This will be the last post before Christmas. Safe travels for those that drive or fly, stay warm and dry wherever you are. No matter how many people are in your house or how many hours you spend in the kitchen, take a moment, take a breath, say a prayer to the one who gives the best gifts. Someday in your memories these will be the good old days.
This is Happy Monday #567.
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Here’s a Christmas card that I like. Some Christians struggle with the idea of sending secular cards with Santa Claus, snowmen or winter scenes on them. The religious cards may have a nativity scene or wisemen following the star to Bethlehem but are wildly inaccurate based on a careful study of the text. Christmas Card Theology is a post from all the way back in 2009. Rethinking the Angel Choir and Rethinking the Wise Men are better written with scripture references included. Those posts are ancient by internet standards but we’re talking about the Bible here.
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On this episode: Michael talks about Christmas stories vs. Christmas in the Bible; Thomas Merton; and self-feeding evangelicals.
When a multitude of the heavenly host appeared to a group of shepherds out in the field, they proclaimed “Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.” Someone may take a critical look at the world today and ask “Where is it? I don’t see peace on Earth.” The first thing we need to do is examine what this group of messengers were really saying. The full text of Luke 2:14 is “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Your translation of choice may not include among those with whom he is pleased so let’s not even go there. These angels are worshipping. They proclaim Glory to God in the highest which we do not see everywhere in the world today. The creation points to God’s glory but the majority of people walking the face of the earth do not acknowledge God. The angels were announcing the birth of the Messiah/Christ so peace on earth could be similar to Jesus himself saying “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” He certainly was. So the angels did not prophesy in so many words “There is going to be peace on earth” or “from now on there will be peace on earth and goodwill everywhere you look.” But I still want to address these two questions: Is there or can there be peace on earth? Will there ever be peace over the whole earth?
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Grogu is not Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Had a friend that fell for this though. Then he got suspicious and asked me if I knew who it was.
This is Happy Monday #405.
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2020 huh? Sometimes it gives you global pandemics or category 4 hurricanes. And sometimes cabbages spill all over the highway. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving… gifts that no one wants and can’t be returned.
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The Master's Table 