The stable has always intrigued me. Not the shepherds and wise men, so-called. Not Joseph and Mary. But the stable. The idea of it. The feel of it. The smell of...

Every parent who has been present at their child’s birth will tell a variation on the same experience: the most amazing thing ever! Words cannot contain the range of emotion. I...

I live in midtown Manhattan amid a forest of tall buildings— with many more under construction. Wandering among these massive structures, some with impressive cranes pricking the sky, can make a...

It has never been harder to encourage sustained spiritual behaviors among people who are attracted to The Way Jesus blazed. Your reading this devotional is a minority activity, probably even among...

At the time of Jesus’ birth, Israel groaned under Roman oppression. The Israelites yearned for release from the harsh yoke, in part because an aspect of Jewish identity was bound up...

The young woman who came to see me one December was in her early twenties and obviously pregnant. As she spilled out her story, tears welled in her eyes. She had...

When God gave the law to Moses, God instructed him on how to build a tabernacle. Throughout Israel’s history, from Mount Sinai to the reign of David, the tabernacle had functioned...

A few years ago I went to a restaurant that had earned a wonderful reputation. Once seated, I learned that I had no decisions to make because the restaurant served one...

I need goals and deadlines. Whether it’s a work project, exercise habits, or writing these devotions, I do my best when I have a goal that stretches me and a plan...

The opening lines of this reading speak clearly to my heart. Jesus reads these verses aloud in the synagogue after his wilderness temptations; they set the tone for his ministry. They’ve...