It’s. Still. Christmas.

People of faith, we have a problem. It's not that people say "Happy Holidays" (as a contraction of Holy and Days, 'holidays' actually reveres all of the sacred and special days in this season, from Solstice to Kwanzaa to Hanukkah to Christmas to Watch Night to New Year's Day). It's not that there's a war…

Sermon: Light Bearers

"Light Bearers" (Christmas Eve, 2011) In a brief reflection, we recall that the story of Christmas involves not passive receiving of God's presence, but active response to it. Let's get ready to share the light we've been given! (Luke 2:1-20).

Sermon: Mighty Bright

"Mighty Bright" (December 18, 2011 - Fourth Sunday of Advent) Christ's birth brings the light of joy to the world-- but joy is not a surface-level happiness. True joy acknowledges the sorrow and pain of life and shines forth anyway, rising up out of our faith and courage. How can we bear the light of…

Advent Cheat Sheet

Last week, a person who is not a member of the Christian faith walked into my church office (see how I tried there to not make it sound like the start of an "A Priest, A Rabbi, and An Imam Walk Into a Bar" joke?). Anyway, in he walked and seated himself in the chair…

Sermon: Light the Way

"Light the Way" (Dec 11, 2011 - Third Sunday of Advent) Jesus gives us insight into a primary thrust of his ministry in his selection of Isaiah 61 as his opening salvo. Since his life and teaching center so much around justice, we proclaim that Christ is the light of justice coming into the world.…

Love, Personhood, and Abuse in Twilight

Reading this excellent reflection on the Twilight: Breaking Dawn 1 movie got me all riled up again about why I dislike Twilight, and since it wasn't posted on this blog, I re-post for your reading enjoyment my August 2009 review of the Twilight series as compared with the Harry Potter series (medium-grade spoilers for both…

Sermon: Where the Love-Light Gleams

"Where the Love-Light Gleams" (December 4, 2011 - Second Sunday of Advent) We are in great need of love-- of knowing we are loved and of giving love to others. At Trinity UMC, we do a pretty good job of sharing the light of love with our community through our hospitality and welcome and openness…

Open Letter to Eat More Kale

I've known local "t-shirt guy" and EatMoreKale.com artist Bo Muller-Moore for a couple of years. Our daughters went to preschool together and are in the same grade (different classes) at school. Bo also volunteers as a driver for Meals on Wheels, which is a program that operates under the umbrella of the non-profit I chair,…

Light a candle for healing

Today, World AIDS Day, I remember a friend, Steve, who lost his life to AIDS, and many more who I won't name, but carry in my heart. We seem to hear less and less about AIDS each year, and I don't know if that's because we are doing a better job preventing and treating HIV…