by jakeowensby | Dec 18, 2020 | Christmas, grace
Christmas decorations went up especially early this year, even among some who are normally scrupulous about keeping the church’s liturgical seasons. No wonder. Times are tough. People need something to lift our spirits and give us hope. Lights and garland and baubles...
by jakeowensby | Dec 15, 2020 | Uncategorized
Mary and Joseph got imperial notice that they had to make their way to Bethlehem. Caesar Augustus had ordered a census. The authorities were forcing everyone to return to their hometown. Magistrates would add their names to the tax roles there. I imagine Joseph...
by jakeowensby | Dec 19, 2017 | Uncategorized
Mary and Joseph got imperial notice that they had to make their way to Bethlehem. Caesar Augustus had ordered a census. The authorities were forcing everyone to return to their hometown. Magistrates would add their names to the tax roles there. I imagine Joseph...
by jakeowensby | Dec 24, 2016 | Luke 2:1-20, Uncategorized
[Listen to Audio] Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Nativity Scenes. Artisans fashion the holy family from ceramic or wood or stone. Mass-produced plastic figures illuminate front yards. A nativity scene constructed from bacon showed up on my Facebook news feed....
by jakeowensby | Dec 20, 2016 | Luke 2:1-20, Uncategorized
In the rural, small-town Deep South, people still frequently get acquainted by asking some version of the question, “Who are your people?” It’s intended as a friendly gesture. Some families have lived in the same town—and even attended the same church—for as long as...
