What is a Wenceslas, and why do we sing about it at Christmas time? What is it about this jaunty little tune by John Mason Neale that has earned it a place in the Christmas carol repertoire as well as in the hearts of many for the past 160 years — even though not a...
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20) I find it striking that at the end of his ministry, as he was wrapping up his time with his disciples before he went to the...
Twenty-five years ago, after a two–month, long–distance courtship and a three–month, long–distance engagement, two rather ordinary people said, “I do.” There were doubters in the room. How could two people who hardly knew one another, who had spent very little time...
What did you expect when you became a believer? Did you have any idea what the Christian life would be like? Did you think things would be easier? Read how the author of Hebrews urged the recipients of his letter to reflect on the early days of their Christian...
Like many Marylanders, I learned early on about sailboats, sailing, and all things Chesapeake. I could handle a Sunfish™ when I was in grade school. As a teen, one summer I crewed on a 33-foot ketch, exploring rivers and streams up and down the bay. Pittsburgh’s...
In a recurring dream (or maybe it’s a nightmare?), I find myself back in college during exams week. The registrar’s office has informed me that I am still enrolled in a course I thought I had dropped, and that there’s nothing to be done except take the final exam. The...
As Paul wraps up his teaching portion of the letter to the Colossians, he shifts from the topic of how union in Christ is manifested in the personal lives of believers and in their relationships within the body to their public walk before an unbelieving and watching...
As I write this, fans of two major sports are watching their favorite teams battle it out for the championships. There are four teams left in each league, and from this round of games, two hockey teams will advance to the Stanley Cup finals and two basketball teams...
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” William Shakespeare wasn’t the first to make the connection between drama on a stage and drama in life, but his words are perhaps the most memorable. The parallels arise in my thoughts quite often...
Once upon a time, there was a young sheepdog named Tag who lived in a house with a girl named Hannah. In Hannah’s second grade class, it was a highlight of the year when students were allowed to share something special with their classmates. Sometimes a dad came in...