Why do we only celebrate the birth of Christ in late December? In fact, we don’t! For the last two years, Deb Moore has designed and led a Sunday service she calls Christmas in July. It is a wonderful reminder that the crux of Christmas, the irreducible essence, is not the date on which the historical Jesus was born, but the arrival in our lives of a God who wants so much to be part of our lives and have us be part of God’s.

The approach of Thanksgiving gets my taste buds tingling with anticipation. Right now, just thinking about it, can’t you picture – even smell – your favorite dishes? There are favorites that divide families (apple vs. pumpkin vs. pecan for pies) and there are favorites that unite families. In my extended family of in-laws, the unifying force on the holiday groaning board is squash rolls.