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My First Romanian Orthodox Christmas
I grew up attending a traditional black Baptist church so Sunday school, tambourines and good ol' hymns were a norm for me. I also grew up surrounded by my friends' bar and bat mitzvahs. I went to a Catholic high school, and college landed me in a more charismatic self-proclaimed "Jesus Freak" church. (No, really–they sold bumper stickers that said that :-). When it came time to answer the call to the ministry God led me to a more conservative Evangelical home here in Dallas. All of this to say, I've had a mixed bag of ministry experiences which have helped me learn to look for beauty among denominations…
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Saint Nicolas, Gift Giving and The Rest of The Story
The tradition of giving gifts during the Advent season most likely originated with Saint Nicolas, the Bishop of Myra (died c. 350) in what is now modern day Turkey. Nicolas was known for his generosity toward those in need – especially children. One of the most famous legends surrounding him was his tossing a bag of gold coins into the window of a poor family in order to provide a dowry for each of their daughters to be married. He was a real person. In fourth century Germany a legend emerged of a man dressed in distinctive fur trimmed robes. He appeared annually throughout the land bringing gifts for deserving…
