For people who follow Jesus, Christmas is a time to celebrate his birth. Yet Christmas is under attack. Some want to turn it into Xmas, others try to band its mention, and others say it doesn’t matter because we’ve already sufficiently removed Jesus from it. The reaction from Christ-followers is understandable, but the battle is […]
Technically summer doesn’t start for another month (June 21). Summer then lasts for three months (until September 21). Though the Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox formally mark the beginning and ending of the summer season, the weather and our response to it shows we don’t care too much about the official dates. From a practical […]
Happy Mother’s Day With Mother’s Day coming up, I want to salute all moms by commending one mom in particular. The Bible simply says she was the wife of Manoah. Though we don’t know her name, we know her son’s name: Samson. God promised to give a child to this childless wife of Manoah. Before […]
We’ve Lost Christmas as a Spiritual Celebration. Let’s Not Lose Easter Too This spring some groups have banned Easter egg hunts—not the activity but the name. Concerned pundits decry this as political correctness gone awry or the timid majority kowtowing to the vocal minority. Although “spring egg hunt” sounds lame, this new label doesn’t dismay […]
It’s Time to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions—or Is It? The new year is a time when many people make New Year’s resolutions. Common ones include losing weight, saving money, going back to school, finding a better job, improving a relationship—or getting out of one, being kinder, giving more, drinking less, and so on. All […]
My Christmas wish for you is a joyous time of celebration with family and friends. May your day be loaded with laughter and love. May your table be filled with food and surrounded by fun. May you give gifts well and receive them even better. May you take a moment to thank the one whose […]
My perspective on Halloween has changed over the years. Here are my seven reflections on Halloween As a kid I relished the opportunity to score some candy, a rare and treasured treat. As a teen I was too old to go trick-or-treating, but there was usually a party to go to or friends to hang […]
Palm Sunday Once an area church invited nearby churches to participate in a joint Palm Sunday service for the Blessing of the Palms. That phrase in an unfamiliar one to me, but with millions of exact matches in an online search, it’s likely known to many within the Christian community. If you are perplexed by […]
Make This Year Different Than Last Christmas is (or at least, should be) a spiritual event. It is a grand celebration of Jesus. In my prior post, Reimagining Christmas, I encouraged a reclamation of the day’s true meaning and making it a spiritual experience. Now, seven days hence, another holiday is upon us: New Year’s […]
Like most people, I have expectations for Christmas: spending time with family and friends, giving gifts, reaching out to others, enjoying festive food at advent gatherings, and so forth. Much of my Christmas spirit is triggered by sights, sounds, and smells that conjure up happy memories of Christmases past. What if we were removed to […]