Well, picking up where we left off with Faye — Faye may have heightened my knowledge and acceptance of the supernormal and the unexplained, but Hazel keeps me believing in Santa Claus for the simple fact that she IS Mrs. Claus. Singer/songwriter Richard Shindell has a song called, Hazel’s House, […]
Nativity scenes crack me up. No, there’s nothing inherently funny about them, and I recognize and honor the symbolic appeal and power they have, but having visited farm and village sites in Israel that are still essentially pre-modern, and knowing what stables look, feel, and smell like in general, I […]
I often hear a rumor, unsubstantiated (though with impressive evidence), that many adults no longer believe in Santa Claus. Oh, many profess to believe in the “spirit” or “essence” of Saint Nicholas, but to believe in the real, physical, meat-and-potatoes jolly old fat man is no longer acceptable among the […]
Here is a sermon Barbara and I delivered at the Hudson UMC on December 4: (sorry about the formatting) Dan Oh, man, I cannot believe it is December already! This year has just flown by. Barbara I know, and it isn’t going to get any better. I have two projects that absolutely MUST […]
We frequent and traditional church-goers can sometimes forget that Christmas is not a joyous and wonderful time for all concerned. In my own ministry, I dealt with two Christmas suicides, and numerous individuals for whom Christmas brought sorrow and deep loss. In one of the New Jersey churches I served, […]
Twenty years ago, I was given a wonderful opportunity. A Vanderbilt seminary professor took ill and I was asked to fill in for almost five weeks in a class that explored, among other things, the liturgical year. It was one of the most freeing and enjoyable experiences of my life. […]
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