Lent. It’s an important part of the Christian tradition. Prayer, fasting, and giving to others. Many people tell me that they appreciate Lent and look forward to it as a time of spiritual renewal. But I have some troubles with Lent. I’m sharing that with you in this Casual Conversation.… Read More »I Have Trouble with Lent
It’s an old Eastern European custom. I’m not sure if it’s still practiced in Slavic countries today, but it’s something we did when I was young. On the day after Easter, Bright Monday, men and boys would splash, sprinkle, or squirt water on unsuspecting women while announcing, “Christ is risen!” … Read More »Fifty Days: To Life!
Growing up during the Cold War Era in a family proud of its Eastern European heritage and belonging to an ethnic Eastern European church, there was a story I heard periodically around Easter time. The story made its way into sermons and was sometimes repeated in family gatherings. As the… Read More »Making Sense of the Resurrection of Jesus Today
The cycle is all around us. Life, death, and new life characterize existence as we know it. Perhaps by being more attentive to this cycle we can learn to flow with the changing rhythms of life and embrace life’s richness in each moment. The following is a text version of… Read More »Cycles of Living, Dying, and Rising
It’s Easter! The Day of Resurrection! In Christian churches around the world, bells toll sounds of joy, and sanctuaries are decorated with colorful flowers. Preachers muster enthusiasm while announcing the good news that Jesus Christ is risen. They explain the importance of today within the Christian tradition, marking THE EVENT… Read More »On Easter: Do We Rise?
It’s a memory that’s stayed with me. I was perhaps 20 years old. A priest stood in front of the class lecturing. I remember him as being old. He was probably about the age I am now. While I had already taken a couple of courses on the Bible before… Read More »Rhythms of Death and Life
The sacred story is familiar to us: Early in the morning on the first day of the week, the women went to the place where they had laid him. They found the stone rolled away. Looking inside, they found the clothes with which they wrapped his body now folded and… Read More »Confusion and the Easter Experience
There is one pivotal event in the sacred story of Christianity which is crucial for understanding what it means to be a follower of Jesus. That is the resurrection of Jesus. The good news at the heart of the Christian message described in the New Testament is not that Jesus… Read More »Resurrection Where It Counts
