No Vacancy
You may celebrate Christmas. Or you may not. But since everything is closed today, it couldn’t hurt to take some time to reflect on the birth of our Messiah. Toward that end, allow me to recommend this fictional short story that I wrote last year, combining Christmas with the Feast…...
An Existential Christmas
My parents have always been committed to getting us some kind of “stuff” to open on Christmas morning. That stuff usually includes some kind of wacky toy—something of a creative and/or competitive nature. For example, one year my dad gave us this battle-track kit where we could build our own…...
Do We Have To?
Do we have to celebrate the birth of Yeshua? Of course the answer is no, but we do anyway. Personally, I celebrate his birth because I love having a special season to focus on this marvelous event. It thrills my heart every time I read in the gospel of Luke,…...
This Candle is a Servant-Leader
Last night our family lit the last of our Hanukkah candles. We almost didn’t make it to the end. I’ll explain: It takes a lot of candles to get all the way through Hanukkah. Since the idea is to let them burn themselves out, none of the candles can be…...
Never Too Late
Today, the eighth day of Hanukkah, began at sunset yesterday with the lighting of all nine candles on the Hanukkiah. Even though Hanukkah ends today the stories never do, because the bravery, commitment, dedication and devotion to Adonai stays with us. The Maccabees were unwilling to bow to the ruling…...
A Messianic Hanukkah
On the sixth day of Hanukkah, the Wiksells gave to me… A bunch of links to articles on Messianic Hanukkah! (OK, it doesn’t rhyme.) Messianic Jews & Gentiles find themselves in an interesting situation each year at this time. Should we celebrate Christmas, but with a Jewish twist? Should we…...
Festival(s) of Lights (Part 2)
Read Festival(s) of Lights (Part 1) It’s well-documented: Yeshua observed the Jewish Festivals. Including Hanukkah. But there’s a funny thing about this Messiah of ours. Yes, he affirmed the beauty and significance of the holidays through his participation. But he always found a way to flip things upside down. To throw…...
Festival(s) of Lights (Part 1)
First came the Solstice. Then Hanukkah. Then Christmas. Then Kwanzaa. There really is something for everyone in December; to the point where it’s officially become “Holiday of Your Choice” month. I happen to think this is no coincidence. It’s not like a clothing boutique randomly showed up on a particular block,…...
How Hanukkah Saved Christmas
What does Hanukkah have to do with Christmas, you might ask? Yes, they happen about the same time. Yes, both have lights and presents and parties and sugary treats. But the connection goes much deeper than that. I grew up celebrating Christmas – the Christmas gifts, the Christmas pageant, the…...
