The Most Wonderful Time of the Yearis a popular Christmas song written by Edward Pola and George Wyle in 1963. It was sung by Andy Williams and appeared on the Andy Williams Christmas Album that year. The lyrics are happy and cheerful but do not mention the true meaning of Christmas. Is this song celebrating the time of year without knowing or caring why?

Christmas really is a happy time of year. Christmas time has a personality all its own—whether or not people acknowledge the birth of Jesus. There are so many things to look forward to at Christmas, e.g. family and friends, gifts, parties, traditional foods and yummy treats, just to name a few. But how empty it is without the reason for the season.

For some, Christmas time is not ...

It seems like we move straight from Halloween to Black Friday to Christmas. Little mention is made of Thanksgiving other than it is the precursor to Black Friday. Some call this holiday shopping frenzy “retail therapy” because shopping and buying things elevates the mood and makes us feel better. Merchants love retail therapy because for them it’s all about the money. Many merchants (as well as churches) depend on yearend sales (or giving) to finish the fiscal year in the black

Retail therapy and buying stuff (most of which we don’t need) cannot fill the hollow place in our hearts. Our hearts were made for God and nothing and no one else can fill the void. As Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote, “You have made us ...

Don’t you long for public figures: politicians, Hollywood stars, athletes, and others to repent, come clean, and openly confess their sin? I long for a public figure who’s guilty of a sin to say, “Yes, I did that. I’m so sorry. Will you forgive me? I don’t ever want to do that again.” I think I’d pass out if I ever heard one of the powerful say that. What prevents them and us from doing that? The number one reason is pride. Our pride refuses to come clean. That’s not all. Fear is right up there as a reason for not publicly confessing sin. We fear the consequences if we admit to what we’ve done.

Those reasons and others are described in Genesis 3 in the Bible. After Adam and Eve ...

If you’re under 40 you probably are familiar with the acronym FOMO. It’s the abbreviation for Fear Of Missing Out. It’s such a compelling fear that millennials and generation Zers stay glued to their cell phones, checking their social media accounts lest they miss out on something important in their social sphere. Americans aren’t the only ones afflicted with FOMO. When Elsie and I were in England for a wedding, British radio calls those with FOMO, “cell phone zombies.” These are young people so busy checking their social media accounts for new information that they are oblivious to their surroundings and walk into other people, light poles, even traffic. Some have died.

What’s the driving force ...