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
Metropolitan Community Church of Columbia, S.C. Readings: Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Galatians 3:23-29 This sermon though was not an easy one to write. I usually can write a sermon in a day – two at the longest, but this one took about three days. It reminded me
What a bother it must have been! In the dead of winter having to walk well over eighty miles (and that’s as the ‘crow flies’!) simply to go from their home in Nazareth to get to Bethlehem to take a census! In the dead of
Have you ever witnessed the wonder and delight on the faces of young children as they catch a glimpse, through a partially opened door, of a Christmas tree laden with gifts? Or seen the excitement as the Christmas light suddenly blaze forth from trees and
We three queans of Christendom are bearing gifts we traverse afar, lay and clergy, collared and mitred, following yonder star. Episcopalians Born a quean in ECUSA’s plain, INTEGRITY I bring to my king; king for ever, ceasing never, over us all to reign. Roman Catholics
And lo, a star shone in the East Once upon a time, or so the story goes, in a land far away, lived a nation of people very different from us. Their appearance was different, as were their customs and clothing. They had no idea
It is so easy to go blind and deaf at Christmas. Blinded by garish lights, “sale” signs and mobs of anxious, cranky shoppers. Deafened by tinny renditions of “Rudolph” and “Frosty,” not to mention the sweet strains of “Silent Night” from the automotive department of
I originally wrote this little poem last year, and though it mentions LGBT issues very briefly, it’s designed for everyone to enjoy and think and reflect on. I got to thinking about the fact the other day that we have so much diversity in and
A Gift For Jesus Mary gave him her womb for nine months, then her love for thirty-three years. Joseph gave him his name, Jesus bar Joseph. The Magi brought him gifts — gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, and myrrh for one who
Each year there is a moment when Christmas arrives. It doesn’t arrive before Halloween when some stores start putting out their Christmas stuff. It doesn’t happen when the panic hits that old Cousin George will be here for Christmas, too, and you have no bed