Tag: Peace
-
The Deception of Carols
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright… *** O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by… *** Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in…
-
Blessed are the Autumn Daisies
Long after the trees have dropped their leaves, and the canopy of green becomes a jagged collection of branches reaching upward toward the disappearing sun, long after the geese have ceased honking and the birds have stopped their morning songs, long after the bushes begin to blaze but are not yet consumed, long after the…
-
Why I Welcome the Demise of Christendom
In my corner of the Evangelical Bible Belt, a few things take concern above all else. Opposing gay marriage, decrying taking God out of the schools, mourning the loss of the privileged position of the church in the United States. We fear that the church is losing ground and we fight against it in every…
-
On not being afraid
This time of year, Advent transitioning into Christmastide, is a time in which we frequently hear the words, “Do not be afraid.” Depending on what Gospel you are reading, an angel shows up to Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph, and begins with the same words, “Do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid. Some conclude that…
-
Hurry as an Enemy of Faith
I’m back! It has been a busy week, pastorally speaking. We had a sudden death in our congregation and the pastoral tasks that go along with something of the like are great. My days (and nights) have been so consumed with work that I have not been able to even think about my blog which…
-
Earnestly Praying for Peace
“Pray for peace.” This is a common thing to say. I pray for peace. Mostly, however, I’ve prayed for the idea of peace, I’ve never had to actually earnestly pray for peace before. The Milwaukee area is still on edge from the massacre at the Sikh temple in one of the south suburbs. We have…
Matthew van Maastricht 