Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian

christmas

Select a Category " obedience abortion accommodation accountability administration adolescence Advent advice an ordinary death anxiety apology apportionments Ash Wednesday ask thoughtfulpastor baptism betrayal Bible bondage calling certainty change character charity children Christianity Christmas church church as garden clergy clergy credentials closure comfort compassion competition compromise Confirmation conservation conservative conspiracy theories consumer conversion coronavirua corruption courage covenant cultural context death Deconstruction discipleship discord divorce doctrine doing good drugs dysfunctional Easter Easter; Resurrection education election entertainment envy escape evaluation evil exclusive church exercise faith faithfulness family fasting fear feast featured film review finances first world problem food forgiveness fundamentalist garden gay marriage General Conference generosity giving thanks GLBT glory good government grace guilt habit happy harmony hateful acts healing health health care heaven hell hello/goodbye heresy hidden agenda holiness homelessness homosexuality humility hymn hypocrisy Imago Dei In training inclusive church indulgence injustice innocents insurance intolerance itinerancy joy Justice kindness Kingdom of Heave kingdom of heaven language laughter laundry lawsuit leadership Lent LGBTQ liberal life Little Things Matter longform meandering thoughts memories mercy metaphor metrics miracle misfortunes morality Mormon Muslim mystery worship natural disasters New Category Name nutrients older adults oppression pain Paleo paperwork partnered pastor peace pension pharmaceutical placebo politics poverty prayer privilege public schools questions quiet racism rain reason reconciliation religion repentance requirements rescue respect rest resurrection retirement Sabbath sacrament sacred salvation same-sex marriage sanctuary schism schooling science SCOTUS secrecy separation of church and state sexism sexuality short cuts silence sin sleep soil spiritual journey stillness suffering surgery sustainable church teacher technology thank you theology therapy thinking tolerance TOS trust truth Uncategorized welcome Why Easter? wisdom women worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 March 2025 February 2025 December 2024 November 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 July 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 October 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 July 2007 March 2007

September 2026

September 17, 2026

The Fall Equinox And The Church’s Blindness

The more I wrestled with questions of life, of death, of eternity, of the nature...

December 2024

December 16, 2024

Is God Absent From Public Schools? What About Emmanuel?

So the absolute absence of God is . . . absolute hell. That is the...

December 10, 2024

My First World Life VS Mary’s Magnificat

With Christmas fast approaching and the season of too much spending, too much food and...

December 07, 2023

Skipping Advent And Heading Straight For Christmas

Let’s face it: Skipping Advent is the real “reason for the season.” The birth of...

December 03, 2018

The Winter Solstice And Christmas: Cultural Overlays Hide The Message

Since the replacement of winter solstice celebrations with Christmas, the church has inextricably tied the...

November 2018

November 19, 2018

Holiday Advice: Ten Ways To Stay Healthy

The advice you will never regret taking: Find time to enjoy the various types of...

December 2017

December 18, 2017

A Subversive Act Calling For Justice: The True Story of Christmas

Mary reveals that the entrance of the Savior into the world is a subversive act...

November 2017

November 15, 2017

The Holidays Upon Us: Eat, Pray, Shop

Eat, pray and shop. Open your homes AND prepare your hearts. You can do all...

December 2016

December 12, 2016

Every child born changes the entire world

Every child born changes the entire world. Whether eagerly longed for or dreaded, male or...

November 2016

November 21, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: What about Christmas gifts?

Christmas gifts: do they interfere with the real “reason for the season” of the Christ...

December 2015

December 16, 2015

December Sadness and the Timing of Christmas

But it is the shorter days here in the northern hemisphere help bring on Christmas...

December 04, 2014

Promiscuous Love

This time of year when the acorns and pecans cover sidewalks liberally here in North...

December 25, 2013

Christmas: It's Worth Celebrating

It’s about the poor and left out. That’s the main message of Christmas--doesn’t matter what...

December 08, 2012

More on the Confusion Between Santa and God

This letter appeared in the "Dear Abby" advice column that was in the newspaper on...

December 25, 2011

Everybody and Their Dogs Were at Worship Today

We could have turned off all the lights in the worship center today and the...

December 05, 2011

Prepare The Way

His voice cries out and says, “Get that road straight—the glory of the Lord is...

November 2011

November 29, 2011

God With Us? Are You Sure?

I am convinced that, despite what I am sure will be countless calls to "Put...

November 22, 2011

This Time of the Year

Always at this time of the year, I find myself both looking forward to and...

December 2010

December 25, 2010

Christmas Afternoon

It is late Christmas afternoon. I'm alone in the house, listening to classical Christmas music,...

December 16, 2010

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

Santa is "freaky." That's the conclusion the youth I work with on Wednesday nights reached....

December 14, 2010

Naughty or Nice List: Taking Christ out of Christmas

Reality check: Christmas is a minor church celebration with minimal biblical support that has been...

December 06, 2010

Practice Abnormality

Guess what? Scholars have finally figured out that forgiving others is really good for you!...

December 19, 2009

The Questions of the Season

At this time of the year, what is are the questions in my mind? For...

December 01, 2009

Christmas Lights

As much as I really prefer longer days and more sunshine, I also enjoy the...

November 2008

November 29, 2008

Oh! You better watch out!

"Oh! You better watch out, You better not cry, You better not pout, I'm telling...

June 2008

June 03, 2008

Promiscuous Love

This time of year when the acorns and pecans cover sidewalks liberally here in North...

December 2007

December 13, 2007

The Disruptive Birth

It's nearly here now. Next Sunday, December 23, marks the last Sunday in Advent, that...

Related posts from The Thoughtful Pastor

Family

Five Thoughts About New Mercies And New Year's...

The Thoughtful Pastor

Family

I Just Said NO To God

The Thoughtful Pastor

Family

Just Imagine: Their Heaven Becomes Your Hell

The Thoughtful Pastor

Family

Joe Biden and Religion: Exploring His Faith

The Thoughtful Pastor

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos