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My daughters have been working on their Christmas lists. In the past few years these lists have become increasingly organized, decorated, and displayed so that there is no disguising the facts: This is about Christmas and these are the things I want. Every once in a while, the lists catch me off guard with something unexpected, and at other times I’m enlisted to support the process (“Dad, how do you…
You may have noticed that my normal column in the Spire is titled “Between Here and There.” It’s just a small nod to the paths of life we walk in our shared and unique corners of the Kingdom. There’s lots of life between where we are and where we are headed! But, for these few paragraphs I’m going to set my focus a bit more precisely. I’d like to consider “Here.” Westminster. You likely know that I routinel…
What do a ladybug, a pumpkin, a werewolf, a Roman soldier, and a fairy have in common? Well, thanks to Westminster's coordination team, especially Danika Lagorio and Marilyn Rubino, they were first time trick-or-treaters in the days before Halloween. We know some of you met the parents and children at the Fall Festival, so you can probably guess the children looked even cuter in their costumes. …
In the middle of October I saw the first Christmas tree in a retail store and smiled. No longer is there waiting for Christmas. In the church season, Advent invites us to wait and prepare our hearts for the Lord. We hear that the angel Gabriel came to Mary saying, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Mary learned she would become a mother, and the child was the long-awaited Messiah for…
After sharing Bible stories with children, one of my favorite ways to engage with the story is through wondering questions. Wondering questions don’t always have answers and aren’t really questions, but invitations to engage with scripture. I wonder what animal God created first… I wonder what manna tasted like… I wonder what the rocky soil could be… I wonder what part of the story was most important…
All children love Christmas! The magic of the holidays – the decorations, getting together with family and friends, parties, presents, and of course Santa. Our WECEP children are no exception, and December is full of fun activities. But for us, the “real” reason for celebrating is because it’s Jesus’ birthday. And how does one celebrate a birthday – with a party! Every December we have a Happy Birthday Je…
One year, my husband and I followed St. Cuthbert’s Way, a pilgrimage trail through the borderlands between Scotland and England. St. Cuthbert sang from the Psalter and shared stories from the Gospel of John to introduce the Celts to Jesus. He preached to the generations who had been invaded by the Romans, Normans, English, and Vikings. The gospel message flourished among those who knew what it m…
Living in western Pennsylvania, I imagine many of you have seen all sorts of attire that display three simple numbers: 412. It’s a catchy alias for “all things Pittsburgh,” and 412 merchandise is recognized around the world. But what if we chose to look at those numbers and considered the Apostle Paul’s words to Timothy when he said, “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an ex…
