The Shepherds : A Message of Incarnational Love

The Shepherds : A Message of Incarnational Love

Artwork: “The Sacrificial Lamb” by Christian Art Expo As a young man of 17, I had a joyful encounter with the Holy Spirit in which I found myself speaking in a language I had never learned—much like the new believers in the book of Acts. To my delight, I...
Anna the Prophet: The Mystery of Suffering and Joy

Anna the Prophet: The Mystery of Suffering and Joy

 Rembrandt : Anna and Simeon in the temple On this third Sunday in Advent we light the candle of Joy. The apostle Peter wrote that we are to “rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s suffering, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is...
What Ruth, Boaz, and Rahab Reveal About Belonging

What Ruth, Boaz, and Rahab Reveal About Belonging

Artwork: The Story of Ruth,  by John August Swanson One of the things I love about Advent is reading through the Advent and Christmas narratives again. Most of us do not linger over the long genealogy of Jesus in Matthew, yet the season of Advent calls us to pause, to...
Simeon: On Advent, Hope and Waiting

Simeon: On Advent, Hope and Waiting

Artwork: Simeon the Righteous,by Aleksey Yegorov, 1830-40s. Almost the day after Halloween, Christmas themed displays began to appear in our city. What is wrong with this picture? We are a culture that does not know how to wait. The proverbial “are we there...