The unwrapped gift

The unwrapped gift

Better than all the gifts under the tree, better than the new car with the huge red bow atop, sitting in the driveway on Christmas morning (who does that, anyway?). Better than the very best news possible, we are the recipients of the supreme gift, the assurance that...
An ending, or fresh beginning?

An ending, or fresh beginning?

I was the kid who loved the start of the school year. New everything – books, supplies, teachers, subjects (some of which were enjoyed while others were . . .) By high school, the sense of community with other students was a great shaping factor of my life. There was...
It’s only just begun!

It’s only just begun!

Christmas began yesterday, (the first of twelve days leading up to Epiphany on January 6). And did you notice? All but essential services were closed. Parking lots empty, roadways all but vacant. Even the clamoring chaos of the stock exchange – silent. Jesus’...
What’s it all about?

What’s it all about?

In today’s culture, two different Christmases are being celebrated. One has Jesus at the heart and as the heart of everything. The other consists of a mad and frustrated searching for that ever-elusive ‘heart.’ The first Christmas, sated with its ‘knowing,’...
More than a Theme?

More than a Theme?

One technique used by musical composers is ‘variations on a theme,’ the theme being a short passage of several measures. They may work it into the bass line of the music or use it with different instrumentation for effect, then repeat it in a slower movement, this...