What in the world? What do these three things even have in common? Hang with me and read on! This past week was International Women’s Day. I am not sure why we need this, but I do like to reflect on stories of strong women, especially in the Bible, who had extraordinary courage, exhibited valor, and obeyed the word of the Lord. The story of Esther can help us in this journey through Lent. If it has been a while, I suggest that you read the book of Esther (it’s only 10 chapters and is quite a...

Ash Wednesday is being recovered in many Protestant churches today. The significance of the ashes and the cross are historical. “The church has always had  signs .   One of the most important  signs   of the church is the cross .  In the early days of the church, new Christians were signed with the cross and told that the cross was an invisible tattoo (many people in the Roman era wore tattoos symbolizing their vocation).” [1] Ashes are another powerful biblical symbol that signifies...

A Partridge in a Pear Tree The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have...