Read the Lectionary Texts Of all the characters in the Christmas story, my favorite is Mary's kinswoman Elizabeth. We are not sure whether she was Mary's aunt or cousin, but we do know that Elizabeth made a difference in the life of Mary: she saw through the apparent shame of what seemed to be an illegitimate pregnancy, and identified God at work in this young vulnerable girl. Elizabeth was one of those rare people who practice the art of embracing the holy. I often find myself wondering why the angelic birth announcement to Mary is immediately followed by the story [READ MORE]

Read the Lectionary Texts I hate snakes. Always have. Always will. For the life of me, I cannot understand people like the late Steve Irwin, the Australian Crocodile Hunter. Steve traveled all around the world simply for the pleasure of picking up the most poisonous reptiles, holding them close to his face and saying, “Crimey! Ain’t she a beauty?” No!!!! It’s a snake!!!!! I don’t understand people like Steve Irwin. Neither do I understand George Hensley. George claimed to be the founder of the religious snake-handling movement that still exists today in parts of Appalachia. He traveled around the [READ MORE]