Month: December 2014

unto us a face is born

  Reading Psalm 27 today I saw these lines: My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. and I was reminded of the importance of the human face in scripture.  It is a symbol of intimacy because we protect it and because it so...

Prince of Peace

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  John 13 Today we celebrate the lesser feast of Francis...

Holy Innocents

The Family Flees: French, wood and egg tempra, 14h century, Metropolitan Museum or Art. The Feast of the Holy Innocents is a rude awakening from Christmas bundles, boxes and bows.  The last of leftovers are being pulled out for our lunches and gifts are just now finding resting places among...

But why?

  O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. (play the video link at the end…) As dawns the day when the eight pounds of human,living meat arrives...

a time for singing

  When I saw this music video, I was standing, hanging Christmas ornaments on my Christmas tree, very soon tears were streaming down my face and I found myself needing to sit down. I commend it to you this last few days before we celebrate Christmas.  You might consider using...

cheesy love in Advent

Savory Crab Cheesecake Appetizer (serves 20) 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1/4 cup melted butter combine well and spread on the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan, packing it down into a tight crust.  Set aside. 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 cup finely chopped green...

Te Deum in Advent

You are the One Who Is. You are coming to be among us, to pitch your tent within our encampment. You are Emmanuel. You come to us in the bred and wine of the Eucharist. You come to us in our darkest fears at 3:00 am during the night watch....

Advent’s comfort, awakeness and currry

One of the things about Advent that interests me is the way in which it interweaves comfortable relief and startling, uncomfortable alertness. That God would take human form and, for the first time, enter human time (chronos time) by choosing to leave God's time (kairos time) is startling.  It seems...

the light shines in the darkness

As we make the Advent race past mile marker "Gaudate Sunday" (the third week) we move into the winds of the pre-Christmas rush of our society.  The media, on behalf of those who sell things, have slowly morphed these two weeks into a time of busyness, purchases, attractions and scattered...

this side of the door

Waiting on the other side of a door requires patience.  Patience is a difficult gift to nurture in our society.  We tend to want things and get things quickly.  We will check to see why an email was not responded too quickly enough. We will order a book on line...