The Year of Luke is the first in a series of commentaries on biblical scripture found in the three-year cycle of Christian liturgical readings of the Revised Common Lectionary. Instead of interpreting these readings as a precursor …

Christmas trees and tinsel
Yule logs and holly
Turkey and Christmas pudding

May you be gifts to those you see
Better than presents under a tree

December 12, 2012 Yesterday, I passed a church sign that proclaimed Christmas was the story of a baby born to die. It seemed a macabre, odd way to wish passersby a merry Christmas. Apparently, though, quite a few …

Visit Bruce’s Site on Evolutionary Christianity This will be the first Christmas Eve in twenty-seven years that I’m not preaching. I confess to not feeling overwhelming grief. It’s a tough gig—almost impossible to pitch the message in …

For reasons I cannot explain, I have often find myself as an adult mired in a bit of darkness during the Christmas holidays. This year has been no exception. I am a little surprised, since I have …

DECEMBER 4, 2012 BY BRUCE SANGUIN Visit Bruce’s Site Here We tend to associate Advent with a season of waiting for the birth of the baby Jesus. Yet on the first Sunday of Advent, year after year, …

This past Saturday night, my wife Roberta and I stood with a group of people on Hollywood Boulevard, holding flickering candles. Passers-by might have assumed we were Christmas caroling. But we were holding a vigil for the …

Why — despite popular Christianity’s doctrinaire explanations — was a Galilean peasant child’s fate sealed even before he drew his first breath? Was the only reason for the birth of Mary and Joseph’s child simply so he …

Praise God whose light fills all the earth
Whose love we see in Jesus’ birth

Praise God for gifts of hope and peace
Praise God for gifts of joy and love
Praise God for sending Christ to dwell
On earth for us – Emmanuel. Amen.

May we be enraptured
By overshadowing Love;
May our souls magnify the Lord
Through our widening eyes,

THIS VIDEO BELONGS TO MAX LUCADO, RANDY FRANZEE, AND FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI To purchase or download this video: http://www.olivebranchcreative.com/the-story-downloads Lyrics: Everything inside me cries for order Everything inside me wants to hide Is this shadow an angel or …

Leader: Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Christ.
People: We celebrate the birth of Jesus, who showed us how to express God by letting the Christ within be our guide.

We practice Santa Claus in our home as in he comes on Christmas Eve and leaves some of the presents that my kids asked for in a letter.  He flies to our home like he flew to …

Minister: May it be well with you.
All: And also with you.

Minister: Life is a gift and we are to celebrate it.
All: May we rejoice in the beauty of this special time.

A baby waits in a dark, warm womb
Lulled by the sway of a donkey’s walk