“The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world.” – John 1:9 Joyous Light – Words by unknown author, late 3rd -early century 4th century; translated by John Keble, 1834, alt. Arrangement and additional chorus by Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Louie Giglio. Hail Gladdening
Monthly Archives: December 2011
Christmas Eve Links
Here are a spattering of links from the web the past few weeks that caught my attention. Enjoy them, but more importantly, enjoy your Christmas Eve and loved ones. To Santa or Not to Santa – An ongoing discussion amongst Christian parents exists over how we should talk about and celebrate Santa Claus with our
Grandma’s No-Bakes
This week, I have what I hope will turn out to be a “Christmas gift” of sorts for devoted ESI readers. I’d like to share an old family recipe, along with an associated story. When I was a little girl, I would often visit my Grandma, who lived not-quite-in-the-country, but in a small town with
Does God Care Who WIns? (And Other Thoughts Sparked by Tim Tebow)
I was waiting for it. Last week, published stories originating from a website suggested a Denver area pastor was maintaining that God intervenes in Denver Broncos football games and actually aids quarterback Tim Tebow because of his Christian faith. The brief story involves Wayne Hanson, pastor of Summit Church in Castle Rock, CO, and includes
Christmas, “The Sufferer’s Holiday”
The day set aside for celebrating the birth of Jesus is close at hand, and we all know what that means. The malls will be packed with people feverishly pursuing that “perfect Christmas experience” with whatever the stores happen to be selling. As Christian believers, we understand that our hearts were created by God to
The Fourth Sunday of Advent: December 18, 2011
December 18 marked the fourth Sunday of Advent 2011. Advent (which means “coming” or “arrival”) gives us an opportunity to reflect both on the story surrounding Christ’s birth as well as his promised return. During Advent we remember Israel’s wait. “How long,” they asked, “until our promised Messiah comes to deliver his people?” We, too,
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
Tis the season for waiting. I enjoyed Keith Simon’s sermon from a few weeks ago describing our tendency during this time of year to ignore celebrating advent. I know our family is certainly guilty of getting lost in the hours of preparation, decorating, shopping, etc. that inevitably happens the month before Christmas. I specifically remember
Books and Culture’s 2011 Book of the Year: God is Red
I’m a sucker for book lists so this time of the year is both hard and fun. The fun part is surveying everyone’s 2011 list of best books. The hard part is paying for all the ones that I want to read. Book and Culture’s best book of 2011 is God is Red by Liao
Why Is Grumbling So Evil To God?
The other day I was reading through Psalm 105 and Psalm 106. Using poetry sung in worship, they are the story of God’s redemptive work in choosing a people through whom he would save the world forever. This is the story of the Old Testament. And it all points to the coming of the ultimate
Yes, I Have an Agenda
Every so often, I run across something like the following sentiment: “Sure, I want people to come to believe the gospel, but I want to love them without an agenda. I want to respect and serve others and promote the common good. I want to do these things because they’re the right things to do.