Do you know that you glow? No, I’m not talking about the clammy glow you sport after a workout. I’m talking about actual light that comes out of our bodies. According to a 2009 study conducted by the Tohoku Institute of Technology, human bioluminescence exists – it’s just too faint for...

Mark Twain reportedly said, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me. It’s the parts that I do understand.” One such understandable story is found in Matthew 9:9: “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth....

Oh, come, Thou Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. Have you ever witnessed the darkness turn into dawn? It’s beautiful, isn’t it? The...

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; Oh, bid our sad divisions cease, And be yourself our King of Peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel! What — or who — is this desire of nations? The reference is from Haggai 2:7...

Like you and me, Jesus had a family tree. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke agree that one of Jesus’ ancestors was none other than the great King David. Some have noticed similarities between the two; for instance, both were born in Bethlehem; the early shepherd life of David points...

On a recent Sunday morning, I was the guest preacher at a church near my house. A handbell choir, donning Christmasy-red shirts and white gloves, opened the service with a rendition of “O Come O Come Emmanuel.” I’ve loved this haunting Advent hymn since my childhood. The original version of...

Part 4. People say the darndest things — sometimes to preachers. This continues a blog series on some of those things that have been said to me over the years. Here’s one: “What do I have to be thankful for?” When life hits you hard, I actually understand asking this question. It’s difficult...

Part 3. People say the darndest things — sometimes to preachers. This continues a blog series on some of those things that have been said to me over the years. Here’s one:The Bible is a book of fairy tales. A couple of years ago, I was playing “Draw Something” with a young...

Part 2. People say the darndest things — sometimes to preachers. This continues a blog series on some of those things that have been said to me over the years. Here’s one: “I can be good without God.” On the surface, that sounds perfectly reasonable. There are plenty of atheists out there...

Part 1. People say the darndest things — sometimes to preachers. This begins a blog series on some of those things that have been said to me over the years. Here’s one: “I tried prayer, but it didn’t work.” Sitting squarely in the middle of this declaration is the belief that prayer is something purely utilitarian....