By Cindy Koch - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of … Continue reading Heavenly Light
By Paul Koch - At its core, the Christian faith is offensive. That’s not to say it’s crass or rude, though I suppose it could be. Rather, it is decidedly at odds with the ebb and flow of the ways of the world. Though we may like to play nice, to try and act just … Continue reading Theotokos
By Hillary Asbury - I love nativity scenes. I love the art of them, that they are all so unique. Whether made from a mold or hand carved, these small sculptures become interactive artwork when we set them out, recreating the scene as we like. This is liturgical art at its best: artwork which tells … Continue reading Nobody Doesn’t Like a Nativity
By Joel A. Hess - Just as the Hallmark channel and Freeform marked the holiday season with bizarre Christmas theme soap operas your friends with PhDs from the Discovery Channel have begun to distribute their dissertations about the pagan origins of Christmas. Now try not to get your self-righteous Hanes in a bunch and lose … Continue reading How to Respond to your Pagan Christmas Critics
By Paul Koch - We all are familiar with Robert Frost’s famous poem “The Road Not Taken.” It is about a traveler who comes upon a fork in the road. One way is clear and beautiful and well-travelled and the other showing no sign of foot traffic at all. The point reflected in the poem … Continue reading The Locked Door
By Joel A. Hess - Sell all your stuff and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Seriously! I’m not sure most people take Jesus’ response to the rich young man seriously. The guy asks a valid question. Bravo to this kid. What do I have to do to inherit eternal … Continue reading Sell all your stuff and give to the poor!
By Paul Koch - The story of the rich young man, as it is usually called, is an especially difficult text for us to deal with in the church. Not that it is a complex story that is hard to unpack, not that it is full of analogies that are distant from us and therefore … Continue reading Sacrifice
