It was at school that I first discovered the beauty of music — in “Lo! How a Rose, E’er Blooming.” Seventh graders were required to take music class. We were not music enthusiasts, to say the least. There was about us all the sense of artistic compulsion, but in the cause of sheer endurance. NothingContinue reading “Mondays with Michael Spencer (+ a bonus!): December 21, 2015”
Category Archives: Christian Seasons
The Haunting of Christmas
There’ll be scary ghost stories And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago • It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year • • • As with other posts this Advent/Christmas season, we’re exploring some of the strange and interesting ways people celebrate the season. The way we as Americans celebrate Christmas hasn’t essentiallyContinue reading “The Haunting of Christmas”
Another Look: Why do we love this season?
Why do we love this season? I would suggest that aesthetics have much to do with the answer to that question. Advent and Christmas are made sensible to us by means of the things we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch at this time of year. Spiritual truth comes out of the closet of the abstract and makes itselfContinue reading “Another Look: Why do we love this season?”
Jonathan Aigner: Ten reasons to follow the liturgical calendar
Note from CM: For this Jubilee Year of Mercy (which begins officially today), the Catholic Church has produced some excellent handbooks to help ministers and congregants focus on the theme of mercy. I found it interesting that the very first chapter of book one (called Celebrating Mercy), emphasized that the place to start was with a freshContinue reading “Jonathan Aigner: Ten reasons to follow the liturgical calendar”
Putting a Krampus in your Christmas
In the benign stories of “Santa” most of us were told, the jolly old elf knew who was “naughty or nice.” He checked his list (twice) and gave gifts to the good children, and, tradition says, a lump of coal in the stockings of children who had been bad. Bummer on Christmas morning, but hey,Continue reading “Putting a Krampus in your Christmas”
Dickens and Christmas: My Take
Dickens and Christmas: My Take In which Chaplain Mike responds to two recent posts about Christmas and the way we celebrate the season. • • • Readers: Feel free to click the links and read the complete posts by Scot and Trevin. I have excerpted what I think are the most pertinent passages. Scot McKnight: “DickensContinue reading “Dickens and Christmas: My Take”
Another Look: Preparing for a New Church Year
Note from CM: In 2010, we did a series on “Church Year Spirituality.” November is the month when we complete the annual liturgical cycle and prepare for a new Church Year, which begins the first Sunday in Advent (Nov. 29 this year). Here is the first post from that series. We present it in orderContinue reading “Another Look: Preparing for a New Church Year”
Another Look: Our Relational God
In the Western Church, yesterday was Trinity Sunday, the day that bridges the two main divisions of the Church Year. We have been walking through the life of Jesus from Advent to Pentecost since last November. Now, we begin the days of “Ordinary Time,” when we live out the faith daily as Christ’s church, embraced by the GoodContinue reading “Another Look: Our Relational God”
Mud season and me
These are the ugly days. Before the new season springs forth in delicate color and texture, the world looks like a frat house the day after. The grass is patchy, brown and nubby, and with every step comes the possibility your sneaker treads will lose the battle with God’s good mud. Whatever snow remains crouchesContinue reading “Mud season and me”
Let’s Discuss . . . Mardis Gras
I don’t normally put two posts up on one day anymore, but today is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the day before the Lenten season begins, and I would like us to talk about something. Let me put my thoughts in a brief paragraph for you to consider and respond to today: One measure of ourContinue reading “Let’s Discuss . . . Mardis Gras”
The Internet Monk Archives 