Tagged with christmas

What to Sing During Advent

Reaching people during Advent. How (especially during Advent) does the church reflect and embody Jesus’ mission to the lost? Churches that refuse to sing Christmas carols until December 24 are in danger of being the only venue where such music is not sung during December. The church, therefore, becomes a place people may avoid, since … Continue reading »

Something Wonderful – Hallelujah

Somebody on Facebook pointed this out to me. I love it: I especially like the interpretation of “forever and ever” about 2:05 in.

“Lift up your eyes”

In college I learned about something scientists call “learned helplessness.” It was first described in dogs, but since I like dogs, I won’t describe those experiments. Here’s what it’s like in humans. Researchers gave people a task requiring intense concentration. While they were working, they were occasionally interrupted by a distracting noise. Some of the … Continue reading »

The Church and Working Class Americans

Here’s an interesting finding, reported by LiveScience today: In the 1980s, the researchers found, there was little difference in religious participation between high school- and college-educated whites. But by the 2000s, a gap appeared. Today, 46 percent of college-educated whites go to a church, synagogue or equivalent institution at least once a month, compared with … Continue reading »

Prepare the Way of the Lord

A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. –Isaiah 40:3 The church has two great joyous holidays: Easter and Christmas, the celebrations of our Lord’s Resurrection and his Incarnation. Both these two holidays follow a season of repentance and preparation. … Continue reading »