The origins of the hymn “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” are debated, but many believe that the author of the original text from which the hymn is derived was Burgundian abbot and doctor Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). His long poem, Salve mundi salutare (“Hail, Savior of the World”), consists of seven cantos (subsections), each one … Continued
“Via Dolorosa” is translated from the Latin as “The Way of Suffering” and refers to the path that Jesus took from where and when he was sentenced to death, making his way through the streets of Jerusalem to the crucifixion site on Golgotha outside the city. On Good Friday, Christians around the world remember the … Continued
Maundy Thursday is the day in Holy Week, leading up to the Christian celebration of Easter, when we stop to reflect on the sacrifice of Christ’s love and remember his command to “Love one another as I have loved you.” We commemorate the Passover feast that Jesus celebrated with his disciples in the Upper Room, … Continued
What happens to the food you cannot eat or compost? When we place food and other items in our trash bins, where does it all go? Unless they can be recycled, most of our discarded items are taken to a landfill. The landfill is a modern facility located near cities and towns intended to manage … Continued
In the fall of 2018 while studying at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, I took a Christian Theology class for which the final project was to artistically express my own personal theology. Of course, I decided to write a song, which I ended up calling “This Is the End.” I would eventually play this song … Continued
It’s always a little mind-boggling to me to think about how we experience time differently based on our point of reference. In reflecting upon the past year, it seems like time has slowed to a crawl, but still, so much has happened. Just over one year ago, I was leading Ash Wednesday services at the … Continued
Be Thou My Vision. I don’t know why this hymn has such an effect on me. Maybe it is my Irish DNA that sings out when I sing it. The words to Be Thou My Vision are a translation of an ancient Irish prayer and are set to an Irish folk melody. There is something … Continued
Believers’ baptism has been a fundamental and defining aspect of Baptist identity since the beginning of the Baptist movement in early 17th century Europe. For Baptists, water baptism represents entrance into a “community of believers who can testify to an experience of grace through Jesus Christ.” It is a rite of passage that (usually) occurs … Continued
The Seventh Lesson: John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and … Continued
The Sixth Lesson: Luke 2:8-16 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for … Continued