Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

Christmas

  • I love vigilantly keeping the Christmas decorations up through Christmas.  Take a look at what we did for the kids at my tumblr page.  My wife did the fireplace and I did the logs and fire.  We also had a great time counting down the days! Tonight the Wise Guys show up.  What do you…

  • Last week was a particularly hard week for us.  My wife is in retail management, so that means we all have to follow the life patterns of the craziest time of the year.  Sales were very strong for our Barnes & Noble and the few times I foolishly ventured near the shopping center, I almost…

  • My friend Penny brings new light to Christmas through a discovery of a missing verse from the classic hymn: “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”. I’ve always loved this evocative hymn, with its angels and their unfurled wings coming to us through a mysterious door from heaven to bring God’s news to us in splendid…

  • My mentor during seminary, The Rev. Darren Elin once remarked that we get our two biggest holidays backwards: we celebrate Christmas the night before and Easter the morning after when it should be the other way around.  Boy was he right. This is my first Christmas in 5 years in which I wasn’t one of…

  • My Christmas Message Christmas isn’t just some story about family.  It isn’t about shopping or gift-giving.  It isn’t about all the hoopla.  And even “putting Christ back into Christmas” is to make Christmas something it isn’t.  It is way more than that. Have a very Merry Christmas!

  • Elizabeth Kaeton preached the quintessential Advent 4 sermon–about Occupy Wall Street.  Amazing! This has me moved to see a simple idea.  Head on over, read it, and then reflect over that picture of Bishop Packard for a moment.  When you are done, come back and ask yourself the following question: What if, in the midst…