The Christian ethicist Stanley Hauerwas has said, “Christianity is not beliefs about God plus behavior. We are Christians not because of what we believe, but because we have been called to be disciples of Jesus.

Only the most dedicated Scrooges among us are unwilling to celebrate, anything, period. (Even the bad guys, the Blue Meanies and Darth Vadars and Tolkien Orcs, exult in the results of their destruction!) But most of us have a lower “celebration threshold” than that.

Meanwhile, the 11 disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.

One summer night, many years ago, I rolled out my sleeping bag on a cement church basement floor and prepared for what I hoped would be a good night’s sleep. The next morning I would board a boat and make a two-hour trip out to the island base camp where I would spend six weeks as a canoe trip guide and counselor in the Canadian boundary waters.

Nicknames: Did you have one? Did you like it? Did it stick with you? Some nicknames are pretty obvious in their origins like “Shorty” or “Lefty” or “Irish.”

Whenever you hear about a public figure’s son or daughter messing up, you just want to say, “What were you thinking? Don’t you know your father is the mayor?” or “Your mother is school principal?”

A friend of mine likes to say, “Ninety percent of being successful in life is just showing up.” I think this is especially true for parents.

As children of God, we turn to our loving Father for mercy and forgiveness.

“Proselytism” has as many appealing connotations as “root canal.” It’s not just “evangelism,” sharing the gospel with any and everyone. Proselytism implies dynamiting an existing faith to clear ground for a new one.