Silent Night: The Humility of Christ’s Glory

Go into any store, restaurant, or other consumer establishments shortly after Thanksgiving ends, and you’re sure to hear familiar tunes over the bustling crowds that only show up once every year. In between “Jingle Bells” and “Silver Bells,” there’s a good chance you’ll hear no bells at all; there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself thoughtlessly humming along to the humble story penned in “Silent Night.” I say thoughtlessly not because you’re a thoughtless person, but because familiarity with something can often cause us to overlook its significance. How many hundreds of thousands of people sing “Silent Night” every year as part of their Christmas traditions, but ultimately skim over the jaw-dropping theological truths found hidden beneath the surface of those 19th-century lyrics?

Hark the Herald Angels Sing: Angels sang, and we must continue to listen

There was once a young boy who was singing this well-loved Christmas carol in church when he, with a perplexed look on his face, turned and asked his mother, “Mom, who is Herald?” Likewise, many of us have probably sung this tagline hundreds of times without thinking much about what the words mean. If we translated the title into modern day vernacular, it would read something like, “Listen! The angels are singing a heavenly message!”

Easter Week Recap

We know that for the Christian, every day is Resurrection Day. The life and power of Jesus are always available and always at work in and through us. Praise God that we can walk in His resurrection power and promises every single day! Having said that, there is something special about taking intentional time to reflect on the work of the cross and resurrection. Easter week is always a week where the Spirit of God works in people’s hearts in powerful ways through the message of Christ crucified and risen to life forevermore. It was no exception this last week here in Northern California! Here is a brief recap of some of the wonderful things God did among us.

Sunday Recap

You never know quite what to expect at church on Super Bowl Sunday. I would love to say that football and church never compete, but alas… (BTW, nothing against football here. I enjoyed watching the Eagles handle the Patriots just as much as the next guy. And how about Nick Foles? Grateful for his witness!). Despite my skepticism, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people show up at church with excitement, anticipation, and open hearts!