December 2025
Podcasts
The advent readings at New Life in 2025 have all come from the book of Isaiah. For some more extended reflections on how Isaiah points forward to the arrival of Jesus, listen to this episode from MARSCAST on The Coming Messiah in Isaiah, offered by the faculty of Mid-America Reformed Seminary (my alma mater).
If you’re thinking about some life changes in 2026 or making some New Year’s resolutions, check out a thought-provoking interview with author Drew Dyck. While you might not be convinced by all of his claims and he doesn’t quote much Scripture, there are very helpful nuggets of wisdom in what he has to say regarding “What the Bible and Brain Science Has to Tell Us About Habit, Willpower, and Keeping Those New Year’s Resolutions.”
Articles
Speaking of resolutions, if you haven’t before, read through the challenging and humbling list of 70 resolutions made by a 20-year-old Jonathan Edwards (arranged by topic at Desiring God).
“The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards”
It’s not uncommon to hear unbelievers and believers alike claiming that Christmas actually has pagan origins. But is this true? Do the traditions we observe during our celebration of Christmas have their roots in paganism? Read this article from Logos.com for some answers.
“Is Christmas Really a Christian Holiday?”
Does Christmas excite you or are you a Scrooge? More important than what you think about Christmas is what you think about the Christ of Christmas. What is your response to Jesus? Read my latest article on Matthew 2 about Responding to the Christ of Christmas.
“Responding to the Christ of Christmas”
Music
I attended Ball State’s Holiday Choral Concert on Dec. 7. The concert opened with one of my favorite pieces: Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium (Latin for “O Great Mystery”). It’s beautiful. Intriguingly, the great mystery being sung about is not the incarnation itself, but that fact that the first witnesses of the incarnation included animals. An English translation of the Latin text reads: O great mystery, and wondrous sacrament, that animals should be the first to see the new-born Lord, lying in their manger! Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia! If you’ve never heard this piece, listen to this version from VOCES8.
6W Chronicles: Brief Profiles in Church History
As a way to introduce readers to some influential figures in the church’s past, the 6W Chronicles briefly address six questions: Who? When? Where? What did they do? Why should we know about them? What works can I reference by or about them?
Who? St. Francis of Assisi.
When? 1182-1226.
Where? Francis was born to Pietro Bernadone, a wealthy merchant, and Giovanna (di Pica), in what is now northern Italy.
What Did He Do? In his early 20s, Francis rejected his materialistic values and the ways of his reckless youth and adopted a life of poverty. He did not intend to establish a monastic order but he soon attracted a number of followers who became known as the Friars Minor (the Franciscans). The order stressed poverty and service to the sick and needy. The first rule issued in 1221 required the friars to own nothing for themselves: no house or other personal possessions. They were to subsist trustingly on charity from others. The order eventually began to place an emphasis on learning and study as well, against the desires of St. Francis himself, who wished to avoid the temptation of substituting knowledge about God for knowing God. Due in part to a rigorous practice of self-denial, a harsh treatment of his body, and exposure to infections from his care of the sick, St. Francis died in 1226 at just 44 years of age.
Why Should We Know About Him? While those of us in the Reformed tradition might not agree with much of Francis’ teaching or his mystic tendencies, we remain influenced by him in many ways. The Franciscans are the largest order of friars in the world today and are responsible for the founding of many hospitals and schools (for example, St. Bonaventure in New York, Marian University in Indianapolis, and the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne). We also sing a hymn attributed to him: All Creatures of Our God and King. Finally, the nativity scenes so commonly set up around Christmas may be due to St. Francis. It’s alleged that beginning in 1223, in the Italian village of Greccio, he wished to impress upon the people more deeply the lowliness of Christ's birth, so he set up a manger with hay, an ox, and a donkey and preached a message of humility and self-denial to those who gathered.
Works? One of the early Franciscan texts, written to remember St. Francis, is The Legend of the Three Companions, a compilation started around 1244. These companions of Francis were three of his earliest friends: Brother Angelo, Brother Leo, and Brother Rufino. For a study of both his life and his writings, check out a collection of three volumes in one called The Complete Francis of Assisi edited by Jon Sweeney.
Theolingo: Building Your Theological Vocabulary
Theolingo is a new feature of The Hive to help readers build and be enriched by learning important theological terminology. We begin with two words for this December’s edition – both related to Christmas.
Advent: The word is from the Latin term adventus (from ad meaning “to” or “toward” and venire meaning “to come” or “to arrive”). It can be used in a general sense (as in “The advent of the printing press soon led to an explosion of literacy throughout Europe”) or in a theological sense. Theologically, it refers to the coming of Jesus both at his birth to provide salvation for sinners and at his return to judge the living and the dead. Though originally a preparation for the feast of Epiphany in early January, the season of Advent now refers to a period of preparing for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and awaiting his return that begins four Sundays prior to Christmas Day.
Immaculate Conception: Contrary to what some think, the Immaculate Conception does not refer to the conception of Jesus. Rather, it refers to the Roman Catholic teaching that Jesus’ mother, Mary, was extraordinarily conceived so as to prevent her from being tainted by original sin, thus making her a suitable vessel to give birth to the sinless God incarnate. Lacking any basis in the Bible, Protestants have rejected this view but it was adopted as official Roman Catholic teaching in 1854 by Pope Pius IX.
Quotes
I first read sections of The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim (1825-1889) about 30 years ago when I was a young Christian. This paragraph has stuck with me.
“To the question, whether this hope has ever been realized – or rather, whether One has appeared Whose claims to the Messiahship have stood the test of investigation and of time – impartial history can make only one answer. It points to Bethlehem and to Nazareth … the Man of Nazareth has, by universal consent, been the mightiest Factor in our world’s history: alike politically, socially, intellectually, and morally. If He be not the Messiah, He has at least thus far done the Messiah’s work. If He be not the Messiah, there has at least been none other, before or after Him. If He be not the Messiah, the world has not, and never can have, a Messiah.” – Alfred Edersheim
Here's some wise counsel:
“Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” – William A. Ward
Final Thought
Incorrectly is the only word that when spelled correctly is still spelled incorrectly.
