Merry Christmas! The closest thing I have to a tradition on this blog is this Christmas day offering. Each Christmas I post the Isaiah passage below (which is a reading for Christmas Eve worship every year); John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)", which I find the world's best and most challenging Christmas song; and …
Tag: hope
Happy Christmas 2014
Merry Christmas! It's my Christmas day tradition to post this Isaiah passage (which is a reading for Christmas Eve worship every year), Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" (the world's best - and most challenging - Christmas song), and a lighter second song that changes each year. You're welcome. 😉 Isaiah 9:2-7: The people who …
It’s not all bad
This has been a tough week: Ongoing war and atrocities in Iraq and Gaza. Robin Williams' suicide Shooting death of Mike Brown and all that followed (and continues to follow) in Ferguson, MO. Death, racism, oppression, violence, pain and despair are not hard to find. I'm going to talk about all of that as honestly …
The Gospel According to Thor #sermon
You might think that putting up a sermon is the easiest kind of post. I mean, really, the content is already created, how hard could it be? Yet, somehow, it never ends up being that easy for me. Once again, here it is Thursday and I'm just now posting my sermon from this past Sunday …
Mourning, and yet…
It has been rough week. It's been a week of mourning. It has been a week of mourning with Miriam, all the Cabanas family and friends, and our congregation over Ernie's sudden death. Just a few days ago Miriam and Ernie hugged me on their way out of church after our worship service, all smiles …
Responding to evil with a hope and a prayer
How often this week have you heard someone say, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of ______"? Boston, Iraq, Texas, Iran, Illinois...there's no shortage of people dealing with violence, disaster, pain, and tragedy. There never is. Has the "thoughts and prayers" sentiment gone the way of "how are you"? Tossed off with little …
Continue reading Responding to evil with a hope and a prayer
Just make it through the night
Our son recently turned 7 years old. He's in first grade. It's been a rough week. Oh, not for him nor his little sister. They're fine and are excited for Christmas. But the unspeakable horror of the Newtown shooting hit Joann and me very hard. (Though, obviously, our sadness is in no way comparable to …
All That I Can't Leave Unsaid 