If the world is a gift, then all the things to which you relate—and many to which you don't—are also God's relation to you.
Christmas | Nativity of the Lord (Year A Year B Year C)
Proper 1: Isaiah 9:2-7 (Psalm 96); Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14, (15-20). Proper 2: Isaiah 62:6-12 (Psalm 97); Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20. Proper 3: Isaiah 52:7-10 (Psalm 98); Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12); John 1:1-14
We were seated on chairs arranged in a circle in the aptly named Hospitality Room, men and women from Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Japan, and the U.S. We were reading the Qur’an. Some were Muslims who many people would not consider Muslim; others were Christians who many people would not consider Christian.
December 21, 2015
I don’t have the nerve to stand up on Christmas Eve and preach about the choreography of childbirth, but I wish I did. I wish I had the nerve to preach about Mary’s increased estrogen production, a few days before birth (estrogen that will soften her cervix, and help her blood coagulate after delivery). I wish I had the nerve to preach about Mary’s and Jesus’ pituitary glands producing oxytocin, which in turn allows Mary’s contractions to accelerate.
December 20, 2015
There are many ways we receive the gift of Jesus badly.
December 10, 2015
I went to church full of dread after the recent terrorist attacks. Worship included dedicating a new pipe organ. Was it appropriate to be celebrating in the midst of the hatred and fear?
December 7, 2015
Three times a year, a worship service ends and I go back to the vesting room to change—and I feel as though I'm walking into a time warp.
April 1, 2015