Christmas – Finding the Life

Mary’s Magnificat

Seven years after the loss of a 25 year marriage, reflections on not feeling like celebrating Christmas, and holding onto faith in the midst. How this can help us understand Mary’s Magnificat in a new way

When Chanukah overlaps Christmas

I got a text from a friend recently who was reading the Christmas story to her granddaughter from the Bible. After she was finished, the little girl asked where the stories of little girls were? Insightful. We can explain it away as adults, but its a real question for a little girl. At a Christmas… Continue reading When Chanukah overlaps Christmas

The Untouchable is Here

Merry Christmas! I have been pondering a question this season, amidst all the cookie baking, present wrapping, holiday music and vast decorations. Why Christmas? Yes, I know its origins herald possibly from Christians in the fourth century celebrating the birth of Jesus instead of the feast of the Winter Solstice. But why? To answer that… Continue reading The Untouchable is Here

The many messages in Christmas

I have always loved the Christmas season, and I’ll admit, I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite “thing” – because I love just about everything about it. The warm sweaters, hot chocolate with candy canes, seasonal lattes at every coffee shop in town. The lights! On houses, lining city streets. The fun of finding… Continue reading The many messages in Christmas

Ever been in Mary’s shoes?

Last year I read through Kenneth Bailey’s book “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes” – and his observations in the opening chapter around the birth story of Jesus, as told by Luke, captured my attention. Bailey set the story in the context of the way homes were built and how the culture of hospitality worked in… Continue reading Ever been in Mary’s shoes?

Favorite Christmas Memories

Now that my kids are older and we talk a lot about why things were the way they were when they were younger, it got me thinking back to how we did Christmas that just got baked into “how we do things”…. and I thought I’d share two of my favorite things that I love… Continue reading Favorite Christmas Memories

Zechariah & the Christmas Story

Every year when I unpack the Christmas decorations, there’s a devotional book on advent that I unpack as well. It’s called “God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It’s a compilation of sermon notes, letters he wrote to his fiancé when he was in prison during WWII, and quotes… Continue reading Zechariah & the Christmas Story

Lamenting at Christmas?

I have found myself a bit more somber as of lately, and its been hard to know what to chalk it up to. Sure, 2020 has been interesting, to say the least. I think its more like a culmination of things, between the hard things I have watched our nation go through, the new (but… Continue reading Lamenting at Christmas?

Redemption of the past

So today is the first Sunday of Advent, and this morning the pastor was reading over the first chapter in Matthew – which, if you have read it – is a geneology of the dads (and a few moms that are mentioned) in the line of Jesus. I suspect some of us have always skipped… Continue reading Redemption of the past

Me and Advent

I have been doing a lot of thinking this time of year, specifically paying attention to sermons on Advent. Admittedly, I have never really been one to focus on the meaning of Advent before… yet this year is different. This year, the lessons of Advent are speaking to me more than I have ever heard… Continue reading Me and Advent