Near the end of our recent visit to the Holy Land, we made our way to the Chapel of the Ascension, in the At-Tur district of Jerusalem. I anticipated the stop with considerable eagerness. Here Jesus issued marching orders that … (read more)
Unlike many sites in the Holy Land, no one seems to know, precisely, where Emmaus might have been. This uncertainty surprised me, while visiting the Holy Land recently. Emmaus, I should have thought, is the sort of place you might … (read more)
I have recently had the spectacular privilege of visiting the Holy Land. On one fine day our pilgrim group journeyed to the ruins of Caesarea Philippi, once the administrative center of Philip the Tetrarch. Philip was the son of Herod … (read more)
Everything is near, it seems, in the Holy Land: you can travel from the shores of the Mediterranean to the banks of the Jordan River in a single afternoon. You can travel from the Golan to Masada in a day. … (read more)
Some dear old friends of ours have recently gifted us with tickets to Israel – just now, in the first days of Lent. I can hardly believe the generosity! We returned from our pilgrimage a few days ago. Let me … (read more)
I have recently read a psalm that called to mind a date in March, that reminded me of a singular, passionate teenager in old Ireland and his radical conversion to Christ, his irresistible calling to mission, and the evangelistic movement … (read more)
For the first time in the history of planet earth, the Christian church is a truly global phenomenon. And it is not barely global, either. Approximately one out of five of our Christian family is an Asian sister or brother. … (read more)
A few days ago, I stumbled upon an interesting report from the world of psycholinguistics. It had to do with “universal words.” It turns out that “mommy,” or something rather like it, appears in many languages around the world. This … (read more)
Not long ago, a friend of mine reported that she had become “spiritual” — but was no longer “religious.” She thinks “spiritual” thoughts from time to time, she explained. She notices “spiritual” attitudes or impulses creeping up on her, in … (read more)
Just at the end of the liturgical year, and just at the outset of another, falls one of my favorite celebrations of the church year. Christ the King Sunday. This year it falls on November 24. Every year, it seems, … (read more)