Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided...
First Coming
posted by DJL
Best known for her young adult fiction such as A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle also wrote poetry. A friend sent her poem “First Coming” a few weeks ago and while probably prepared as an advent poem, it nevertheless seems a great choice for this, the 5th day of Christmas. I love the...
Luke 2:22-38
posted by DJL
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is...
A Trustworthy Christmas: Behind the Post
posted by DJL
I often find myself stuck between two extremes in our religious culture. Either 1) take the Bible literally and thereby ignore much of what modern disciples – whether science or history or others – have taught us about the way the world works. Or 2) dismiss the Bible entirely because it doesn’t always conform to what we’ve learned about the world and thereby ignore the wisdom of our faith. I don’t think I’m alone feeling this bind. I think, in fact, that lots of faithful Christians want an alternative to the false dichotomy of faith or reason, head or heart, fundamentalist Christianity or outright atheism. Much of our dilemma...
Luke 2:21
posted by DJL
After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. There are four themes that will be important to Luke’s gospel that he announces and intertwines in this brief verse. Eight days. Jewish...