2020 was a tough year for some prominent Christian leaders
This morning I had a text at 7am. A pastor I counsel needed to talk. To say the least 2020 was a hard year for him. By 8am we were talking, as we have many […]
Letting the desert fathers and mothers speak as the new year begins
In the last few years, I have given my bookshelves a break by giving away 1600 books, mostly books of theology and practical ministry. In my most recent purging last fall in preparation to paint […]
The paradox of the human condition
Almost every week it seems I meet with someone who is caught in what writer Frederick Buechner calls the paradox of the human condition: More than anything, we hunger to be known in our full […]
Joseph gets the message loud & clear
I have been thinking about the angelic appearances in the Christmas story, particularly the angels who appeared to Joseph in 4 separate dreams. Of course, Mary was not dreaming when the angel Gabriel appeared to […]
A Christmas prayer from Psalm 51
This past summer my siblings and I stood in the Hoxie, Kansas, cemetery and buried my mom’s ashes next to where my dad and grandparents are laid to rest. After a funeral luncheon and most […]
Rewriting “Oh Christmas Tree” (O Tannenbaum)
The other day in Walgreens I heard a woman singing. “O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, how lovely are thy branches.” I stopped and listened as she sang while pushing her cart. It took me back to […]
Opening the door of our heart
As we celebrate Advent and prepare for Jesus’ coming, my missionary friend Carolyn says we actually are looking for a 3-fold coming as we move toward Christmas. Jesus as a baby. “And the Word became […]
Practice saying “yes” during Advent
While my wife, Jennifer, and I were celebrating Thanksgiving with my daughter and her family in Indianapolis, I got a voice message from an old friend saying that her mother had died and asking if […]
