On Tuesday, December 27, 2005, I began writing this blog with these words: I’ve been staring at the “posting” screen for several days now trying to figure out how to join the world of food bloggers. Since I’m writing from a Mac and I don’t know much about HTML, I’m still not sure about adding…
fifty six christmases and it matters more than ever that Christ is born againin the carols round the treein the sharing of mealsin the gift-wrapped bits of lovein the quiet streets of the cityin the empty chair at the tablein the ache of growingand knowing too muchin the memories that hangon the tree and in…
we have several mangers on our mantle made of materials from ‘round the worldeach a collection of the usual suspectsalong with a contingent of livestock but there’s no food the magi made the effort to bringincense and offerings, but not onecovered dish made the journeythe shepherds too were empty handed on his way out Jesus…
here’s how love comes to town on the back of a donkeyin the womb of a teenagerto a sleepy little townwithout a decent hotel on the smile of a friendin the heart of a strangerwho shares your griefand makes room for it on the whisper of hopein the ear of the darknesscalling out our namesas…
On this longest night, we gathered in our church sanctuary for our annual “Blue Christmas” service, which is designed to offer sanctuary to those who are grieving in the midst of the festivities, no matter what the loss. Ginger had candles across the altar at the front of the church, along with those in our…
penultimate on this tuesday nightwe sat around the tableas though we hadall the night we wantedto eat and drink and laugh and talk and hopewe even had time for pie tomorrow night our prodigal planetwill wander as faras it ever does fromthe light of the sunand then start back what a gift that we canlive…
a midnight clearangels bending near the earthpeaceful wings unfurled there in a mangerlittle lord Jesus laid downcattle are lowing angels heard on highand the mountains in replygloria Deo wander as wonderpoor orn’ry people like youand like me (not I) Peace,Milton
Two years ago today, my good friend David Gentiles died. Losing someone that close brought new feelings for me. Yesterday marked nine weeks since we buried my father-in-law, who was the first of our parents to die. The grief of these days is new to me, but as I sat in church this morning, for…
I’ve been thinking about the innkeeperactually all of those in Bethlehem who have taken a bad rap over two millennia for not making roomas if no vacancy is some sort of sinit was after allJesus being borndid they not know did they not seethan angel choirthe way the animalsall laid down as though posingfor a…
I love to tell the story for those who know it bestseem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest . . . We took our high school kids on a field trip to High Point, North Carolina to see a production of “A Christmas Carol” today. The 10 a. m. performance played to…