It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And yet. For many people, this is anything but “the very best time of the year.” Even a cursory scan through the news will give you more than a few reasons why. The economy’s struggling, there’s unemployment, there’s environment issues, violence and...
The third annual Sugar Plum Family Christmas Ball was a huge success last weekend. The purpose of the event is to create a magical evening of celebration for the entire community, where children and adults of all ages and all income levels can get together and experience the joy and...
This whole ”expectation” thing in Advent is tricky, isn’t it? We even have a hymn for that: “Come, thou long expected Jesus.” It’s on old time classic by Charles Wesley, but we don’t sing it that often anymore. People expect something more contemporary. It’s best to be prepared for it,...
There’s something magnetic about John the Baptist. Based on his description in the Bible and the words he says there, we have a picture of someone smelly and dirty with wild unkept hair, dressed in animal skins. He came from the wilderness where he lived on locusts and honey. He...
It’s Advent this week, the beginning of the church year: four Sundays set aside to prepare, watching and waiting for what is to come. Something’s coming and what’s to come is Christmas, isn’t it? The coming of Jesus. Yes it is, but which one may be the question. The stories...
The end is near (of the church calendar), and Advent begins this Sunday. Are you ready for Christmas? Ready to greet the baby Jesus? Ready for Christ to return? So much to prepare for and so much to reflect on this Christmas, like how and where we meet Jesus in...
Bringing comfort, kindness and peace to the thresholds of life and death, “threshold singing” is a selfless act of love and compassion. Ron and Leah have been part of this global movement for several years and this week they shared with me their beautiful story and their beautiful voices.
It will likely come as no surprise at all when I say that people often respond to things I say or write. Partly because I actively encourage it. I always try to remind people that I’m expressing my thoughts and ideas and hope it will inspire them to think about...
Are you tired? I’m tired. It’s mid-November and I’m already tired of winter. I know it hasn’t even really started yet. Still, I’m tired of it. But that’s not what I mean. Like most people, I probably work too much and don’t rest, let alone sleep, enough. But I don’t...
We’ve talked about “end times” before, and at this time of year it’s thematically appropriate to revisit the topic right before we dive into the season of Advent, but this week we decided to expand on the conversation and talk not only about the troubling signs of armageddon and apocalypse...