Apostles’ Creed: Conceived by the Holy Spirit

"I believe in Jesus Christ... who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. —The Apostles' CreedLuke sets up the story of Jesus' conception in the first chapter:God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be ... Continue reading

He humbled himself

We rode all day and most of the night on a series of creaky buses, up and down twisty mountain roads, stopping frequently to pack in more passengers. The final leg into the misty hills was in the cold of night in the back of a flatbed truck, snuggled among dusty sacks of corn. At the end of the ... Continue reading

Christmas encounters, Part 2

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph... "Don't be frightened, Mary," the angel told her, "for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and ... Continue reading

Handel’s Messiah: A virgin shall conceive

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel — God with us." —Isaiah 7:14, NLT Messenger of good news, shout to Zion from the mountaintops! Shout louder to Jerusalem — do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, "Your God is coming!" ... Continue reading

The Virgin and the King

Elvis Nabbed In Poughkeepsie Soup Kitchen. Warns cops: Don't step on my blue suede shoes! —Recent headline seen in the National Disquieter In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married ... Continue reading

One grand miracle

One is very often asked at present whether we could not have a Christianity...freed from its miraculous elements, a Christianity with the miraculous elements suppressed. Now it seems to me that precisely the one religion in the world...with which you could not do that is Christianity. [For instance, ... Continue reading