In the realm of the religious and spiritual journey, many people see doubt as something bad.  Doubt is a sign of losing your faith.

During Holy Week, more than any other time of the year, followers of Christ go beyond reading about the events of the Gospels to bringing them to life with reenactments.  There is the procession of palms on Palm Sunday.  Many churches reenact Jesus’ washing of feet and the Passover meal that became Communion.  There is…

This is important for all of us to do, because it is not about any one point of view ‘winning.’ It is about allowing all points of view to be present and to dialogue with one another. But, often, we do put our thoughts and perspectives on the table.

We can begin by welcoming Sabbath into our lives. Sabbath is not just another moment in time; it is, as Rabbi Heschel said, a “sanctuary in time.” As a way to honor this special place that Sabbath has in our lives, we can develop some welcoming rituals.

Another way to develop a different relationship with time is the celebration of Sabbath. Sabbath has been a part of the Jewish faith for thousands of years. Because of its Jewish roots, the Christian faith has incorporated some form of Sabbath celebration.

How we think about and experience time matters. It matters a lot. It determines if, and how, we find meaning in our lives.

Maybe that’s why there are many ways we are uncomfortable with tears. They seem to come from nowhere. If tears can show up unannounced, out of nowhere, maybe we are not in control. Maybe there are things happening in our hearts and souls of which we are unaware.

I am not being Scrooge-like when I say Christmas is a contrived holiday. The truth is that no one really knows when Jesus was born. Because of that the church picked a date, but it did so with a reason in mind.

When I began this Advent journey of joy, I spoke of how, during this season, people of faith have the opportunity to be genuinely counter-cultural. Instead of the frenzied shopping days of Christmas, we have the quiet, reflective days of Advent.

Santa gets ready for a list of items that he has heard hundreds of times before.  But this time imagine Santa’s surprise when the child pulls out a wish list and begins to read: Well, let’s see.  I want the desert to rejoice and blossom.