In one week's time we will begin the season of Advent. Next Sunday, December 3rd marks the time when historically many churches would begin to focus their attention on the first coming, or advent, of Christ. This is a time for preparing our hearts for Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning. It is also a time to begin the celebration early, and to put ...
Ascension Day
I recently wrote on the broad idea of celebrating holidays as Christians. You can read that article, Lord of Our Years, here. In it I argued for keeping and celebrating the five main gospel feast days. If you grew up in a staunchly Roman Catholic community, or if you lived in early 16th Century Europe, you would be accustomed to all manner of ...
Lord of our Years
If you have been around Redeemer for a little while you might have noticed that we make a big deal about holidays. We ramp up for Christmas. We emphasize Easter – with services on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. We get invitation cards out, we have a big feast, and we preach special messages for these occasions. And as far as that goes, our pr...
The Politics of Christmas
[Adapted from a sermon preached during Advent in 2021, The Politics of Christmas]Why do the nations rageand the peoples plot in vain?The kings of the earth set themselves,and the rulers take counsel together,against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,"Let us burst their bonds apartand cast away their cords from us." He who sits in the h...