About Three Months

15 minute read

Three months? Mary stayed with Elizabeth for a long time! Think with me for a few minutes about that visit.

Four Hymns of Christmas: Benedictus

6 minute read

Zechariah sings the Benedictus, the second hymn of Christmas. His first words after nine months of silence are, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.”

Four Hymns of Christmas: Gloria In Excelsis Deo

8 minute read

Angels sing the Gloria In Excelsis Deo, the third hymn of Christmas, to shepherds near Bethlehem. A glorious response to the announcement of the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Four Hymns of Christmas: Magnificat

5 minute read

Mary sings the Magnificat, the first hymn of Christmas, an amazing display of hope and humility, along with a fair bit of knowledge.

Four Hymns of Christmas: Nunc Dimittis

5 minute read

Simeon sings the Nunc Dimittis, the fourth and final song of Advent, a joyous farewell after a lifetime of waiting for the Savior of Israel, Jesus the Christ.

Is Esther an Advent Story?

6 minute read

An ancient empire oppressing the Jews, a young virgin, a descendant of Israel’s kings, a murder that didn’t quite take, a permanent yearly celebration of life… is Esther an Advent story?

It Happened In the Spring

12 minute read

Why does the author of Chronicles leave out the story of David and Bathsheba? That seems like a major oversight.

Like Lightning From Heaven

9 minute read

You’re part of the invasion force of Heaven, and every work you do for the Kingdom of God is part of the assured fall of Satan at the word of Jesus.

Nothing Left Over

3 minute read

Paul reaches back into history and into Scripture to write an old law in a new way for the Corinthians.

Praise the Name

8 minute read

Sometimes I forget that God has a name. This psalmist is happy to remind me, over and over again.

She Loved Much

7 minute read

Exploring the relationship of sin, repentance, and forgiveness with the help of a Pharisee and a prostitute.

She Was Not Hidden

12 minute read

A lived example of Jesus’s proclamation about not hiding a lamp—or a woman—under a basket.

The Boy Jesus

7 minute read

How did Luke hear the story of Jesus staying behind in the Temple as a little boy?

The Duty of Watching

11 minute read

Bringing the men who guard the gates of the tabernacle into the modern church.

The Seventh Sunday of Advent

4 minute read

Jesus tells us how to avoid losing the preparation of Advent and the hope of Christmas in the messiness of January. And February. And March…

What If Malachi Was Wrong?

5 minute read

Malachi 4:5 seems impossible, or at best a contradiction. What happens when Jesus’s disciples finally get up the courage to ask about it?

Last updated July 12, 2025.