Article: The Mood of Christmas

  I have always been intrigued by the dedication of missionaries of the 19th century. When they left their home for another country it usually meant they were never coming back. That reminds me of the conversation between a chicken and a pig: The Chicken says: “Hey Pig, I was thinking we should open a…

We are great at separating people. At a glance we can discern if someone is on our team or should be shunned and ridiculed. Humans are particularly good at drawing lines in the sand and then determining who belongs on which side.  We are really talented at breaking down community. We eagerly identify our foes…

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:13-14 Most of you know where these two verses come from: The Christmas story. This is what the angels said to the unsuspecting shepherds…

Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:22-23 Jesus isn’t talking…

A “sign” like this often freaks people out because we have been trained to tell people what our “religion” is when asked by others. However, Christianity is different. It is not a religion (a set of religious rules), Christianity is a relationship with Christ. Lent (for us mainline protestant types) is a time to reflect…