by Peter James | Dec 6, 2023 | Karle Wilson Baker
The nineteenth century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard called fear “the psychological condition that precedes sin.” Fear has incredible power to cause people to act irrationally. The person who generated today’s prayer has one of the best...
by Peter James | Dec 5, 2023 | 11th century Latin hymn
During the month of December, sunset in Northern Virginia occurs before 5:00 p.m. The school bus drops off grade school kids in our neighborhood in the twilight hour. Those afflicted with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) suffer the adverse effects of added darkness....
by Peter James | Dec 4, 2023 | Johann Gottfried Olearius
One lasting contribution of the Reformation was the recovery of congregational singing. During the Middle Ages, worshipers didn’t typically sing hymns in worship. Music was sung exclusively by choirs of professional singers. Since the musical arrangements were...
by Peter James | Dec 3, 2023 | Johann Wichern
Today’s story is about the man who invented the Advent Wreath. Johann Wichern (1801-1882) was born into an impoverished family outside Hamburg, Germany and devoted his life to missionary work among the poor. He started a home in Hamburg for neglected children...
by Peter James | Dec 2, 2023 | Lucy Larcom
She was a “mill girl,” one of the many who worked in the textile factories of Lowell, Massachusetts, in the early nineteenth century. Lucy Larcom (1824-1893) was born into a family of ten children. Her dad, a retired sea captain, taught his children in the...
