We are still early in Christmas and the great gifts of the third day (hope, faith, and charity) are followed by more. There is always more at Christmas, because God became man and the super-abundance spills out everywhere for always. If my true love gave me four things this Fourth Day of Christmas, I would hope that she would give me the four practical virtues: courage, wisdom, moderation, and justice. Most elusive, hardest to find, justice is needed now as justice... Read more
Let’s party virtuously. If that seems odd, it is because we have made one mistake or another. Some have made otherwise harmless behaviors “naughty.” Go read Shakespeare and relax. Others glory in their shame and cannot have fun without decadence. Go read Shakespeare. Generally, go read Shakespeare, but if you insist on staying, then recollect that there are three great Christian virtues and the third day of Christmas is a wonderful time to remember them: hope, faith, love. The best party... Read more
Christ is born and the fast of Advent is done. Today the party’s just starting with ten day of Christmas untouched and yet to enjoy! Yet today in her wisdom, God used history to remind us that the party will end. Jesus was born, lived, died, and then rose from the dead. He ascended into Heaven and His friends were empowered by God to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Things were very good in the early church. Sadly, nothing is so good that... Read more
I am told the least read post of the year is the one posted on Christmas Day. As a result, I have chosen this post to communicate to my friends, the location of the last Tsar of Russia’s gold. We buried it in the olive grove at Biola University before moving to Houston. Used it to fund our resistance to Iskra in Saint Petersburg… Maybe. Which brings us to the question of “truth,” and our particular cultural moment. Evidently the... Read more
2016 is one of those years. The Republic did not totter, but it did slouch a bit. We are divided politically and our global presence has long been in decline. We keep aborting babies, too many do not know black lives matter, and our police officers were the target of killers. Most of the world looks at our sexual confusion and decadence in horror, but inside American universities, dissent on moral decline is punished. First Nations are still on reservations... Read more
There are some mild potential spoilers here for Rogue One and speculation about the sequel A New Hope. By now everyone on the Internet knows that Disney’s brilliant Rogue One will have the sequel set up by the end of this blockbuster. For those of us who were thrilled with Disney returning to their roots that began with The Black Hole and the billions of dollars that the series made for the studio, are delighted to see a new direction for Disney. For many... Read more
Why read a book when you can find solutions to all the world’s problems in Christmas holiday specials? Why struggle through the complex plotting of the typical Hallmark movie, when you can learn it all in soothing stop-action animation? Don’t watch black and white Capra, when you can be dazzled with full color. If you have a Christmas problem, then Rankin and Bass have the solution. They probably wrote a song to summarize that solution and once heard, these songs will... Read more
Mary is the Mother of God. All Christians agree on that truth or they are not really Christians. This fundamental truth of Christmas, that a human being contributed her full humanity to Jesus, is perilous. Some are tempted to worship the womb while others try to reduce her to a womb. We must honor Mary, Scripture commends this, but never worship Mary. I have never met anyone who did not understand this distinction, but know plenty of people eager to... Read more
Does anyone perform a cantata any more? What is a cantata anyway? When I was young, they were everywhere: a strange blend of musical theater, opera, and Handel if Handel had written for Evangelicals who sang SATB. John W. Peterson was the Man of Many Cantatas and oddly enough I enjoyed them. One year in particular, she was playing for the cantata, back home from Wheaton. In tenth grade, I had asked her if she liked me and she had... Read more
Lucy was a young girl who gave all she had to Jesus and so she has lived forever in the mind of the church. On the short, cold days just before Christmas, Christians still remember this girl whose name means “Light.” On the darkest days, Lucy’s example is light. Jesus was always saying something beautiful: And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in... Read more
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