Category Archives: Christian Seasons

Another Look: Seasons and Paths of Formation

Little children, I’m writing to you because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus’ name. Parents, I’m writing to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I’m writing to you because you have conquered the evil one. Little children, I write to you because you know the Father. Parents,Continue reading “Another Look: Seasons and Paths of Formation”

Another look: Easter is a season, not a day

Many of us in our Christian traditions learned to celebrate Christ’s resurrection on a single day — Easter Sunday. Easter is the great Lord’s Day, the climax of Holy Week, the high point of the Christian Year, marked by an explosion of color, wafting fragrance of lilies, majestic sounds of organ and baroque trumpets, bright newContinue reading “Another look: Easter is a season, not a day”

Another Look: Evangelicals and Special Seasons

Note from CM: We’re giving Michael Spencer the week off. Instead, I will revive this post from my early days of writing for him. This was one of the first posts I did for Internet Monk, back in 2009. I wrote it in the early days of attending a Lutheran church, having left pastoral ministry in a non-denominationalContinue reading “Another Look: Evangelicals and Special Seasons”

Another Look: All Fall Down – The Wilderness Within

Broken lines, broken strings Broken threads, broken springs Broken idols, broken heads People sleepin’ in broken beds Ain’t no use jivin’, ain’t no use jokin’ Everything is broken… • Bob Dylan • • • We must first learn that the wilderness is within us. Though we dwell in dry and discouraging places, the barren landContinue reading “Another Look: All Fall Down – The Wilderness Within”

Beginning our walk across Lenten fields

Beginning our walk across Lenten fields For Ash Wednesday The picture above is the first in a series of photos that I will use to focus my Lenten meditations this year. Click on it to see the full size image. I took this in the early morning at Gethsemani Abbey, Bardstown, KY, in March of 2014. IContinue reading “Beginning our walk across Lenten fields”

Epiphany V: An Introduction to Lent by Mark D. Roberts

A reader wrote this week and asked for basic information about Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season. I couldn’t think of a better introduction than this piece by Mark D. Roberts, who blogs at Patheos. • • • How Lent Can Make a Difference in Your Relationship with God by Rev. Dr. Mark D. RobertsContinue reading “Epiphany V: An Introduction to Lent by Mark D. Roberts”

Randy Thompson: That We Might Be Happy Together

Sometimes at Christmas we get so caught up with the magi, shepherds, and  the barnyard animals around the manger that we forget about the birth that the birth of Christ set into motion. Sometimes, the familiar nativity display so dominates our imagination that we forget the purpose of the One who was born. The OneContinue reading “Randy Thompson: That We Might Be Happy Together”

Jan Richardson: This Luminous Darkness – Searching for Solace in Advent and Christmas

Note from CM: One of my favorite sites on our blogroll (listed as “J Richardson”) is Jan Richardson’s The Painted Prayerbook. Her art is evocative and profound, her love for the seasons of the Christian Year instructive, and her writing talent remarkable. She maintains several different sites, including a blog for Advent called, “The Advent Door: EnteringContinue reading “Jan Richardson: This Luminous Darkness – Searching for Solace in Advent and Christmas”