I know it can be more of a thing in climates where things are more closed up for colder winters. But I was surprised to learn that the history of the habit traces back to possibly two ancient origins....
The Apostle Paul concluded his first letter to the Thessalonians with a hope and a request: “May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us.” (5:23-25)...
I’ve spoken to this before that if 100 years ago, the typical American could literally hear maybe a few hundred voices in their lifetime. The largest expansion of their circle came with the advent of radio! With that technological breakthrough, you could listen nightly to stories, the news, and maybe an occasional sports broadcast. Still, the voices that would shape your life, beliefs, dreams and possibly your nightmares were limited to the humans with whom you could physically interact. Plus, the voices on the radio....
The origin of the term dates back to the 1500s, and it acknowledged that the work of living has an additional layer of work that is internal. There are the things that we think of as “going to work,” where we leave our homes, the places where we typically love to be. But the work we need to do in that space, housekeeping, is cleaning, de-cluttering, decorating even — work that typically helps us to enjoy it even more. ...
"You can say that in all societies there has always been a mid-winter festival and that many of the trappings of our Christmas are almost violently pagan. But you come back to the central fact of the day in the quietness of Christmas morning – the birth of God on earth."...
There is a compelling mystery in how people experience communion through pain. Shared sorrow and anguish can transcend class, race, and even politics to bind together people in profound ways — and in the Gospel, we even believe this applies to us and our God!...
The what of thanksgiving — at least recognizes two sides of the coin. If giving thanks is a single act, it is aware of two sides or aspects. There is the “What do I have?” side, and then there is the “Who made that possible?” side. The entire scope of my life includes all that I really do have, but I also need to see that I have not earned, produced, created, or otherwise achieved it. It’s a tension of what I have vs. what do I deserve? And at what cost has God given me all that I have been given?...
What is calmly stated belies a horrifying reality. While the speaker in a mob movie really was referring to plans for killing people, “the business” will leave unseen and unmentioned weeping parents, grieving spouses and orphaned children. And blood that cries out from the ground to the LORD, our God....
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever.” Psalm 146:3-6 ...
How much does presence matter? One way we can measure this is by how much you’ve been affected by someone’s absence. The biblical term “holy” means incomparable or irreplaceable....
I know it can be more of a thing in climates where things are more closed up for colder winters. But I was surprised to learn that the history of the habit traces back to possibly two ancient origins....
Keep Reading The Apostle Paul concluded his first letter to the Thessalonians with a hope and a request: “May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us.” (5:23-25)...
Keep Reading I’ve spoken to this before that if 100 years ago, the typical American could literally hear maybe a few hundred voices in their lifetime. The largest expansion of their circle came with the advent of radio! With that technological breakthrough, you could listen nightly to stories, the news, and maybe an occasional sports broadcast. Still, the voices that would shape your...
Keep Reading The origin of the term dates back to the 1500s, and it acknowledged that the work of living has an additional layer of work that is internal. There are the things that we think of as “going to work,” where we leave our homes, the places where we typically love to be. But the work we need to do in that space, housekeeping, is cleaning, de-cluttering, decorating even —...
Keep Reading "You can say that in all societies there has always been a mid-winter festival and that many of the trappings of our Christmas are almost violently pagan. But you come back to the central fact of the day in the quietness of Christmas morning – the birth of God on earth."...
Keep Reading There is a compelling mystery in how people experience communion through pain. Shared sorrow and anguish can transcend class, race, and even politics to bind together people in profound ways — and in the Gospel, we even believe this applies to us and our God!...
Keep Reading The what of thanksgiving — at least recognizes two sides of the coin. If giving thanks is a single act, it is aware of two sides or aspects. There is the “What do I have?” side, and then there is the “Who made that possible?” side. The entire scope of my life includes all that I really do have, but I also need to see that I have not earned, produced, created, or ...
Keep Reading What is calmly stated belies a horrifying reality. While the speaker in a mob movie really was referring to plans for killing people, “the business” will leave unseen and unmentioned weeping parents, grieving spouses and orphaned children. And blood that cries out from the ground to the LORD, our God....
Keep Reading Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever.” Psalm 146:3-6 ...
Keep Reading How much does presence matter? One way we can measure this is by how much you’ve been affected by someone’s absence. The biblical term “holy” means incomparable or irreplaceable....
Keep Reading