Monthly Archives: December 2021

The Hardest Prayer

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On May 7, 1915, some nine months after the start of World War I, a German U-boat torpedoed the passenger liner Lusitania as it sailed in neutral waters off the southern coast of Ireland. The ship vanished in just 18 minutes.  Nearly 1,200 passengers died.  A third of the victims were women and children, and 128 of those who were… Read more »

Confession Booth

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Reed College in Oregon is widely regarded as one of America’s most socially progressive campuses. Its annual springtime student festival, Renn Fayre, is, to put it mildly, faith-averse.  The campus is shut down for three days so the students can come together and do some serious partying in the spirit of revisiting Renaissance England.  Participants are far more likely to… Read more »

Surprised by Grace

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So why didn’t Sam and Frodo just fly to Mordor on the backs of the eagles, since that’s how they were ultimately rescued? OK, let’s back up.  In case you haven’t read the monumental Lord of the Rings saga, or seen their Oscar-winning film depictions, the central storyline of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic tale involves the humblest of creatures – a… Read more »

Deep Humility

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A newly promoted military officer was ecstatic to discover that he had just merited his first private office. On his first day on the job, he sat down in his chair and surveyed his desk, his bookshelves, and his very own telephone.  A moment later, as he looked out his window, he noticed a private heading his direction.  As the… Read more »

Courage

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When Chuck Norris grows up, he wants to be a Gurkha. Gurkhas are natives of the multi-ethnic highlands of Nepal.  Over several centuries they have earned global notoriety as fearless warriors. The Chief of Staff of India’s armed forces once suggested, “If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha.”  Working… Read more »

Just One Thing

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Throughout this season of Advent our focus is “The Story of Christmas in 20 Words.”  On each of the 20 weekday mornings ending on Christmas Eve, we’ll spotlight a single word from the Gospel accounts that helps us ponder more deeply the birth of Jesus. 20.  Believe If the notion that God became a human being is more than just… Read more »

Carols in a Minor Key

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Throughout this season of Advent our focus is “The Story of Christmas in 20 Words.”  On each of the 20 weekday mornings ending on Christmas Eve, we’ll spotlight a single word from the Gospel accounts that helps us ponder more deeply the birth of Jesus. 19.  Herod Christmas is the only holy day that is also a secular holiday.  … Read more »

Never Alone

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Throughout this season of Advent our focus is “The Story of Christmas in 20 Words.”  On each of the 20 weekday mornings ending on Christmas Eve, we’ll spotlight a single word from the Gospel accounts that helps us ponder more deeply the birth of Jesus. 18.  Hope It’s impossible to tell the story of Christmas without spotlighting hope. Ironically, the… Read more »

Out of the Darkness

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Throughout this season of Advent our focus is “The Story of Christmas in 20 Words.”  On each of the 20 weekday mornings ending on Christmas Eve, we’ll spotlight a single word from the Gospel accounts that helps us ponder more deeply the birth of Jesus. 17.  Light For years following the release of his 1946 holiday classic, It’s a Wonderful… Read more »

Small Towns

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Throughout this season of Advent our focus is “The Story of Christmas in 20 Words.”  On each of the 20 weekday mornings ending on Christmas Eve, we’ll spotlight a single word from the Gospel accounts that helps us ponder more deeply the birth of Jesus. 16.  Bethlehem Big things happen in small towns. There are more than 19,500 American communities… Read more »