christmas

Season's Greetings to all my friends...

No matter who or where you are, there is one theme to Christmas that hopefully humanity can still appreciate.  Heralding the birth of the Christ Child in a manger has a lot of underlying themes in Scripture and Observance -- Prophecy, Deliverance, Salvation, Kingdom of God.  One particular thematic is that of the blessing of birth...children. 

continue reading "Thematic of the Blessing of Children"

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a song almost as likely to be heard as I’m dreaming of a White Christmas. Like all songs it has a little story and some trivia associated with it. Here is the modern story, and we’ll try and pull in some ancient stuff at the end to connect Rudolph with the far past.

Rudolph was not one of the reindeer mentioned in Clement Moore’s poem. All the other eight had names, and some people I know can name them all, and do. But Rudolph is the afterthought. Note that it's a guy reindeer name. That will cause interest later.

continue reading "The Ninth Reindeer goes down in History (Christmas series part 4)"

Let’s review what is known about a myth associated with Christmas that many people believed in, and were encouraged in that belief, until they grew up somewhat; I refer to Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle and others.

To review a moment: keep in mind that it was not until the Fourth Century AD that the birthday of Jesus was proclaimed to be December 25th, just like most of the other and much older sacrificed gods in the Mediterranean area whose stories were very much the same.

continue reading "The Legends of Santa Claus (Christmas series part 2)"

Everyone except a handful of enlightened beings hold firmly to one or more dogmas until they can reach higher perspectives. I have held to one in particular ever since I could read, round about the age of five. It is this: “Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” I found by experience that the sentence may have been incomplete.

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Everyone except a handful of enlightened beings hold firmly to one or more dogmas until they can reach higher perspectives. I have held to one in particular ever since I could read, round about the age of five. It is this: “Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” I found by experience that the sentence may have been incomplete.

read more

I've been busy trying to finish getting out all of my Christmas cards. Almost every card that I am sending this year wishes the recipient peace in the new year. However, while we call Jesus the Prince of Peace, we hardly ever explore in our churches what that might mean for us. During a time of war we may spend a little time expressing our wish that our troops will be safe, that innocent Iraqis won't be killed, and that we hope for the war to end soon. These are worthwhile wishes, but peace extends much further than a hope for the end of war. Peace is not the absence of war; it is the presence of a different way of living. Peace is a state of being of total welfare, security, and justice. There is no real peace without justice. There is no real peace without welfare for all. Peace is a relational word and it implies that we are concerned not only with our own security but the processes that we use in order to safeguard it. It implies concern and care for others. And it implies a state of rest and community with the Divine.

continue reading "progressive christianity and the prince of peace"

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a song almost as likely to be heard as I’m dreaming of a White Christmas. Like all songs it has a little story and some trivia associated with it. Here is the modern story, and we’ll try and pull in some ancient stuff at the end to connect Rudolph with the far past..

Rudolph was not one of the reindeer mentioned in Clement Moore’s poem. All the other eight had names, and some people I know can name them all. But Rudolph is the afterthought.

continue reading "The Ninth Reindeer goes down in History (Christmas series part 4)"

A friend of mine penned these words last year....a thought per day to ponder and meditate on during this season of joy....

Dec 5 Wonder. "Wisdom begins in wonder,'' said Socrates. "I wonder as I wander, out under the sky. How Jesus the Savior, did come to die, to save lowly people like you and like I." - Collected by folk singer, John Jacob Niles

continue reading "Thoughts before Christmas"