Each week, we bring you interesting stories from around the web. Here’s what caught our eye this week! CHRISTMAS One Last Letter for You, Santa My family is not religious, though my parents are the children of Catholics. We had one plastic manger, which was kept in my room when I was 11, the last […]

by Carolyn Pogue After Christmas, we should keep the woman of God visible to strengthen us This posting originally appeared on the United Church Observer’s website at ucobserver.org/pogue_blog/    Dear Mary, As I imagined you being released from tissue and newspaper — and from the attics and cupboards in which you’ve waited all year — […]

Each week, we bring you interesting stories from around the web. Here’s what caught our eye this week! RELIGION In Texas, a religious liberty battle rages at one school over quote from ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord…” […]

Each week, we bring you interesting stories from around the web. Here’s what caught our eye this week! HISTORY Why Do We Have Christmas Trees? Christmas trees started with medieval plays. Dramas depicting biblical themes began as part of the church’s worship, but by the late Middle Ages, they had become rowdy, imaginative performances dominated […]

by Carolyn Pogue Transformation is what we hope for in the darkness surrounding the magical story of Christmas. This posting originally appeared on the United Church Observer’s website at ucobserver.org/pogue_blog/ .   Advent is the time to get ready, even though we’re not exactly sure what’s out there in the dark. We hope that there […]

Each week, we bring you interesting stories from around the web. Here’s what caught our eye this week! ENVIRONMENT You Really Can’t Imagine How Deep The Ocean Is Since we live above ground, it’s pretty easy for us to wrap our heads around the notion of height. We, as people, have height, buildings have (more) height, […]