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Progressive Christian

2011-01-10T10:04:00-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Costs of Leadership

Last updated on: January 10, 2011 at 10:04 am By Christy Thomas

This past week has been a horrific one for the nation. Democratic Representative to the US Congress from Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, was shot in the head. According to news reports, Ms. Giffords had taken strong stands on certain positions, particularly health care and immigration laws, that many disagreed with. And one person disagreed with her to such a degree that he decided to murder her. He did not succeed as of the time of the writing. But a a federal... Read more

2011-01-03T12:13:00-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Holy Freedom

Last updated on: January 3, 2011 at 12:13 pm By Christy Thomas

In a recent conversation with my sister, as we were commiserating with each other over our live challenges, we both said, “If I had known what the future would hold, would I have had the courage to face it?” There’s no way to answer that question, because we never, ever know what the future will hold. Most of us have heard of some of these famous predictions: “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”- Thomas Watson,... Read more

2010-12-25T18:21:00-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Christmas Afternoon

Last updated on: December 25, 2010 at 6:21 pm By Christy Thomas

It is late Christmas afternoon. I’m alone in the house, listening to classical Christmas music, and doing so with a growing awareness that I am not the only one with a tendency to the minor key or to the tinge of sadness experienced by many during this season. We Christians properly celebrate the birth of Jesus now. Not that we know a date or time of year this child came into the world. Not that we really understand the how... Read more

2010-12-24T10:13:00-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Weather and the Nature of God

Last updated on: December 24, 2010 at 10:13 am By Christy Thomas

It’s Christmas Eve and it is cold and rainy outside. Last Christmas Eve, we had a blizzard here in Krum. Does God not want us to have Christmas Eve services? I know that seems a silly question, but it is not one for those who think that God is in the business of making our lives easy and ensuring that houses of worship are full on special occasions. Of course, we who live with sprinklers and sewers and water towers... Read more

Christianity

religion

worship

Christmas Eve worship

2010-12-16T13:18:00-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Santa as God: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “O Holy Night”

Last updated on: December 16, 2010 at 1:18 pm By Christy Thomas

Santa is “freaky.” That’s the conclusion the youth I work with on Wednesday nights reached. Last night, I had the youth compare two songs: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “O Holy Night.” When they actually looked carefully at the words of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” they immediately and as a group called out “freaky.” It really bothered them that Santa was watching them while they slept. That he appeared to know everything about them. That he... Read more

2010-12-15T13:57:00-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Checklists and Holiness; Carols in Worship

Last updated on: December 15, 2010 at 1:57 pm By Christy Thomas

During this Advent season, the time Christians have used for ages to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Savior, I decided to do something I have not done before in worship. I’ve been taking some of the well-loved but not necessarily religious Christmas and seasonal songs and using them as doorways to the hallways of grace. I know that I personally have struggled for years with Christmas songs that seemed to me to have nothing to do with... Read more

Christmas carols in worship

Christmas worship

2018-03-13T13:01:39-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Naughty or Nice List: Taking Christ out of Christmas

Last updated on: March 13, 2018 at 1:01 pm By Christy Thomas

Reality check: Christmas is a minor church celebration with minimal biblical support that has been blown way out of proportion by the very ones who insist that people are taking Christ out of Christmas. I’m on a rant again–which I suppose is nothing new to those who know me. But it’s true: I’m going to gag if I hear one more time, “We’ve got to put Christ back in Christmas.” How ridiculous. The whole idea suggests that someone has the... Read more

Christianity

religion

"naughty or nice" list

christmas

Robert Jeffress

2010-12-06T18:08:00-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Practice Abnormality

Last updated on: December 6, 2010 at 6:08 pm By Christy Thomas

Guess what? Scholars have finally figured out that forgiving others is really good for you! An article in a publication that deals in the latest issues in higher education has confirmed this. Since these researchers agree, it must be right. Wow–what a piece of intriguing news–that this whole biblical idea that we really should set down those grudges and resentments might actually pay off! Forgive my sarcasm, but sometimes I wonder why something like this has to be quantified to... Read more

2010-11-26T11:48:00-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Urgency Hypnosis

Last updated on: November 26, 2010 at 11:48 am By Christy Thomas

Today, as I think everyone is the entire world must know, is called “Black Friday,” as in the busiest shopping day of the year. That’s awful name for it–I saw somewhere that it should be named “Greed Friday” but that really doesn’t make sense. People are not being greedy today–they are actually being generous as most shop to purchase gifts for others. Well, some of them are. I just read that about 50% of what is bought today will be... Read more

2010-11-25T14:08:00-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Thanksgiving Day Musings

Last updated on: November 25, 2010 at 2:08 pm By Christy Thomas

Note: this is an excerpt from An Ordinary Death: Where Grief and Relief Hold Hands, available from Amazon.com. I spent an hour in bed this morning, looking out the window from the bedroom, watching the trees and plants dance from the increasing north wind. I also spent that hour thinking of my mother, on this her favorite of holidays, and on my first Thanksgiving without her. I am thankful. Thankful for the years, thankful for her being gone now, thankful... Read more

church as garden

blue laws

Thanksgiving

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