I have been a student of Christian teaching almost all my life and I have noticed that Jesus usually introduced a truth in the form of a paradox and illustrated it using a parable. A paradox is abstract, a truth that seems false on the surface. A parable is concrete. It is a simple story, a word picture you can usually enter into yourself.

The decorations around the Inn this year are beautiful. A fire burns in the huge fireplace in the lobby. We are warm, happy and secure. But I remember a difficult Christmas when we had no tree or decorations. The children were complaining about it so I sent them into the woods to find one. About a half hour later I saw them coming from the woods dragging the most pitiful little branch of evergreen you ever saw. It made Charlie Brown’s tree look like …

Merry Christmas Stonebridge Friends;
Snow is falling beautifully and has been since about two-thirty this morning. This I only know because Kyle told me. I didn’t assume the front desk responsibililities until a little after four a.m. I can see out into snowy riverfront park and from where I am I can enjoy the huge fire burning in the lobby. I looked forward to this quiet time early on Christmas morning to send each of you a greeting.

I’ve noticed a sad trend. I know the holidays are here so I don’t want to sound a sour note, but I’ve had something on my chest and it gets heavier every year. To me it seems the guardians of political correctness are forcing sacred Christmas carols out of public places. Winter holiday songs strung end-to-end leave me cold. Some of them are tasteless, some of them are silly, and others are annoying outright. A few are enduring but none of them really satisfy the …

Holly has written another essay! Take a look at her site to read it. www.kenpierpont.com/holly/

Christmastime is a challenge for Pastors. I always try to think of new ways to package the old Christmas traditions and the eternal gospel so the truth of it will ring clear and fresh in the hearts of people all year long.

Take a look at Holly’s new Christmas letter. She has included some thoughts and a couple Christmas essays. Send her a note and let her know what you think. You can e-mail her at ken@kenpierpont.com Put HOLLY in the subject line. Thanks!

No one loves Christmastime more than I do. But when you are the head of the household it has its attendant frustrations. One of them is finding the money to cover regular expenses and the additional expectations of Christmas gifts and celebrations and trips.

Hope objected to being left out of the earlier picture so I included this one which included her.