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 long before I became known more for being the “lady with the stuff” than the homework helper and after school playmate. It was an awkward time. So I can relate, in a very small way, to Jesus’s frustration after he fed the 5,000. Just imagine the impact of feeding 5,000 men and the accompanying women…

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 side‘Til morning is nigh Why am I singing Christmas carols in July? Because this week’s name is Child. And what better carol is there for meditating on Jesus’s “babyness” than “Away in a Manger?” Personally, I prefer the Cradle Song tune to the Mueller tune. But one of the lines has always bothered me. “No…

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 character we wouldn’t have if we ignored the Old Testament. One common characteristic of Hebrew poetry is parallelism. When I first studied Isaiah, I muttered, “You just said that,” more than once. Why did Isaiah need to repeat himself – a Child is born, a Son is given? The real question is, however, did he…

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 hard work after a few minutes. If I’d been dependent on producing my own electricity, I’d have spent a lot of time in the dark. And sometimes that’s how I feel as I run this race. My light feels pretty feeble. Jesus more than called us to be the light of the world. He said…

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 the Word was God. – John 1:1 Compare this to the beginning of the Book of Beginnings which also begins with “in the beginning.” There’s no before before Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. – Genesis 1:1 Jesus, the Son, the Word, the second person of the Trinity, was there…