We’re meant to enjoy Our Lord and, in Him, our friends, our food, our sleep, our jokes, and the birds’ song and the frosty sunrise. - CS Lewis, Collected Letters

Family, on film 📸

From dust you came, and to dust you will return.

Day 1, #aBirdFromTheLord I hear but don’t see it. A House Finch. The humblest backyard bird. It is building a nest in our overgrown yard, finding amidst the tangle of weeds exactly what it needs to nurture new life. Signs of hope, amidst a world bent on violence. Remember you are dust.

A Prayer for Shrove Tuesday substack.com/profile/1673...

New morning, New mercies.

Vacation read 🪶 @courtneyellis.bsky.social

"Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do." - Wendell Berry

My dad gives good gifts. Looking forward to reading this, @dtbryant.bsky.social

"All that is sweet, delightful, and amiable in this world, in the serenity of the air, the fineness of seasons, the joy of light, the melody of sounds, the beauty of colors, the fragrancy of smells, the splendor of precious stones, is nothing else but Heaven breaking through the veil of this world."

*my three-year-old in the backseat on a Tuesday morning* (whispering to himself) "Sanctuary, sanctuary, sanctuary" "Dad, I just love going to church"

"Gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was to die; and frankincense, as to a god." -Origen of Alexandria

Drinking eggnog until Epiphany. Who's going to stop me?

I made the mistake of tuning in to Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve and I regret to inform you, culture has died. I fear our species may be next.

“The Journey to Bethlehem” Jane Crowther

Each year, Dec 21–the Winter Solstice—also marks Homeless Day of Remembrance, honoring those who died while experiencing homelessness. Because we don’t all keep records of this, our best estimates are that between 15 and 45 thousand unhoused people die each year.

First year I've ever gotten pushback from posting the Magnificat on Facebook. "Is this a political statement or a Christmas card?" "Yes."

The sanctuary movement is the new Underground Railroad. If our baptism is not to be emptied of its power we are obligated to help the refugee find freedom.

If there’s an epidemic in America, it’s people talking on speakerphone in public.

Prepping for a wedding this coming weekend, and I'm struck again by the peculiarity of it all. We live in a time and amongst a culture that is utterly allergic to vow-keeping and vow-making. It's a truly peculiar thing for young people to make life-long vows and intend to keep them.

The French Horn is the best horn.

Woke up with the forest this morning.

Antichrist isn’t a person or even a few people throughout history. Antichrist is a spirit. It is empire. It is greed. It is unfettered ambition. We are all antichrist. But none of us truly are.

Restarting the song because I wasn't listening hard enough

The Return of the King

I didn’t harvest anything on my hunt this evening, but I was serenaded by this little fellow 🦉

Timely. "The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come". --Dietrich Bonhoeffer ⚓

As people of faith, we live in a liminal space, a kingdom that is often described as “already…but not yet.” During Advent, we celebrate the “already.” And we lament the “not yet.” The kingdom is here. Lord, let your kingdom come.

Today on the first day of a new year according to the Christian calendar we begin not with doing, but with waiting. Waiting is neither productive nor profitable, so it’s not popular in our modern age. Our capitalist and consumerist culture wars against patience, self-restraint, and longsuffering.

The lengths that American made me go to to stream the Macy’s Day Parade in Canada should be criminalized

Baby’s first trip to the ocean

Christ, the King. (art by Kelly Latimore)

Last year I wrote an Advent devotional for our community here in Niagara. This year, I'm sharing it with you. open.substack.com/pub/alexande...

Jesus’ kingdom is not of or from this world. His kingdom does not come from the political world of power and money. So there’s no point in the followers of Jesus fighting for control of Caesar’s world of power and money. The kingdom of God has absolutely no interest in being or supporting a…

Today is the Feast of Christ the King. (I confess: I don't much like it.) The whole "king" business is a problem, esp given that Christian nationalist theology centers on understanding Jesus as Warrior, Judge, and King. Is there a different way? dianabutlerbass.substack.com/p/sunday-mus...

I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. That is the way Jesus came to reveal God’s love. – Henri Nouwen

How did we text before this emoji 🫡

Post a non-religious photo you think of as holy. Early Morning Hunt, Niagara

“The writer paints on the still surface of space (the page, kept blank), the preacher paints on the flowing surface of time.” — @pauljpastor.bsky.social

I never had a faith crisis moment where I woke up and realized "Oh my gosh, I don't believe this." I had a faith crisis moment looking around at everyone else in church and realizing, "Oh my gosh, THEY don't believe it."

A good rule from C.S. Lewis to follow.

Here's a good word for your day. Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away; God does not change. Patience gains all things. Who has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices. St. Teresa of Avila

*sitting down to pray at family dinner, my wife asks our almost-four-year-old to pray* A: “What can I say, mom?” Rebecca: “Say whatever’s in your heart” *dramatic and thoughtful pause* A: “gobble gobble”

I’m learning that most of your thirties is trying to figure out if the cure to your headache is more coffee or more water.

Trying to see if the grass is greener. The sky sure seems bluer.

Is this the Good Place?