In early December the Reverend Philip Croswell stood at the front window watching a light snow sift through the darkening day. At least, Alice assumed he was watching the snow, until he spoke.
Category Archives: Stories and Excerpts
Advent with Evelyn Underhill: The Music of Reality
Evelyn Underhill was a wonderful spiritual writer and teacher from a century ago. Last year during Advent I greatly enjoyed a little book called Advent with Evelyn Underhill. Here’s just a sample:
In the Stillness of the Night: A Christmas Story
In 2014 I published a book of Christmas stories entitled Twenty-One Candles. To mark the beginning of Advent, what follows is an excerpt from my favorite story in that collection, “In the Stillness of the Night.” All you need to know is that the main character, Paul, is falling in love with a Polish woman, Agnieszka.
The Castle and the Shed: A Parable
A man lived all alone in a beautiful castle. His fortress had sturdy walls of stone, many towers with fine turrets, a moat and drawbridge, and a parapet with a long walkway.
Unknown Martyrs: Saint Mehdi (Iran)
Artist Paul Hobbs has produced a series of thirteen ‘icons’ honoring Unknown Martyrs: ordinary Christians who have been persecuted for their faith.
Predestined to Freedom: A Poetic Parable
Here’s my attempt to resolve, in a poetic parable, that old riddle of predestination versus free will. See what you think. (By the way, alia iacta est is Latin for “the die is cast”.)
Sadhu Sundar Singh: Indian Christian Mystic
I’ve been reading Sadhu Sundar Singh, the great Indian Christian mystic and evangelist. Here is a selection from his luminous devotional writings:
The Lover’s Hermitage: A Poem for Karen
On August 7 Karen and I celebrated our 39th anniversary. Those of you familiar with my book The Mystery of Marriage will know that when I first met my wife-to-be, I was seriously considering entering a monastery.
Famous Mike Mason Quotes
The tag line on the home page of my website reads “Purveyor of Fine Sentences.”
Frederick Buechner Turns 95: Happy Birthday, Fred!
One of my favorite writers, Frederick Buechner, turned 95 on July 11. If you don’t know his writing, you’re missing one of the great Christian minds, hearts, and pens of our time.