If God is unity and totality, and all things come from God and all things are under the command and control of God (God the ground of ALL being), then how many sides does God have? An infinite number or one? And if infinite — including all sides with no […]
As Epiphany closes the Christmastide once more, a few incidents stand out in my mind as symbolic of the current state of the church and our faith in the present day: At a hotel where I stayed this week, a manager was giving instruction to her maintenance crew — at […]
Happy Boxing Day, everyone! Christmas is OVER. It used to be that Christmas Day heralded the beginning of the twelve days of Christmas — or, Christmastide, if you prefer — leading to the arrival of the magi for Epiphany. At the very least, the eight days following Christmas held special […]
I wonder which Jesus we are hoping for this year? Your initial reaction may be, “hold on, there’s just one Jesus!” to which I would reply “you haven’t been paying attention.” Even in scripture we have no fewer than four accounts (canonical) as well as dozens (non-canonical) that offer us […]
In every town, in every time, there are those rare individuals who become part of the “local color.” If they are wealthy, they are labeled eccentric. If they are poor, they are simply “crazy.” Outsiders see these people and marvel. Townies hardly notice them – they become part of the […]
For some, this post will make perfect sense. To many others, it will border on sacrilege. No offense is meant, but I offer a personal analogy for the spirit of anticipation that should be connected to Advent, but is often missing. We are left with a sweet, clean, happy story […]
Apparently I am a Christmas nerd. I stopped for coffee at my favorite spot (Beans ‘n Cream in Sun Prairie) and some of the regulars were engaged in a spirited discussion about the Christmas holiday season. Eavesdropping without looking obvious, I found it fascinating that almost no one (there were […]
Advent rolls round once more, and the Christmas season (which marketers think started sometime around Halloween) takes center stage. Carols and decorations, candy and cookies, presents and get togethers all take on the festive holiday cheer. And, if we’re lucky, glimpses of Jesus might still emerge from time to time. […]
It has been interesting entering the conversation about the future of our denomination and our interest, inclination and ability to stay at the table to work things out. While I feel strongly that we are better together than apart, I acknowledge that others feel strongly that enough is enough, it […]
One of the things I love about the church is that you never know what kind of impact you’re going to make on the lives of those around you. At a very simple level, the church offers an opportunity to do good and, at the very least, do no harm. […]
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