Salvation as Enchanted Existence
Pleasure stemming from the art of savoring with joy and celebration is too often a stranger to us in a society trying to market happiness. Continue reading
Tag Archives: joy
Advent: A Meditation on Joy
The third Sunday of Advent is associated with joy. The angel at Jesus’ birth told the shepherds that he was bringing them “good news of great joy which will come to all people.” The last night of Jesus’ life on earth, as he spoke to his disciples about abiding in… Continue reading
Radical Doxology
Authentic doxology is experienced only by those who are lost in love, wonder, thanksgiving, and praise. Too many in our culture are lost in fear, boredom, selfishness, and cynicism. Continue reading
The Paradox of Joy
(In a sermon on this blog I wrote about joy and how it differs from contentment, happiness, and pleasure. That sermon is entitled “John 15:1-11 Rooted in Joy.” I would ask the reader to read that sermon first to appreciate what follows below. In this article, I will look at… Continue reading
Joy to the World?
I would suggest for any age, and especially for our own time, trusting that love will win, justice will prevail, compassion will heal, and reconciliation will be complete and lasting is absolutely necessary if we are to know joy and have the energy and inspiration to cherish this world and work for those things which make for peace. Continue reading
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 “The Hand of God on the Shoulder of a Troubled World”
The third Sunday of Advent often focuses on joy. Laughter motivated by unadulterated joy can indeed be the hand of God on the shoulder of a troubled world. Such laughter is a gift from God, a gift that we need in a world of terrorism and violence, estrangement and bigotry, greed and lies. Continue reading
Proclamation for Advent
Our term “gospel” comes from the Anglo-Saxon words for “glad tidings.” The Greek term in the New Testament for gospel literally means the “good news” which comes to people announcing a significant and most happy event. Roman emperors used the term in their imperial propaganda to announce all the good… Continue reading
Preparation for Advent
The most valuable things in life are free. They are gifts from God to be received, celebrated, lived, and shared. They cannot be bought, earned, or bartered. They come as gifts, or they do not come at all. At this time of the year, we look to those gifts traditionally… Continue reading
Matthew 13: 44-46 “Riding Unridden Horses”
At a dude ranch out West where city-slickers would come to play at being cowboys for a week at a time, the welcoming speech was always the same: “For you dudes who have never ridden a horse, we have some good news. We have some horses here that have never… Continue reading
Babette’s Feast: Let’s Go to the Movies
“Babette’s Feast” is a charming movie based on Isak Denisson’s (penname for Karen Blix) story with the name title. The film is about a French woman named Babette who became the cook for two elderly sisters on the coast of Denmark. Babette was a refugee from France during a political… Continue reading
