Ground Control to Major Tom: David Bowie & Chris Hadfield
David Bowie’s song of heartbreak became the world’s first music video shot in outer space. Even a song of loneliness can be a source of connection.
Reading the Writing on the Wall: Berlin Wall Graffiti & Downfall
Graffiti on the Berlin wall said “whoever builds walls needs them.” There is no tyranny that lasts forever.
History & Transmission of the Lord’s Prayer
Catholics took their Lord’s Prayer from one preferred by Henry the VIII in 1545; Protestants, perhaps, from Martin Bucer from 1539.
Role of Women in the History of the Church
Women had leadership roles in the early church, but then that power was taken away. Reformer John Knox railed against women’s leadership, as did men at a General Assembly meeting in America in 1811.
Tea & Cookies with Protestors: Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu was still trying to bring down Apartheid in the mid-eighties. The powers that be hired protestors to try to smear Tutu, but he ended up sharing a tea party with them.
Adam & Eve Wonder: Is the Night Endless?
In the far north, they have days of all night and all day. Maybe Adam & Eve were afraid the first time they saw the sun go down. Would it ever return?
Christmas without Advent? A Bride who Won’t Stop Wearing her Dress
Trying to celebrate Christmas every day of Advent is like a bride who’s so excited about her wedding that she wears her dress every day for weeks before the ceremony.
Looking for Christ in Christian Nationalism
Christian Nationalism means one group’s notion of Christianity holds power regardless of what the majority want. It can even mean a dictatorship.
Standing Amid the Ruins of a Concentration Camp
Visiting a concentration camp means feeling the suffering that calls out from the ground. It means remembering that so many Christians chose to wait passively and that we must make different choices.
To Be a Dog Waiting Faithfully
My childhood dog would perch on the couch in front of the window to watch and wait for my Mom to come home. Such faithfulness can inspire us at Advent.