Holy Week is a season for reflection and soul-searching, a week to re-trace the steps of Jesus toward the cross and to contemplate the depth of God’s love. During this week, Christ followers and spiritual inquirers from all around the globe will be focused once again on the events that led to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Speaking of such holy days, Brian McLaren reminds us, “These special holidays give rise to various liturgical calendars that suggest we should mark our days not only with the cycles of the moon and seasons, but also with occasions to tell our children the stories of our faith community’s past so that this past will have a future, and so that our ancient way and its practices will be rediscovered and renewed every year.”

The word “holy” is a healthy and meaningful word, though one of the most misunderstood terms in the English language. It does not nearly suggest “spiritual superiority” or “moral perfection.”  The word “holy” refers to people or things set apart for specific, and usually religious, purposes. In the New Testament the Greek word for holy is “hagios” which means “different,” and it is most often used to underscore practices and lifestyles that correlate to a standard different than the cultural norm.

Why is observing Holy Week important to our preparation for Easter?  Here’s a bit of history: The traditional observance of Holy Week seems to have originated in the Christian East, emerging out of the practice of pilgrimages to Jerusalem.  Each day of Holy Week is important but at least five days call for specific reflection.  Palm Sunday is a day to revisit the royal welcome extended to Jesus by the curious crowd as he entered Jerusalem. On Maundy Thursday believers recall the occasion when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples as he gave them a new mandate to love and serve.  Good Friday is a day to review the passion and suffering of Christ on the cross. Holy Saturday (or Easter Even) commemorates the day that Jesus lay in the tomb. And Resurrection Sunday, or Easter, is a festive day to celebrate and proclaim that “Christ is risen; He is risen indeed.”  

Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, long-time senior minister at Northminster Church in Monroe, Louisiana before his passing, described the progressive steps in a meaningful pre-Easter journey: “Holy Week services bring into focus dimensions of discipleship that are missed completely by a simple leap from Palm Sunday to Easter. Worship services which take seriously the truths of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday please God because they challenge a greater commitment and a more comprehensive ministry of compassion among the people of God.”

This year as we navigate through each episode of Holy Week, here are a few suggestions for honest and healthy soul-searching:

• Read the gospel account in John 12-20.
• Listen to the conflicting voices in the crowd
• Meditate on the cruel injustice of the cross.
• Imagine the passion of Christ’s suffering.
• Think on the hopelessness felt by his disciples.
• Celebrate the hope of the resurrection.
• Renew your commitment to faithfully follow Jesus. 

The introspective prayer recorded in Psalm 139:23-24 is extremely relevant and probing during Holy Week:

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

This year, as we read the biblical account with fresh eyes, and listen to the sounds of Holy Week with fresh ears, it may seem as though we are encountering the story for the very first time. At the end of the week you may concur with N.T. Wright who proposed, “The message of Easter is that God’s new world has been unveiled in Jesus Christ and that you’re now invited to belong to it.”

An intentional and focused journey through Holy Week may deepen our faith and inspire us to follow Jesus with unrelenting resolve.

(Barry Howard serves as the pastor of the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta. He also serves as a leadership coach with the Center for Healthy Churches. You can follow him on Twitter @BarrysNotes.)

Easter is coming a little early this year, well before the dogwoods bloom. Christmas is always on December 25. Why is Easter not on the same date every year?

Last year Easter was on April 9. This year we will celebrate Easter on March 31. Next year Easter comes on April 20, just as the redbuds, dogwoods, and azaleas are beginning to bloom.

Why does the date vary? Since the date of Easter is not an actual anniversary of the resurrection, when is the most appropriate time to celebrate?

That very question caused considerable debate and controversy in the early church. A quarrel broke out in the middle of the second century between church leaders in Rome and those in Asia Minor regarding the appropriate date for celebrating Easter. The practice in the East was to observe Easter according to the moon, regardless of the day of the week the observance fell on. The practice in Rome was to wait until the following Sunday. 

Bishop Polycarp, who was a disciple of the apostle John, represented the East, and Bishop Anicetus represented the West. Since they could not agree on the date, each continued to observe Easter according to his own conviction. The controversy became so intense that it threatened the harmony of the Christian world. 

Councils were called in Rome and Palestine to debate the merits of both arguments. Most of the participants generally favored celebrating Easter on Sunday. When the Bishop from Ephesus and many of the churches in Asia Minor refused to change their practice, they were declared “excommunicated” from the church by Bishop Victor of Rome.

Later, the Council of Nicaea, convened by Augustine in A.D.325, affirmed the calculation used to determine the official date of Easter and that calculation is still used today. Easter is celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon falling on or after March 21. Therefore, Easter cannot come before March 22 or after April 25.

The connection to the lunar calendar is a nod to the Passover, the Jewish festival that commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. It is during the Passover that Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples, which holds immense significance in Christian theology.

Even though the name “Easter” is packed with spiritual implications, the term is derived from a pagan spring festival. Some believe it was named after the Teutonic god or goddess of spring. However, the name was seized by Christian believers and converted to a day of worship and feasting to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. 

Popular gospel singer Sheri Easter points out, “This week, whatever you may be facing, remember that in three short days, the disciples and family of Christ went from hopelessness to hopeful –from devastation to celebration, from defeat to victory! Because of the cross and the tomb, you have a hope in Christ!”

Regardless of when it appears on the calendar, in March or April, Easter is a high and holy day, a designated occasion to affirm and announce the resurrection, which is the foundation of the Christian gospel.

(Barry Howard serves as pastor of the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta. He also serves as a columnist and leadership coach with the Center for Healthy Churches. He and his wife, Amanda, currently reside in Buckhead.)

Irish singer and songwriter, Bono, of the band U2 confesses, “I believe Jesus is the Son of God; if we could be more like him, the world would be transformed.”

It’s one thing to confess, “I believe in Jesus.” It’s another thing to learn and live by a Jesus worldview. Cultivating a Jesus worldview is the heart of discipleship.

In a world filled with diverse ideologies and beliefs, cultivating a Jesus worldview can provide a compass for navigating life’s complexities. Here are 10 key practices to help you foster and deepen this perspective:

1. Read and reflect on the stories and teachings of Jesus in the Bible. The foundation of a Jesus worldview lies in learning and practicing these teachings. Regularly engage with the Bible, exploring not just the words, but the context and deeper meanings behind them.

2. Set aside time each day for prayer. Seek the guidance and wisdom of Jesus through prayerful reflection. Let prayer be your constant connection to the divine source of strength and peace.

3. Gather with other Jesus followers for worship. Make worship a priority in your life by participating in church services regularly. Connect with fellow believers to encourage one another, receive spiritual nourishment, and be inspired by the stories of Jesus.

4. Practice forgiveness. Embrace the transformative power of forgiveness in your relationships. Let go of grudges and resentments, and extend grace to those who have wronged you, just as Jesus forgave us.

5. Be generous with your time, talents, and resources. Follow Jesus’ example of generosity and selflessness by giving freely to those in need and supporting ministries that are making a positive impact in the world.

6. Live with purpose and integrity. Align your attitudes and actions with the principles of truth and righteousness that Jesus taught. Strive to honor God in all that you do. Let your life reflect the values and teachings of Jesus, serving as a beacon of light in a world that often feels lost.

7. Advocate for justice, righteousness, and equality.  Stand up for just causes in your community by advocating for the marginalized and oppressed. Let your actions reflect God’s heart for social justice and equality.

8. Promote unity within the church body. Jesus prayed for unity among his followers. Strive for harmony within our church family, embracing diversity and fostering an atmosphere of love and understanding.

9. Develop an attitude of gratitude in all circumstances. Recognize and appreciate the blessings in your life, acknowledging that every good gift comes from God.

10. Treat others with respect, especially those who are different from you. To counter the toxicity in our public discourse, it is important in our church and community that we learn better ways to disagree. A Jesus worldview teaches us to love our adversaries. When we listen respectfully to those with different viewpoints, we can learn more about the issues on which we disagree.

In John 10:10 Jesus summarizes, “I am come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The path to this full and meaningful life becomes clearer as we see ourselves and our world through the eyes of Jesus.

Cultivating a Jesus worldview is an ongoing journey that requires dedication and intentionality. By immersing ourselves in Jesus’ stories and teachings, embracing love and compassion, and living with humility and integrity, we can engage the transformative power of a Jesus worldview in our communities and our world.

For more information check out the Jesus Worldview Initiative at Belmont University. (www.jesusworldview.org.)

(Barry Howard serves as the pastor of the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta. He also serves as a leadership coach and columnist for the Center for Healthy Churches. He and his wife, Amanda, currently live in Brookhaven, Georgia.)

One good way to affirm and encourage the students in your church is to invite them to regularly participate in the life and liturgy of the church.

In I Timothy 4:12 Paul advises his young protégé, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

When I was growing up, the small rural church where I was raised planned a Youth Sunday almost every year. On that Sunday, the junior high and high school students of our church would teach Sunday School, sing in the choir, and lead the various parts of worship including making the announcements, offering the prayers, reading the scriptures, and serving as ushers.

Those are still memorable experiences. Most years I was asked to serve as an usher, but one year I was asked to lead the music, which was way outside my comfort zone.

One of the most impactful things a church can do to enhance a multigenerational approach to ministry is to empower students to take an active role in leading worship. Their energy, creativity, and perspective can breathe fresh energy into our worship experiences.

At the church I currently serve, each year we plan a Student-Led Worship Service where our students lead the entire service. And then throughout the year, we invite students to participate in worship leadership by sharing scripture readings, prayers, music, and creative arts.

Here are 5 reasons we invite our students to lead in worship:

• When students lead in worship it nourishes their faith. Participating in worship leadership can enrich their spiritual journey by prompting them to probe their faith at a deeper level.
• When students lead in worship it cultivates their leadership skills. Active engagement in worship leadership can help them discover their spiritual gifts and further develop their leadership potential.
• When students lead in worship it exercises their creativity. Students are imaginative and expressive, and opportunities to lead in worship can provide a venue for utilizing their artistic gifts.
• When students lead in worship it blesses our congregation. I have noticed that when students and children participate in a worship service, the congregation is uniquely inspired and encouraged.
• When students lead in worship it shapes the future of the church. Inviting our students to lead in worship is not just about giving them a platform; it’s about investing in the future of our church and empowering the next generation of believers.

My participation in worship leadership on those Youth Sundays from my growing-up years broke the ice of getting this shy and introverted kid in front of a loving and supportive congregation. Over the years, as I have witnessed students take part in worship leadership through singing, speaking, planning, greeting, and ushering, these experiences have had a positive influence on the church and made a lasting impact on the students.

A multigenerational church treasures multigenerational participation. In her book, How to Grow Your Church Younger and Stronger, Cecilia Chan insists, “Don’t just invite youths to the party, give them a seat at the table.”

(Barry Howard serves as pastor at the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta. He also serves as a leadership coach and columnist with the Center for Healthy Churches.)

Popular author and speaker Anne Lamott confesses, “I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.” To grow spiritually, we must perpetually aim to make more space for grace within and among us.

As a penitential exercise for Lent, I invite you to pray the words of Psalm 51:11-17: “Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

As we progress deeper into our Lenten journey, we are wise to revisit the words of Psalm 51, a heartfelt cry of repentance and a plea for renewal. Likely written by King David in the aftermath of his grievous sins, it is a song of contrition and a fervent desire for restoration.

Verse 11 resonates deeply with us: “Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.” David recognized that his sins had distanced him from God, and he implored for grace not to be removed. As we journey through Lent, we too may feel the weight of our transgressions. We may have moments when we fear being cast away from God’s presence. Yet, in our repentance, we find hope.

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit,” David continued in verse 12. Lent is a time of rediscovering the joy of salvation, a season for turning our hearts back to the One who offers grace and renewal. We can take comfort in knowing that God delights in restoring those who genuinely seek forgiveness.

But renewal is not just for our benefit alone. In verses 13-15, David expressed a desire to share his experience with others. He wished to teach transgressors God’s ways and to witness sinners returning to a right relationship with God. Lent provides an opportunity for us to do the same—to reflect on our own journey of renewal and to extend grace to those in need.

In verses 16-17, David recognized the profound truth that God desires a broken and contrite heart more than sacrifices. It is not religious rituals or external displays of piety that move God’s heart but the genuine humility and repentance of a contrite spirit.

This Lent, as we reflect on Psalm 51:11-17, may we find encouragement in knowing that God’s grace is available to us, no matter the magnitude of our transgressions.

Philip Yancey contends, “Grace is the most perplexing, powerful force in the universe, and, I believe, the only hope for our twisted, violent planet.”

Prayer: May your grace saturate the hard-to-reach places in me, and then may I share your grace with others so that they may know that your “grace is greater than all our sin.” Amen.

Who is this man called Jesus? Popular author Max Lucado affirms, “The life of Jesus Christ is a message of hope, a message of mercy, a message of life in a dark world.” But how can his identity be confirmed?

In the gospel of John, not long after Jesus scattered the accusers of a woman who had been caught in an extramarital tryst, those in the crowd became more curious about the identity of the one who dismissed the law professors by simply writing a mysterious message in the sand.

A short time later, as Jesus resumed his teaching he announced, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). This again caused the Pharisees to challenge his declaration and question his true identity.

Here is the account from John 8:21-20: ²¹ Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” ²² This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” ²³ But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴ I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” ²⁵ “Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. ²⁶ “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” ²⁷ They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. ²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. ²⁹ The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” ³⁰ Even as he spoke, many believed in him. (NIV)

Identity verification has come a long way since the time of Jesus. Often, one or more printed documents are required to confirm one’s identity. In the United States, acceptable identity documents include a state-issued driver’s license or identity card, a social security card, and a United States passport.

There are also more advanced ways to authenticate one’s identity including digital fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, voice recognition, and DNA comparison.

Rather than pulling out a heavenly ID card or scanning an incarnate fingerprint, Jesus identifies himself by his words and actions. John’s gospel underscores that Jesus is not of this world. He was sent on a redemptive mission by God the Father. He forgives those that others condemn. He is a light that shines in darkness. He is one whose aim is to please God. And he is one whose identity will be widely known once he is lifted or raised.

Just as some came before Jesus claiming to be the Messiah, there are many more who came afterward claiming that they were the Christ. Perhaps a greater dilemma has been the misrepresentation of Jesus by the people professing to represent the Christian faith. Too often Jesus is portrayed as the accuser, or he is depicted as a mascot for one’s preferred political party.

There are some surefire ways to identify Jesus. Jesus is the one who says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more!” (v11). Jesus is the one who brings light to the dark spaces and places in your life. Jesus is the one who, like God who sent him, doesn’t abandon you in the tough times in life.

In The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey writes, “Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he did meet skeptics he could not convince and sinners he could not convert. Forgiveness of sins requires an act of will on the receiver’s part, and some who heard Jesus’ strongest words about grace and forgiveness turned away unrepentant.”

During Lent, as we revisit the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry, let us sort through the urban myths and superstitions about Jesus and let us rediscover and reaffirm his identity as the Son of God who was sent to deliver us from our sins, and to show us the way to live a full and meaningful life.

According to Neil T. Anderson, “Your greatest fulfillment in life will come when you discover your unique gifts and abilities and use them to edify others and glorify the Lord.”

While I am not fully sure that discovering your spiritual gifts will lead you to live happily ever after, I am convinced that a deeper understanding of spiritual endowments can help a local church become more missional and less conflictual.

In I Corinthians 12:1, as Paul urges the believers to serve and grow, he writes, “Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.” Unfortunately, many long-time church attendees are uninformed or misinformed about the gifts of the Spirit.

What is a spiritual gift? A spiritual gift is a God-given potential or ability that enables individuals to work and serve as a team to empower the church to execute its mission on earth.

Here are 10 insights to help us think more deeply about spiritual gifts:

• Every Jesus follower is given at least one spiritual gift. Everybody has one, and some have two or three. Some gifts are not as obvious, and some gifts surface later in life. Know this for sure: whatever your age or stage in life, you are a gifted follower of Jesus.
  
  
• Spiritual gifts usually come with “some assembly required.” Some spiritual gifts are like the Christmas gifts we get for our children, and we have to spend time putting the parts together. Other spiritual gifts are like precious metal or blown glass, and they need to go through the refiner’s fire to reach their full potential.
  
  
• There are a variety of gifts mentioned in the Bible. Paul specifically mentions the gifts of being an apostle, prophet, evangelist, or pastor/teacher. Other passages allude to the spiritual gifts of leadership, compassion, encouragement, intercession, service, and healing. I would propose, however, that the biblical list is exemplary and not exhaustive.

• There may be additional gifts given for our time and place. The Bible doesn’t declare that any of the lists of spiritual gifts are complete. Neither does the Bible clearly say that more gifts will be given. From my perspective, there are either new gifts that are given for this era or there are fresh expressions of the gifts mentioned in scripture. For example, the gift of worship planning could be a subset of the gift of leadership, or the gift of end-of-life care could be the gift of compassion 2.0. As I think about the gifts I see being expressed or needed in today’s world, I could include things like peacemaking, worship planning, consensus building, social networking, missional innovation, technology management, and church revitalization.
  
  
• No spiritual gift is more or less important than the other gifts.
  Spiritual gifts are not given to create a class system but to generate a community system. Gifts are not given to entertain the church but to encourage and equip the church. Gifts are not given to rank the saints but to retool the saints.
  
  
• Spiritual gifts are unifying. These gifts of the Spirit are given so “that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith” (Ephesians 4:12-13). Within each church, which is a local expression of the body of Christ, the utilization of spiritual gifts produces a sense of harmony as the gifts are used cooperatively to advance God’s mission in the world.
  
  
• Spiritual gifts require a spirit of teamwork. No matter which spiritual gifts we possess, the gifts are most effective when used alongside other believers with compatible and complementary gifts. Teams that work together cooperatively and collaboratively can make better decisions and engage in more effective ministry initiatives than any individual. Brené Brown reminds us, “You don’t have to do it all alone. You were never meant to.”
  
  
• Ministers also have one or more spiritual gifts. Some church members mistakenly think that those who are called to serve as ministers have all the spiritual gifts. However, ministers, like other church members, have one or two, maybe three spiritual gifts. This means that when a church calls a minister, they should consider how the spiritual gifts of the minister correspond to the needs and gifts of the congregation. For effective ministry to happen, the spiritual gifts of the members must be activated and leveraged in concert with their minister or ministerial staff to maximize the giftedness of the congregation.
  
  
• Spiritual gifts are to be used for the building up of the body. When the Bible mentions spiritual gifts, the injunction that follows is to equip, encourage, edify, and build up the body of Christ. The directive to build up refers to the maturing of the body, not necessarily a numerical increase within the body. However, in my experience, the maturation of faith within the faith community almost always leads to increased participation within the community.
  
  
• Spiritual gifts are given to the church. Spiritual gifts are not for individual aggrandizement but for congregational empowerment. As individual believers, we are simply the human God uses to deliver the gifts. Spiritual gifts are not given to advocate for a personal agenda but to advance our God-given mission. One litmus test that determines whether we are using our spiritual gifts appropriately is whether we are equipping and encouraging the church. If our efforts create division in the church, we are likely not using our spiritual gifts as God intended.

Rick Warren urges us to remember, “Your spiritual gifts were not given for your own benefit but for the benefit of others, just as other people were given gifts for your benefit.” 

What is your spiritual gift? Some of us need to discover our spiritual gifts while others of us need to recover our spiritual gifts. If you have not completed a spiritual gift assessment recently, I encourage you to visit one of the following websites and complete an evaluation to help you discover and develop your spiritual gifts: Spiritual Gifts Assessment or Free Spiritual Gifts Test & Assessment (lifethrive.com).

Taking a journey through an engaging book is a soul-nurturing, mind-stretching adventure. Charles W. Eliot contends, “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”

My appreciation for reading was slow to develop. But when it emerged, it surged. As a teenager, I perceived reading to be a nuisance and somewhat of a necessary evil to attain decent grades in school. However, at some point early in my college experience, I learned to value the gift of reading, not just for assignments or entertainment, but for personal growth and development.

As a pastor, I need to read widely to stay current and to speak with fresh relevance on a variety of topics. More importantly, I need books like I need food, to satisfy cognitive hunger and to probe intellectual curiosity. Books stimulate my thinking, exercise my memory muscles, and challenge my presuppositions.

As I grow older, I continue to find that reading is relaxing, engaging, and often inspirational. The discipline of reading not only exercises my mind, it expands my thinking.

Each year I read a variety of genres including fiction, spirituality, theology, history, and biography. Typically, I keep from three to five books going at the same time, a practice that was recommended by Opal Lovett, one of the most influential faculty members at Jacksonville State from my college years. This approach invites a variety of authors to be conversation partners in my internal dialogue.

I also intentionally read books I can’t entirely agree with. Rather than making me combative, the practice of reading opposing viewpoints challenges me to test my assumptions and it familiarizes me with a variety of perspectives. This discipline equips me to dialogue and debate intelligibly, and not just emotively.

Around the beginning of the year, I make a list of books that I plan to read during the coming year. While I expect to read 30-40 books this year, I have already compiled a list of 24 books for my reading list in 2024:

1. The Little Liar by Mitch Albom (Harper, 2023).
2. Ship Watch: A Savannah Novel by Johnathon Scott Barrett (Moonshine Cove Publishing, 2023).
3. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry by Ruth Haley Barton (Intervarsity Press, 2018).
4. Hard and Holy Work: A Lenton Journey through the Book of Exodus by Mary Alice Whistell and Tyler D. Mayfield (Westminster John Knox Press, 2024).
5. Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt by Arthur Brooks (Broadside Books, 2019).
6. How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks (Random House, 2023).
7. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown (Hazelden Publishing, 2022).
8. Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did by John Mark Comer (WaterBrook, 2024).
9. The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? By Jim David and Michael Graham (Zondervan, 2023).
10. Wresting with Doubt, Finding Faith by Adam Hamilton (Abingdon Press, 2023).
11. Remember Henry Harris: Lost Icon of a Revolution: A Story of Hope and Self-Sacrifice in America by Sam Heys (Black Belt Books, 2019).
12. Anxiety, Depression, and Jesus: Finding Hope in All Things by Aaron Hoover (Westbow Press, 2023).
13. Wounded Pastors: Navigating Burnout, Finding Healing, and Discerning the Future of Your Ministry by Carol Howard and James Fenimore (Westminster John Knox Press, 2024).
14. The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: and the Path to a Shared American Future by Robert Jones (Simon and Schuster, 2023).
15. Walter Brueggemann’s Prophetic Imagination: A Theological Biography by Conrad Kanagy (Fortress Press, 2023).
16. Searching for Certainty: Finding God in the Disruptions of Life by Shelly Miller (Bethany House Publishers, 2020).
17. All My Knotted Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore (Tyndale House Publishing, 2023).
18. Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America by Russell Moore (Sentinel, 2023).
19. Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times by Otis Moss III (Simon and Schuster, 2024).
20. Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others without Losing the Best of Who You Are by Lysa Terkeurst (Thomas Nelson, 2022).
21. When the Moon Turns Blue: A Novel by Pamela Terry (Ballentine Books, 2023).
22. The Narrow Path: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies Our Souls by Rich Villodas (WaterBrook, 2024).
23. Along the Journey by Mark O. Wilbanks (Wilbanks Books, 2023).
24. What’s So Amazing About Grace? (Revised and updated) by Philip Yancey (Zondervan, 2023).

Whether you are a fast reader or a slow reader, a hard print reader or an e-book reader, read for quality, not quantity. Richard Steele observed, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”

I hope your life is enriched by the books you choose in 2024!

(Barry Howard serves as the pastor of the Church at Wieuca in Atlanta. He also serves as a columnist and leadership coach with the Center for Healthy Churches.)

Grief is challenging to deal with at any time of the year, but during the holidays, grief can be deeper, darker, and more unpredictable than at other times. Why does grief seem to turn up the volume during the holiday season?

I think there are at least three reasons that grief is more amplified from Thanksgiving through Christmas. First, the nostalgia surrounding the holidays and other special occasions prompts us to recall memories more readily. Second, these events tend to frame the absence of our loved ones. For example, a chair that was occupied at the family table may be vacant this year. And third, we tend to be more emotive during the holidays. Our sensory capacity is thrust into high gear.

Richard Kauffman suggests, “There is no right or wrong way to handle the holidays. You are in complete control of your plans as to what you will do during this time of the year.”

Since grief is more pronounced during the holiday season, how can we best deal with it? Too often our human tendency is to repress the grief under the guise of being strong. However, repressed grief becomes toxic and can lead to depression or illness. It’s better to confront grief head-on. Here are ten helpful ways to navigate holiday grief:

• Proactively prepare for holiday grief. Don’t avoid it or deny it. Engage it. The best therapy for grief is to grieve.
• Do a soft re-set on your holiday traditions. Determine which traditions to keep and which to eliminate. And start at least one new tradition. Since grief has a way of reconfiguring life, relationships, and family, embrace a new configuration by beginning at least one new tradition.
• Highlight a favorite event or experience of your loved one. Choose something that was a favorite food, game, song, or activity of your departed loved one, and find a way to highlight it during the holidays. For example, if they loved driving around to see Christmas lights, do it this year in memory of them. If they loved coconut cake, make one and have everyone try a bite.
• Be creative in “work arounds.” Let’s say that Grandpa always read the Christmas story after dinner from his recliner. It may be too emotional for the family to have someone else read the Christmas story from Grandpa’s recliner. Consider having one or more of the grandchildren read the Christmas story before dinner around the dinner table.
• Plan a strategic holiday memorial gift. If Grandma was in a mission group and supported the Christmas Mission Offering, plan for the family to each give a gift to the mission offering in her memory. If Grandpa served on the Properties Committee at church, consider a gift toward campus improvement in his memory. Plan the gift to correspond to one of the passions of your departed loved one.
• Tell lots of stories. For years I’ve encouraged families to continue “to treasure the memories and tell the stories” as a way to process grief. Stories are therapeutic, for sure. But they are also formational and nurturing. One reason genealogies are included in the Bible is because stories of our ancestors help shape our identities.
• Write a letter to your departed loved one. In the letter tell them what you are feeling during the holidays. Then read the letter aloud as though the departed friend or family member is in the room with you. We think and we speak with different sides of the brain. To reflect, write, and then speak what you have written is healthier and more holistic than simply writing it down. It’s your choice whether to keep the letter confidential or to share it with other family members.
• Continue the conversation. Most of us tend to continue an internal dialogue with our departed loved ones after they are gone. Sometimes it involves a gut-wrenching confession such as, “Daddy, there are so many things I wish I had told you.” Much of the time it is something as simple as, “I sure do miss you.” And of course, such a dialogue may include good humor such as, “The lights at the top of the tree have gone out again, and I suspect you may have had something to do with that.” It is important during the holidays to keep the conversation going, and maybe even rev it up a bit.
• Designate moments for quiet and solitude. Be careful not to withdraw into a cocoon of isolation. But likewise, be careful not to bury your grief in a flurry of holiday events and activities.
• Participate in holiday services at your church. Not everyone is ready to return to active participation in worship or a small group for the first week or two after a memorial service.Of course, things will be different when you return. But the longer you wait to re-engage, the tougher it will be to adjust to a new normal. Somehow, the music and message of Advent and Christmas invoke hope and courage. So, the holidays may be the best time to return to active participation.

Healthy expressions of grief include finding the right balance of tears and laughter, of connecting and disconnecting, and of lamentation and celebration.

And remember, not every member of the family grieves in the same way or at the same pace. Allow space for family members to grieve in their own way.

There’s no doubt the weight of grief can be heavier during the holidays. But the holidays also present great opportunities for finding positive and proactive ways to deal with your grief.

Dr. Alan Wolfelt cautions, “Don’t assume that your holidays will be totally miserable this year. Yes, if you are actively mourning, you will experience pain and sadness. But if you spend time in the company of people you love, you may also experience moments of great joy and hope.”

(Barry Howard serves as pastor of the Church at Wieuca in North Atlanta. Previously, he served as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. Later he practiced as a pastoral counselor in Pensacola, Florida.)