Christmas
Reckoning with our messiah complexes
The vulnerability of the newborn Christ challenges our inclination to play God.
’Tis the season for royal Christmas movies
What exactly is it about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that says “tiara romance”?
The beautiful stillness of the Christ child
As the rotating nativity spun, I kept watching Jesus.
The books we’re giving as Christmas gifts
If your secret Santa were a Century editor, here’s what you might be getting.
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Three ways to create sacred moments at home this Advent
In chaotic times, focus on routine, ritual, and simplicity.
by Traci Smith
In Advent and Christmas, desolation and consolation reside together
This time of year, our inner landscapes can seem as bleak as the outer ones.
Church is the perfect place to cry
We embrace uninitiated visitors, rowdy children, and blue jeans. Why not tears?
A birthday present in the manger scene
We found a small, wrapped box next to Jesus. Should we open it?
Why my church stopped decking the halls
A new family skipped a lot of our holiday activities—and got me thinking.
by Ryan Ahlgrim
Un-Domesticating Advent: Matthew 2:16-18
If we are to understand the delivering power of Jesus’ coming and presence on the earth, we must un-domesticate the Jesus story.
Awake and watching this Advent
We need the prophets to unmask power’s seductions.
The radiance when God comes close
I watched the full moon cover mundane scenes with its glow. Isn't this what Advent is about?
Unsettling Christmas
Christmas is a great time to resist the lure of the western Christian tradition that domesticates the story of Jesus so much so that it is no longer an unsettling force and reality in our society.
I kissed Advent purity goodbye
I was raised in an ecumenical church community affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. When I later joined a Mennonite church, where many members were not raised with the church calendar, I became a bit of an Advent purist. Maybe a lot of one.