Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places, Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, whose birth we are celebrating now until Epiphany on January 6th. Two hundred.  That’s how many Letters to the Saints I have written, week by week, month by month, year by year, thus far.  Hopefully they have addressed some of the happenings in the world, in the church, and perhaps even in your own life.  Two hundred.  It’s not a special number really.  Forty is much better.  In the Bible forty signifies a lifetime...

Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places, Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, who often prayed when life became overwhelming. Christmas Prayer 2023-- Wonderful Counselor, Mighty and Everlasting God, Prince of Peace: Come to us now, in Joseph dreams and Mary songs, in the generosity of strangers and on angel wings. Remind us again of your story of Christ’s birth, and your love for all humanity.

Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places, Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, whose very name connects us with joy. O Come, All ye Faithful. As I think back through my sixty plus years of Christmas’s this carol holds my most cherished memories.  It was the first song we would sing at every Christmas Eve service (isn’t this always the first carol?), with robed choirs majestically processing and trumpets trumpeting, and voices coming together so much better than alone, all accompanied by my squirming-in-the-pew excitement of returning home, all but thirty feet from the church doors, when it was all finished, where I would find my presents under the tree...