Everyone knows the basic collection of well-watched Christmas (I use that word loosely) movies: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, […]
Christmas
When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let […]
It’s a widely held belief that Martin Luther invented the Christmas tree. As the apocryphal legend goes, he […]
Advent is the season of arrival; the anticipation of the coming of God. We count down on the […]
What do you want for Christmas? A new iPhone. How many times do you think Jolly Ol’ Mall […]
I am by no means alone in my pastoral ministry – I enjoy the benefit of a Director […]
Look closely at your famous Renaissance paintings of the nativity, and you will likely find destruction around the […]
Mountains of colored paper, wrinkled and ripped, pushed behind the aging tree. Yesterday’s sparkling lights now highlight the […]
You are standing in line waiting to checkout, your shopping cart is full of various things, toys, chocolate, […]
Every year, just as the seasons change and the weather falls into predictable patterns, we encounter a rhythm that is attached to our celebration of Christmas. There is a predictability to Christmas that can bring both comfort and frustration. The comfort is rooted in something we know and expect. We already know that we like it. We know the familiar patterns of the events, and so we welcome it. However, the frustration comes when we long for something more, something that steps beyond the normal pattern of things. What if the usual way of observing this season leaves us longing for more? What if the predictability of Christmas traditions has left us disconnected from the real reason for the season?