This month at Calvary I have been doing a series of Advent sermons entitled Songs of the Season. Each Sunday we’ve been reading and reflecting on the initial reactions of some of the major characters in the story of Jesus’ birth. For example, Zechariah the...
December 5, 2019 Advent first, then Christmas? The theological concept of Advent is largely lost on America’s secular culture. Even among church-type folks, several denominations do not observe Advent. Like the rest of society, as soon as the turkey carcass has been tossed into the soup...
November 28, 2019 This week our nation pauses to celebrate our many blessings, but as with everything else about our country, no two people or families will celebrate Thanksgiving in exactly the same way. What are your particular traditions? Are you a stickler for dressing or...
One of my favorite things about the holidays is the traditions that we carry forward from one year to the next. For example, in my family, there is the tradition—not to be messed with—that the first music we listen to as we put up decorations...
We are inviting you to join us on a “top-secret” Christmas mission. We are launching an initiative to commit "Random Acts of Christmas Kindness." We will spread kindness all around the community, leaving no "footprint" except for a card that lets people know they've been...
November 21, 2019 Do you know what it is to feel so much joy and gratitude that you think your heart might burst? That is the happy place I inhabit this morning, and I am not alone. I received a text message on the way to work...
Holy Discontentment. That’s the name of a booklet I recently received from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness, which is based in Washington, D.C. The booklet is “intended to be a resource for Presbyterians and other people of faith seeking to engage in public...
In the past week children dressed in costumes of all varieties rang my front door bell, anticipating a treat; daylight savings time ended; I raked my first bag of leaves in the backyard; I switched to long pants for my outdoor exercise; and iced tea...
(Image courtesy of WTOP) THEY DID IT!!!!! The Washington Nationals defied the odds and the naysayers to make history by winning the 2019 World Series last night in Houston, Texas. They did it in typical gut-wrenching, heart-stopping fashion, coming from behind in yet another—but...
As I sit at my desk and write this morning, the Washington Nationals are up 2-0 over the Houston Astros in the World Series. Their thrilling, improbable run through October continues, and as exciting as it has been, I am glad this is the last...