In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of...
Journey of the Magi
posted by DJL
Tomorrow, January 6, is the Feast of the Epiphany which falls this year on Sunday. It is the occasion, according to tradition, when the magi from the East reach the newborn Christ and offer him both their gifts and their worship. As is often true of the gospel accounts, they both describe...
Luke 2:41-52
posted by DJL
Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming...
Bible Story Jam: John in the Wilderness
posted by DJL
A couple of weeks ago I shared our first experiment at inviting everyday Christians to talk about the Bible, trusting that as we all interact with Scripture by noticing details, asking questions, sharing insights and the rest, we’ll learn a lot – not just about the Bible, but also about ourselves, each other, and what God has in mind for us today. We called this little exercise the Bible Story Jam because, well, it seemed like a cool title. 🙂 Even more, though, we want to spread the idea that talking about the Bible with each other, exploring how these stories might shape our daily lives, can be, quite honestly, a lot of fun. So there...
Luke 2:39-40
posted by DJL
When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. It’s amazing just how much trouble these two verses caused the early church....
Need Help with Your New Year’s Resolutions?
posted by DJL
Unless you possess the inimitable confidence of Calvin in the cartoon strip below odds are you’ve made a few New Year’s resolutions. After all, lots of us face the prospect of another new year resolved to break some bad habits and take up some good ones. The vast majority of us, however, have given up on our resolutions before the month’s out. But if you truly want to change yourself for the better in 2013, then you’ll do well to pay attention to these three research-driven tips. Pick One The first step in making a dent in your New Year’s...
Luke 2:36-38
posted by DJL
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and...
Unlikely Christmas Carol: Patti Smith’s King...
posted by DJL
While it’s easy to forget this side of New Year’s, we are still actually in the season of Christmas. Knowing that the marvel and wonder and mystery of the Incarnation can’t be comprehended too quickly, the Church established twelve days of Christmas that stretch from the Feast of the Incarnation, on December 25, to the day before the Epiphany of our Lord, on January 6. So on this the 9th day of Christmas, and anticipating the Epiphany celebration that falls this Sunday, I thought I would highlight one more Unlike Christmas Carol. This one also comes from A Very Special Christmas 3: Patti Smith’s version of “We Three...
Luke 2:33-38
posted by DJL
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be...
New Year’s Pra...
posted by DJL
I’ve admitted before that I often feel that I don’t really understand prayer. I think over the years I’ve accepted that I never will. Which doesn’t mean there isn’t more to learn. There is. A lot. And it doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying. I will. Prayer is important and, frankly,...
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