by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Dec 3, 2023
“What kind of music do you like?” That is simultaneously one of the easiest and hardest questions for me to answer. It’s hard because my musical tastes span all kinds of genres. I like rock music and folk music, bluegrass and classical music, opera and rap, blues and...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Dec 1, 2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: ADVENT – IT’S ALREADY HAPPENING When I was a child, Advent always made a lot more sense to me than Lent. In the Christian church, we typically talk about Advent as a season of waiting, and that’s exactly what Advent felt like:...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Nov 22, 2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: A DAY OF GRACE I think I’m right in saying that Friday is the only “Day After” holiday that we celebrate in the United States. Some other countries, particularly those with ties to Great Britain, have Boxing Day (the day after...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Nov 19, 2023
I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “treasure,” I find it really hard not to go down a mental rabbit hole that is all about Treasure Island. I loved the classic coming-of-age adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson when I was a child and read it...
by The Rev. J.C. Austin | Nov 17, 2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: GIVING AS AN ACT OF GRATITUDE It’s that time of year once again: the time when Thanksgiving has to fight for its place among our holiday celebrations. Stores shift over almost immediately from being defined by Halloween to being...