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Monthly Archives: December 2008
Say Not a Word
The wordiness of religion overwhelms me at times. The words in sermons, prayers, hymns and scripture multiply and collect in me. Add in the thicket of conversation in the narthex after worship and my eyes start to swim — my brain … Continue reading
The Antidote Is Grace
Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, worries a lack of humility among evangelicals contributes to their negative public image, and he locates the problem in a shriveled understanding of grace. If people understood the nature … Continue reading
Reluctant Santa
A few years ago my wife made a Santa suit. She sewed the trousers, jacket and cap using a red textured fabric and trimmed them with a puffy white fringe. She bought a wide black belt and a white wig … Continue reading
Empty Hands
I arrived early for lunch with a college student home on Christmas break. The hostess seated me at a table in the back of the restaurant near the kitchen. I sipped a glass of water and watched the servers emerge … Continue reading
Handbells and the New Creation
Last Sunday our Wesley Bell Choir performed at the 9:30 service. We played “A Christmas Carol Fantasy,” our hands clad in dark brown gloves. I rang C, D flat, and D in the fourth octave. We’d lugged our tables, music stands … Continue reading
Four Themes In the Hymns of Charles Wesley
The Wesley volume in the Classics of Western Spirituality features writings of John and Charles, founders of the Methodist movement in 18th century England. John’s prose is dry stuff — not unusual in theology — but Charles’s poetry sparkles with life. … Continue reading
Wandering Samaritans
A winter storm yesterday left eight inches of snow. Rain falls on the just and the unjust — snow lands indiscriminately as well. If only we could train snow to accumulate everywhere but roads, driveways and sidewalks. An old snowblower, … Continue reading
Jubilate Deo
My wife puts colored beads on a string and makes lovely jewelry for her friends. I string words together in sentences and paragraphs. It’s a creative outlet. Even the sad posts feel good to write. Disillusioned Children, for example, may give … Continue reading
Children at Play
I don’t know who first thought to dress children as shepherds and wise men and have them play the Nativity story. Charles Shultz took over an established practice for A Charlie Brown Christmas, which was an instant hit. Many churches follow … Continue reading
Into the Wet Earth
You turn us back to dust, and say, ‘Turn back, you mortals.’ (Ps. 90.3) A retired English teacher in the congregation died in October. We held her memorial service in the sanctuary. With no children and little family, I worried … Continue reading
The Sky Was On Fire
A little after five o’clock on Thursday I stopped to fill up at the gas station on the way home. I put the nozzle in the tank and stared toward the southwest. The sun had passed over the horizon, and … Continue reading
The Virgin and John Spong
Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ (Luke 1.34) Last winter John Shelby Spong spoke at the Kirkridge Retreat Center in eastern Pennsylvania. My wife, an avid Spongite, was excited hear him. He’s … Continue reading
When the Margins Disappear
He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. (Psalm 40.2) I finished a funeral Monday afternoon and drove back to the office. When I … Continue reading
Priests of Oncology
My mother has a small tumor (basil cell carcinoma) on the right side of her nose. She had her first radiation treatment last week at a cancer clinic. After the brief procedure a doctor came by and spoke with her. She told … Continue reading
Evangelical Fervor
At our last Advent study we looked at Luke’s story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, using Rejoicing In Hope by James A. Harnish, a United Methodist pastor in Florida. The lesson asked us to discuss times of spiritual barrenness we’ve known … Continue reading
Aboriginal Man
In the epic film Australia, Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) must drive 1500 head of cattle from her ranch at Faraway Downs to the port at Darwin. A mysterious man called Drover (Hugh Jackman) assists her in the journey, which will … Continue reading
My Heart Goes Flat
The left front tire on my 12-year-old Geo has a slow leak. I put air in it periodically to keep it inflated. The mechanic at the shop says the rim is rusty, preventing the tire from sealing well around it. … Continue reading
Three Simple Rules
Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living, by Bishop Reuben P. Job, offers rules for living drawn from the writings of John Wesley. Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God. The first rule prohibits harmful words … Continue reading
Simone Weil and the Three Loves
Simone Weil, the French philosopher, mystic and social reformer, believed we approach God indirectly. Our love for God is implicit in three other loves: Love of neighbor. Love of the beauty of the world. Love of religious practices. When we … Continue reading
