When Mary explains to the angel Gabriel that this is madness, that she could not possibly be with child, the angel . . . tells her that with the unconditional, all things are possible, even the impossible. The name of God has from time immemorial been the name of the possibility of the impossible.[i] Why … Continue reading Advent of the Impossible
In the Shadow of the Possible: Reconstructing the Journey Between Bethlehem and Golgotha
The significance of the birth of Jesus logically rests upon Calvary. This is not just the logic of faith. It builds from the logic of human lived experience. Is it not in the face of death that we tend to contemplate the value of the life that was lived and thereby ascribe new meaning to … Continue reading In the Shadow of the Possible: Reconstructing the Journey Between Bethlehem and Golgotha
The Secret Gift of Christmas
You can listen to a reading of this essay here. “A secret always makes you tremble.”[1] Christmas seems to tantalize my imagination like no other holiday. I can’t explain it, but there’s something I find enticing about this time of year. There’s a joy in waiting, in anticipating something I know arrives every year, and … Continue reading The Secret Gift of Christmas
The Joy of Heresy
At a small evening vespers service over which I preside, I recently was asked, “Are you sure it’s okay if we sing a Christmas song during Advent?” The question came from a thoughtful volunteer pianist and full-time math teacher who plays for our vespers gathering and for her Presbyterian church’s Sunday morning services. At first, … Continue reading The Joy of Heresy
Liminal Theology 