In case you are not acquainted with this particular maneuver–that is, of bringing a Christmas tree into the house and setting it up — you might benefit from knowing some of the best practices…
The first thing to do, is not do what I do…
Agape is the Greek word for love that is the primary teaching of Jesus. It roughly translates to “neighbor love.”
An oral tradition is not an act of remembering. It’s an act of maintenance. When something that was written 800 years ago is passed from one generation to the next, it stops being 800 years old, and becomes something that your grandmother taught you.
When we find ourselves on the edge — confronted by the inevitable challenge of our mortality, facing eternity, we are humbled by a mystery that cannot be fathomed.
This is a moment of religious desperation, a moment when try, in vain, to tame the ultimate.
On November 27th — which, as of this writing is three days off — I will have been your pastor for one year! In garlic terms, then, my bottom two or three leaves would now be turning yellow.
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
the heart, by itself is a biological necessity, but the heart with eyes is a religious necessity.
The heart must interact with the rest of the world. Then the heart is given meaning. Then the life is given purpose.
This change — this transformation from heat wave to cold snap… from flourishing to dormancy, from ripple, to ice…is a seasonal reminder that we must learn to be good at letting go; a reassurance, built into the cycle of our lives, that there is no such thing as sadness without beauty…
