A few years ago, some families I know lost their possessions in an apartment complex fire. They were far from home, alone, and in need. Because most of the kids in the complex knew and trusted me, I became a point person in the effort to ascertain the needs and distribute donated goods. It wasn’t…
Away in a mangerNo crib for a bedThe little Lord JesusLay down His sweet head The stars in the skyLook down where He layThe little Lord JesusAsleep on the hay The cattle are lowingThe poor baby wakesBut little Lord JesusNo crying He makes I love Thee, Lord JesusLook down from the skyAnd stay by my…
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. – Isaiah 9:6a For this week’s name of Jesus, we turn again to Isaiah. Because, despite what Andy Stanley might say, unhitching from the Old Testament is a really bad idea. The Old Testament adds depth and context, an understanding of God’s…
When I was little, I loved to go to the Omniplex, the science museum in town. One of my favorite exhibits was a stationary bike connected to a row of lightbulbs. You could generate electricity with pedal power. The faster you pedaled, the brighter the bulbs. I loved making my own power, but it was…
Now that we’ve moved into the names of Jesus, you might think we’d start with Jesus’s birth. No, Ann Spangler takes us back to the beginning. John’s gospel doesn’t have a nativity account. He goes all the way back to the beginning. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and…