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....

The National Week of Repentance, launched by Pastor Michael Anthony, has begun. The movement’s website states that its purpose is to start “a revolution of humility and courage…the “only things that will overcome the arrogance and fear that have become so pervasive in our society.” The closing days of the National Week...

On the heels of Hurricane Harvey, Irma is chugging through the Caribbean, taking aim at Puerto Rico and perhaps hitting Florida this weekend. In the wake of this record-breaking hurricane, there will be 185 mph winds, catastrophic flooding – and bad theology. We heard it after Harvey. Huffpost contributor Christian...