May Christians create holidays? The Bible gives us precedent to say Yes. First, God’s people have always celebrated holidays that are not mandated in the Bible. To name three, the feast of Purim was established in the 400s BC, when Esther and Mordecai saved the Jews from slaughter. The name Purim is the Hebrew form... Continue Reading →
Early Frost: A tale of Christmas in Rhode Island
A special story for the season! It is a scientific fact: the winters of one’s child years are much colder, darker, snowier and more perilous than the winters served to these same people as adults. Nor is this natural law any respecter of generation. Old-timer, post-war, boomer, post-boomer: each child in every era survives to... Continue Reading →
Mary’s Magnificat, Luke 1
One day in January before sunrise, about 4 in the morning, while our neighborhood is totally quiet, we’re going to hear people out in the street. Our bedroom overlooks the sidewalk, so they’ll probably wake us up. They’ll draw near our house, go under our window and then pass by to walk up and down... Continue Reading →