Before we put away the decorations and crèches used in the Christmas and Epiphany celebrations that are taking place around the world, there’s one more episode in the stories surrounding these holidays that’s often glossed over too quickly. Whether any or all of these stories
The story that dominates this time of year almost as much as Clement Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas is found in two of the New Testament Gospels: Matthew and Luke. Bible scholars today debate how much, if any, of them is historically accurate since
Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours each year waiting in line, and more often than not, we hate every single minute of it. In our “get-it-done-now-and-move-on-to-the-next-thing” world, waiting is a drudgery none of us enjoys. Of course, supermarkets know this, so to keep us entertained,
Read the rest of the Via Creativa: Island of Misfit Toys series Jubilee! Circle, Columbia, S.C. Readings for the First Sunday after Christmas: Samuel was ministering before the Lord. (1 Samuel 2:18-20) I must be in my Father’s house. (Luke 2:41-52) Playing one’s part in
I want to share this obvious observation: Even if there were some remote chance I could become pope… they would never let me. The reason is simple — and it is not because of my progressive views of Christian theology, or the fact that I
Jubilee! Circle, Columbia, S.C. Readings for the First Sunday after Christmas: I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord. (Isaiah 63:7-9) And having been warned in a dream… (Matthew 2:1-12) Our first song tonight comes from a British band that saw a lot of
Here he comes again…that robust, jolly fellow with his sleigh full of gifts! We all know (spoiler alert!) that Santa isn’t “real.” That our gifts really come from people who love us. But in their own way, they, too, are a manifestation of the love
While Jacob sat patting his young pup, his mother finished serving several portions of the evening meal into a large covered dish, and added a bag containing bread for all those who watched that night. It would be his job to take these meals to
An American holiday tradition that’s proven to be financially successful was observed again last month. It’s a tradition that reminds one of comedian Stan Freberg’s 1958 spoof of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol called “Green Christmas.” Freberg’s Scrooge owns an ad agency geared to profiting from
I know it is the time for the all important holidays. You know the ones I’m talking about. Thanksgiving and Christmas, to mention the two that stand out in my mind. I think of those holidays fondly for many reasons. One of the most important