Sometimes I wonder why I do this to myself (and also to my parishioners and listeners I suppose). It is well-established how much I dislike most binaries. I am instantly suspicious when I am faced with an either/or, yes/no situation. Most of what we think of as binaries turn out to be continua. So why…
Joy. Joy! Joy? Joy. One of the more beloved songs to sing in Advent and Christmas is, “Joy to the world.” Many of us have great memories of singing it as children, perhaps as carolers, definitely in larger groups at church or carol sing-a-longs. But do we actually believe it? Do the church and the…
The Third Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of Joy. Joy is one of those tricky words because it has perfectly acceptable casual uses but also more technical uses. Happiness and joy are often considered synonyms and used as such with no difficulty. However, there is a deeper meaning to “joy” that connects us to…