As I write this it is the waning days of April. The weather has started to get better. I have shut off the heat in the office and opened the window in my office. And I hear, smell, and feel spring. There is a bee that has gotten stuck between my window and the outside…
A well intentioned not overly church-going friend of mine recently asked, “So, what do you do when the ‘busy season’ is over?” I inquired, “What busy season?” They responded, “You know, after all those extra services for Lent and Easter and all that…the ‘busy season.’” I responded, “That’s when we make Easter real and get…
March is a packed month in the life of the church this year. And that’s perfectly ok by me. You see, this month (at least liturgically speaking) is packed to the rafters with powerful stories. We of course have the power of simplicity with Lent for most of the month. But then, all of a…
If you haven’t looked at a calendar, you might be missing the fact that the seasons of Lent and Easter come very early this year. In fact, Lent begins this month (February 14-Ash Wednesday) and Easter comes on March 31st of this year. In the life of the church, Lent and Easter are two very…
I’m sure we all think about “new beginnings” when the calendar rolls over to the new year. We may ask ourselves, “What will be new, different, unique about this coming year?” Maybe we’re looking to let go of a bad past year. Maybe there’s a new event on the horizon for the new year that…
Advent, like Lent, is a major season in the life of the church. Interestingly, they both celebrate very similar things: The return of Jesus and his power to overcome death, separation, and all things which keep humans and God apart. The word Advent, as I’ve written before, comes from the Latin “adventus” which means “coming.”…