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.
Category Archives: Stories and Excerpts
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.
Enoch, the Man who Walked with God: A Parable
Two men in the Old Testament went to Heaven without dying: Enoch and Elijah. Elijah went up in a fiery chariot, but how about Enoch? He walked into Heaven. Here is his story.
The Baby Government: A Modest Supposal
Nobody was very surprised when the Baby Party came to power. For decades the Babies had been steadily gaining inroads until finally, thanks to a series of scandals that rocked the Children’s Party (not to mention the absence of public trust in any politician over the age of five), the day arrived when the Babies easily swept the polls.
The Fire of Joy: Thomas Merton on Happiness
I became a Christian largely through reading Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk and author of many books. Initially I was attracted to Merton by what a wonderful writer he is, and then to his luminous faith.
Jesus in the Wilderness: The Mount of Temptation
As we enter into the season of Lent, may I remind you of my book Jesus: His Story In Stone, whose one-page devotional chapters on the life of Christ make a good companion for the journey toward Easter. Here’s a sample chapter, about Jesus’ time in the wilderness.
Prevenient Grace: A Visit to Brockville
In my mid-40’s I returned for the first time, after 25 years away, to my hometown of Brockville, Ontario.
The Three Fools: An Epiphany Story
It’s easy to forget that the wise men did not visit Jesus in the manger as a baby. No, according to the information they gave to King Herod, they must have found the Christ child some two years later living in a house on the outskirts of Bethlehem. This is important.
Romanos the Melodist: A Christmas Eve Poem
Christmas Eve, Constantinople, 505 AD