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Tag Archives: the Birth
Syncretism, Absorption, The Curious Dynamics of “Christianizing”…and the Arrival of February
I have shared in the recent past, patient reader, that my doctoral studies were specifically in the realm of “theology” – from ancient Greek, meaning literally “a study/word about God.” Theology asks, among other things, what do we mean by … Continue reading
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Tagged 2011, 700 BC, absorption, absorption of religions, accommodative, all gods and religions, ancient faiths and philosophies, ancient Greek, Anglo-Saxon, August, belief in God, birth of Jesus of Nazareth, Bronx, Caesar Augustus, Celts, Christian, Christian Church, Christian history, Christianity, Christianizing, Christmas, classic definition, classical names, classical world, cold and snowy, curiosity, curious dynamics, dangerous, Day of Resurrection, dead of winter, December, different and opposing parties or religions, Druids, dualistic, early Christianity, Easter, faith seeking understanding, Februa, Februarius, February, festival of purification, form a confederation, form a union, full moon, gnostic terms and concepts, gnosticism, God, Gospel According to John, Ground Hog Day, harmonize, hindsight, historical research, I John, I wonder, II John, III John, institutions, January, Janus, Jewish-Christian, Johannine letters, John the Apostle, Julius Caesar, July, Latin, life or death struggle, Luke 2, major religions, make it Christian, make room for, millennium, mistletoe, months of the year, more the merrier, mystical, Nativity, New Testament, November, October, Oestre, Old English, out of place, pagan belief, pagan goddess, pantheon, religious tradition, revelation, rodent, Roman culture, Roman Empire, Roman god of transitions and gateways, sacred oak, Saturnalia, secret knowledge, see his shadow, September, sinful world, snow moon, solstice festival, soul of the oak, spring festival, springtime, stamp out, study of God, sun moving back toward northern sky, symbol of new life in Christ, syncretism, take it over, the Birth, the Christ, the Lord, the masses, theology, Tree of Life, twelve apostles, Twelve Days of Christmas, twelve months, twelve tribes of Israel, United States, whatever suits your fancy, when Jesus was born, wicked amount of snow, winning the battle, winter solstice
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The Unchanging Epiphany, the Irony of Manger Scenes, What Is Revealed
Yesterday, January 5, is traditionally the last day of Christmastide (the “twelve days of Christmas”). While driving around town, I saw a man busily taking down outdoor Christmas lights and decorations. I idly wondered if he knew that it was … Continue reading
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Tagged Advent, ancient world, BC, be revealed, Bethlehem, Bible, child Jesus, Christian observance, Christmas decorations and lights, Christmas is over, Christmas season, Christmastide, classical Greek, different kinds of love, Epiphany, eye-opener, feast day, first century AD, flash of insight, four gospels, friendship, Gentile, had an epiphany, heart of hearts, holiday season, Holy Family, hope and promise, internet world, January 6, Jesus of Nazareth, Joseph, king of the Jews, Latin, life partner, liturgical churches, love above all others, love and adoration, made obvious, magi, make an appearance, making an appearance, manger scenes, manger scenes simply wrong, manifestation, Mary the mother of Jesus, Matthew, Middle English, millenia, modern English, non-Jewish, pay homage, readily apparent or perceived, regular churchgoers, resilient ancient word, revealing, revelation, Roman, sacred day, Savior, Savior of the world, sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, shepherd boy, Son of God, stable, steps ahead, the Babe, the Birth, the West, three gifts, three kings of orient, truth grasped, Twelve Days of Christmas, unchanging, visitation, well-lived life, wise men, Yahoo!
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Magical, Mysterious, Sacred….Mistletoe and Christmas, Those French
Perhaps the first time in my life I discovered that I had some small flair for entrepreneurship was as an 11-year-old boy scout selling little packages of mistletoe door-to-door before Christmas. It was actually a fund-raising project to benefit the … Continue reading
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Tagged American, ancient Greeks, ancients, beliefs and customs, blessing, botanists, botany, boy scout, bulls sacrificed, Celts, chlorophyll, Christianity, Christianized, Christians, Christmas, Christmas decoration, college. host tree, contest, crippled children, Crippled Children's Association, dead world, diplomats, door-to-door, Druid priests, Druids, entrepeneurship, European, fertility, France, fund-raising, gift of life, golden sickle, green in winter, happiness, health, hemiparasite, kissing ball, kissing under the mistletoe, leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations, life-giving magic, long life, magical, marriage, medicinal power, Mediterranean, millenia, mistletoe, mistletoe for the New Year, modern times, mysterious, new year, New Year's Day, News, newspaper, oak, old spinster, parasite, parasitic plant, photosynthesis, power to heal, presidents, sacred, sacred oak, Saturnalia, selling, Son of God, soul of the oak, the Birth, the French, Tree of Life, white berries, winter solstice, world affairs
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The Moon and the Sun in Great Peril – Eclipse and Solstice, Why December 25 for Christmas, St. Thomas
You may well be aware, dear reader, that tonight, December 20, 2010, is the only total lunar eclipse of the calendar year. Not only that, but it promises to be the best in the last few years, not to be … Continue reading
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Tagged 3 days, aid and direction to the sun, ancients, around the world, astronomy, atmosphere, banging pots, battle between sun and moon, beast, best until April 2014, birth of Jesus, Birthday of Jesus, China, Chippewas, crucifixion, darkness of doubt, Day of St. Thomas, day with most darkness, death of the sun, December 20, December 21, December 25, devourer of the moon, devouring the moon, Doubting Thomas, Earth, Earth's shadow, extinguish, Far East, gaseous refraction, great peril, Hopi pueblo tribe, Huron tribe, Irish, Jesus' wounds, John 20, light bends, longest night, lunar eclipse, lunar sickness, monster, moon, move back northward, Native Americans, noisemakers, northern climes, Ojibwas, peril of loss, prayers, primitive cultures, reflection, refuse to believe, resurrection, Resurrection of the Christ, return northward, rituals of healing, Roman Catholic Church, Roman god, Saturn, Saturnalia, shortest day, sol, soyal, St Thomas, stitium. southern horizon, sun, superimposed on Saturnalia. Saturn, the Birth, the Christ, time to celebrate, total eclipse, Twelve Days of Christmas, Welsh, winter solstice
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A Surprise Christmas Visitor, Herod the Great, Three Wise Men, Still Seeking
As I write this post, I have the pleasure of a surprise Christmas visitor. Right outside the window of my study is perched a big, plump, female Say’s phoebe. They are rather uncommon birds, but are found on our high … Continue reading
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Tagged "rather be Herod's pig than his son", ads, ancient, astrologers, Bible, biblical account, bumper sticker, Child, Christendom, Christmas story, Christmastime, claimant to the throne, coffee, coming home for Christmas, commercials, creche, curmudgeonly, desert tortoise, Emperor Augustus, evil, flycatchers, gospel, Herod the Great, insanely paranoid, insects, Jerusalem, King Herod, king of the Jews, learned men, magi, manger, manger scenes, Matthew, Matthew 2, New Testament, pay homage, Persia, quest, religion, rescue, rising star, Rome, Say's phoebe, sign, stable, star, Star of Bethlehem, still seek Him, surprise at Christmas, surprise visitor, surprise visitors, television, the Birth, the Visit, three wise men, unwelcome, wise men, Wise Men still seek him, Zoroastrianism
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The Rev. Dr.'s Musings on Nature, Life & Belief 