Who Do We Trust?: The Question of Authority in Christian Faith and Life

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In the relatively short period between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, Western culture experienced a series of shocking revolutions in thought: The Renaissance with its clarion call ‘Ad fontes!’ — ‘Back to the sources!” — wanted to re-found European society on ancient Greco-Roman principles and philosophy. The Reformation applied this spirit of returning to the … Continue reading Who Do We Trust?: The Question of Authority in Christian Faith and Life

God’s Shining Forth: A Reflection on Epiphany and Genesis 1.1-5

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Yesterday was the great feast of Epiphany, which is celebrated on the thirteenth day after Christmas. It’s a feast with a strange and murky history, but I think it’s instructive for this whole midwinter season. It seems that Epiphany, which means ‘shining forth’, was originally a general midwinter feast that, at the darkest time of … Continue reading God’s Shining Forth: A Reflection on Epiphany and Genesis 1.1-5

Turning Point: A Reflection on Luke 2.22-41

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[Note: Some churches (including my own) replace the readings for Christmas 1 with those for Epiphany, but I’m not ready to leave Christmas behind just yet — Epiphany isn’t for another six days! — so I’m sticking with the Christmas 1 readings. If you’d like an Epiphany-focused reflection today, feel free to check out here … Continue reading Turning Point: A Reflection on Luke 2.22-41

Here I Am: A Reflection for Advent 4 (Repost)

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[Note: This post was originally published December 24, 2020.] The holiday season is in many ways a season of choices: Which gifts to buy, which charities to give to, which cookies to make and what to serve for the feast, and — in a normal year, at least — which invitations to accept and which … Continue reading Here I Am: A Reflection for Advent 4 (Repost)