(Peter Brueghel the Elder, d. 1569)



[Last year, as a creative and devotional exercise, I composed the following nativity story in the Norse saga style. It has its faults, but I think it’s good enough to re-post.

This version includes some imaginary information not found in Luke’s or other gospel accounts. This is because sagas are very different literature from the gospels, and the telling detail is a necessary part of the technique, even if you have to make it up. ljw]

There was a man called Joseph, son of Jacob, son of Matthan, one of the clan of old King David from Bethlehem. Joseph was an honest man, and very clever at building things. But he didn’t get on with his kinfolk, especially his brothers. One day he said, “I’m going to move up to Nazareth in Galilee. They talk strangely up there, but at least they talk sense, and there’s work to be had.” And his brothers said, “Don’t let us stand in your way.”

Now Joseph was promised in marriage to a girl named Mary, daughter of Heli, daughter of Matthat, also of the David clan, though they had kin among the priests. Mary was a beautiful girl, and very devout. Some people said she was too devout for her own good. One day when she was praying in the house all alone, a mighty messenger of God appeared to her, clad in mail that shone like the sun, and he said, “Hail, highly favored one! You are about to conceive a Son, whom you will name Jesus. He will be a hero, and will be known as Gudsson, and the Highest of All will set Him in the high seat of David, and He will reign over the Jacoblings forever.”

“How can this be?” asked Mary. “I am a virgin.”

The messenger said, “The Spirit of the Secret One will come upon you, and the power of the Highest One will overshadow you, so that the Child to be born will be known as Gudsson.”

“I am the thrall of the Highest One,” said Mary. “Let Him do as He likes.” Continue reading The Saga of Bethlehem →

This is St. Lucy’s Day, known as Luciadagen in Norway. Through the vagaries of history, St. Lucy came to have special significance in Scandinavia, based on a legend that she appeared one night during a famine, in a shining ship loaded with food for the people. It’s originally a Swedish custom, but widely observed in other Scandinavian countries too, for one girl of the family to get up early and prepare special rolls for breakfast, which she serves while wearing the Lucia costume, a white gown and a garland in her hair with lighted candles in it. She leads a procession of other girls, singing the traditional Italian song as performed in the video above.

More information about the day’s customs below the fold, courtesy of Sverre Østen’s book, Hva Dagene Vet, ©1988 by Ernst G. Mortensen’s Forlag (my translation): Continue reading They love Lucy →

Pastor Corey Widmer writes:

Reminder #1: Politics is not a Pass for Christian Discipleship

“Brian Roberts notes that political discourse is like the Vegas of Christianity – it’s that place where sin and indiscretion is winked at and excused. Hate speech, vitriolic language, childish names, caricaturing opposing viewpoints — just go on, Christian, your sin is excused here.

“Jesus doesn’t live in Vegas. Please friends, this is inexcusable.”

Personal note: I told you a while back that the Viking Age Club and Society of the Sons of Norway, my reenactment group, was being considered as the subject of a reality TV show. We got the final word today that the production company has not been able to find a buyer for the project. So that’s that.

I told another member a while back that my feelings on the whole thing were mixed. For my own sake, I’d like it to happen so I’d get exposure for my novels. But for the sake of the young people in our group (and we have a fair number now), I hoped it wouldn’t happen. Because fame in your youth is one of the worst disasters that can happen to you.

All for the best, then.

Today is Reformation Day, so as the Lutheran caucus of this blog, I think I ought to say something about it.

I direct you to this post at Anthony Sacramone’s Strange Herring blog, if you have a taste for tall grass theology. Anthony is underappreciated as a theologian, and I think he nails the point of the discussion.

In overview:

It starts with a link to a post from Russell Saltzman, a Lutheran pastor, over at First Things. He considers a recent article by Carl Braaten, a noted theologian of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Braaten sees no reason why Lutherans should not be allowed to commune in Roman Catholic churches, giving a long list of things that Lutherans and Catholics now agree on. Saltzman, taking exception, points out that women’s ordination is a serious and sufficient disagreement.

Then, in the comments, a Catholic priest points out further, more fundamental differences in how Lutherans and Catholics understand the very nature of the church.

Finally, Anthony himself notes that all this still misses the point. He expounds a number of differences from the Lutheran point of view. Especially in terms of the doctrine of justification.

I agree with him entirely.

But what amazes me is that, as a conservative Lutheran, I even agree with the Catholic priest far more than with the ELCA theologian. I far prefer an honorable opponent to a shifty ally.

I think Luther would have agreed.

And it snowed today. The first real snow day of the winter. It didn’t accumulate; not quite cold enough for that. But it snowed seriously, with deliberation. Notice has been served.

I spoke with a persecuted pastor in the library today. Pastor Tom Brock, my former pastor, victim of the Gay Inquisition, whom I’ve written about here before. He’s got a TV and radio ministry now, and he told me he was featured in this article at the Christian Post. You can read more about his story there.