In past years, this is crunch time for me. I make mad dashes to the mall to pick up last-minute gifts, prepare worship services for Christmas Eve, and visit shut-ins. I learned to navigate the craziness of the season… Continue reading

     One of the great premises of Buddhist philosophy is the idea of giving up our attachment to things. By emptying ourselves of ways that we hold on to items, we can fill the new spaces with a higher consciousness.… Continue reading

     We live in a dualistic society that assumes many things about an individual based on how one lives his/her life, who they vote for, and where they live. As a Christian, failing to look beyond the surface, hinders many… Continue reading

     When we move from darkness into the light, there is a supposition that everything reverts to a time when life proceeded in a stress-free environment. I often find myself shocked when my entry into the light is quite different… Continue reading

     As I got ready to go to church this morning, I heard a statement that bothered me. While not talking about the birth of Christ, someone said, “If you come down…” My first reaction was one of anger. “What… Continue reading

     Sometimes I am guilty of using “churchy” words without explaining myself. There are phrases that we throw around without knowing the full extent of their meaning. What we do is set up boundaries for those who use familiar language… Continue reading

     One of my favorite seasonal musical selections is “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” by the great English composer Ralph Vaughn Williams. The piece starts very somberly with a single cello and a baritone voice who musically narrates through the darkness.… Continue reading

     Today I find myself in the precarious position of wanting to stop and take a moral inventory of myself. The question that drives my curiosity is, “What have I surrendered to move from darkness into the light?” As I… Continue reading

     There are some watered-down theological assumptions out in the world that our real reward is after death. The immediacy of a life filled with God’s love is not as crucial in the here and now. After all, why strive… Continue reading

     In many Christian circles, the debate about conversion centers around the moment of belief and our actions, and the holy mystery surrounding us. While I know that we have nothing to do with the gift, we have agency in… Continue reading