Two chance encounters led Bishop David Alan Bard to reflect on the need for kindness during the Christmas season. “ ... might our Advent be a journey into kinder hearts and a recommitment to living with greater kindness, gentleness, tenderness and love?” Bard writes.
It’s estimated that Americans increase our waste stream 25% between Thanksgiving and Christmas and Christmas is the most wasteful of all our holidays. In her “Go Green, Save Money, Save the Earth” blog, Kim Hornung-Marcy offers tips on ways to be more faithful to creation care and still celebrate the wonder and joy of the season.
The famed British carol about a generous king on a cold winter’s night takes inspiration from a very real Christian martyr who remains an important figure in his Czech homeland. Some United Methodists see lessons in his story for today.
The 300-year-old story of a beloved Christmas song is filled with scandal, politics and dubiousness. Yet the 19th-century French carol remains a favorite. Chrystal Caviness reports for UMC.org.