find a lot of rhetoric. Lots of words. Some may be just filler, but all are chosen—to persuade, reassure, distract, disarm, deflect, encourage, motivate, etc. (As is often the case, I find myself questioning the writing of this reflection at all, knowing that I am writing […]
On Peace on Earth
During this past Christmas season, I found myself meditating on the concept of “peace on earth”. Peace between nations, peace between people, peace from war, and peace within. As cards of the season’s greetings came in the mail, as church services were attended, and as all the festive lights shown around me, I found myself […]
On The Saints
The work of the Reformation does not end with the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation by any means. Today is All Saints’ Day, and on this day we remember all those who have gone before us, glorifying God through their lives on earth, for the sake of Jesus Christ and the Eternal Kingdom. We are […]
On Strangers and Enemies
Strangers are not always our enemies and our enemies are not always strangers, but we often treat strangers like our enemies and our enemies like strangers. And that’s because strangers and enemies are both often simply the result of human-made barriers and conflict. Some barriers are so systemically ingrained in our world that we forget […]
On Money
A key frustration of Martin Luther was how the church glorified and used money. He saw that the church in his day distorted the good news of Christ by offering salvation in exchange for money. And when the church became focused on money it ceased being the church. It stopped serving God. I wonder if […]
Relevant Reformation 