Luke 1:57-66

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But...

Story Secrets

If there’s a theme to this week’s posts, it’s probably that stories matter. The stories we care about we tell and retell, not always the same way but allowing the dominant media of our culture to help us tell them again and anew. Similarly, the truly great stories aren’t just continued...

Luke 1:46-56

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His...

James Bond and the Gospels Dec11

James Bond and the Gospels

I should probably admit up front that I’ve been a huge James Bond fan ever since my older brother took me to see Live and Let Die at the age of nine. (I’m still not sure if my parents ever knew that.) So over Thanksgiving weekend, my wife and I planned an evening out and caught supper and the latest Bond flick, Skyfall. I should probably also admit that I think Daniel Craig is the best Bond since Sean Connery created the character 50 years ago. Along with most critics, I thought Skyfall was terrific, one of the better films in the franchise. No small part of that was the evolution of Bond. As in Casino Royale (Quantum of Solace,...

Luke 1:39-45

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry,...