Angels are everywhere. That’s not a theological statement; it’s just an observation of life in a modern, Western culture in December.
Formations 12.22.2019: A Shepherd’s Perspective
December 15, 2019 by
My beloved pastor at the church where I grew up asks church members (both past and current) to submit devotionals for an Advent booklet he compiles each year. Inspired by Luke’s account of the shepherds, I wrote the following story for the 2015 booklet.
Connections 12.22.2019: A Righteous Man
December 15, 2019 by
Our lesson text says that Joseph was “a righteous man” (v. 19). We could use more righteous men these days. I say that as a man. I’m allowed to talk about my own kind.
Meditations on Luke: “Do Not Be Afraid”
December 26, 2017 by
Over Christmas one of my daughters asked me a question. “Daddy, why is it that every time an angel shows up in the Bible, he always says, ‘Do not be afraid’?” I responded, “Well, what would you do if an angel suddenly appeared in your room one night?”
Formations 05.21.2017: Anonymous Strangers, Angels, and Pixies
May 14, 2017 by
I’ve never (that I know) met an angel. The closest I can claim was more of a pixie. Here’s how it happened. I had a pretty rough time my first semester or so. I was living farther from home that I ever had before. I struggled with some of the new concepts and approaches my professors were teaching me.
Connections 12.25.2016: Ridiculousness
December 18, 2016 by
The whole thing seems ridiculous to me. God Almighty cares enough about this world and the people in it to come down and spend a few years in it and with them. And when God Almighty comes, it’s as a helpless baby who has to be protected, fed, and burped.
Formations 12.18.2016: A Glimpse of Holiness
December 11, 2016 by
Angels almost always appear on the biblical scene saying, “Don’t be afraid.” And they are indeed frightening creatures, at least in the book of Revelation and other apocalyptic writings.
Connections 03.27.2016: The First to Know
March 20, 2016 by
When I was seventeen, my church put on an Easter play that one of our members wrote, paraphrasing directly from various Scripture accounts of Jesus’ last week, his death, and his resurrection.
Crossroads: The Angel Candle or Candle of Peace
December 21, 2015 by
Today we light the last purple candle. This candle is the angel candle, or the candle of peace. This candle reminds us of the peace Jesus gives to us. We also light the other two purple candles, candles that remind us that Jesus brought hope and love to the world.
Uniform 12.07.2014: Angels among Us
November 30, 2014 by
Hebrews 1:1-9 One Sunday morning in August 2013, a mysterious appearance at a horrific accident had witnesses seeing angels. College sophomore Katie Lentz’s car collided with that of a drunk driver, and Katie was trapped beneath crumpled sheet metal. Emergency workers struggled to remove her from the car so she could be airlifted to a […]