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Doubting Wisely
Read more: Doubting WiselyWith the recent tragedy in Connecticut there is reason to doubt. Last friday I was driving in my car listening to talk radio. The entire show was dedicated to the day’s horrific events. At one point the host started to explain that although he is not religious, he is ‘spiritual’. He stated emphatically that he…
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How the Grinch Was Too Late to Steal Christmas
Read more: How the Grinch Was Too Late to Steal Christmas“Pooh-pooh to the Whos!” he was grinch-ish-ly humming. “They’re finding out now that no Christmas is coming! “They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do! “Their mouths will hang open a minute or two “Then all the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!” “That’s a…
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Jesus and His Father
Read more: Jesus and His FatherAnyone who’s come over for dinner has seen my collection of Peruvian oil paintings of the Virgin Mary. Several years ago, a spending spree and newfound obsession with Catholic art (despite being a Reformed Baptist) landed me with a few too many Marys: three hanging in the hallway and one above my bed. Buyer’s remorse…
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Joy to the World…But what IS this Joy?
Read more: Joy to the World…But what IS this Joy?What does Christmas joy look like? And if so, how do we obtain it? This month, I’ve noticed that a lot of my Christmas reflections have sought to explore the emotional and spiritual dissonance that the soul can fall prey to during Christmastide. Personally, I do believe that nostalgia is not all evil, and that…
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Of Nativity Scenes, Christmas, the State and the Small Town of Athens Texas
Read more: Of Nativity Scenes, Christmas, the State and the Small Town of Athens TexasIn keeping with the Christmas spirit that has been permeated the blog, I thought I would attempt to meld my two-kingdom series with something relevant for the holiday season. In the secularized west, the constant debate about Christ’s relationship to Christmas provides a fantastic peek into the practicality of the two kingdom’s discussion. Today’s article…
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Too Christian? Reflections on Linus, Tebow, and Paul
Read more: Too Christian? Reflections on Linus, Tebow, and PaulSurvey anyone within the church, and if they are honest, they will let you know that there is at least one approach or method for sharing the gospel that makes them cringe. It’s not that there isn’t excitement about the spreading of the news of Jesus and His redemptive work to redeem and restore mankind….
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Secular Christmas
Read more: Secular ChristmasThe concept is bizarre when you stop and think about it. Let’s take a couple of days off of work at one of the busiest times of the year. We’ll time our school calendars so that the semester break occurs during the holiday. For the month preceding the holiday, houses and storefronts will be decorated…
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Time Travel & The First Christmas
Read more: Time Travel & The First ChristmasToday (Dec 13) I am flying home after my first term at St Andrews. It feels like time has sped up ever since I arrived. An hour seems a bit shorter than I remembered in the States. Whole weeks have felt like insignificant blocks of time that pass by all too quickly. Why does time…
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Would I teach MY kids about Santa?
Read more: Would I teach MY kids about Santa?For the reading audience, this comes as part three of a themed week focus on the tension between celebrating Christmas, as specifically Santa, alongside the advent of the Messiah. For those of you who have not read John’s misnomer[1] article titled “Why I Wouldn’t Teach my Kids About Santa” posted earlier this week, I would recommend…
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Rockin’ Around the Pagan-derived Christmas Tree
Read more: Rockin’ Around the Pagan-derived Christmas TreeThe commercial and symbolic culture of Christmas has been lost on no one. The true meaning of Christmas has. In America, Christmas is a month-long celebration full of tradition. It’s more a season than merely a date on the calendar. Radio stations and department stores play nothing but Christmas music from late-November on. Houses and…