Articles for tag: Valentine’s Day

February 4, 2020

Michael C. Mack

Propelled by Love

By Michael C. Mack Want to really impress your Valentine’s date this Friday? Explain to your sweetheart that what we now know as Valentine’s Day was first celebrated in AD 496 by the Romans. They called it Lupercalia; it was held in the middle of February, which apparently was the beginning of their springtime. The tradition, it’s said, was that boys would draw the names of girls from a box, and they’d be boyfriend and girlfriend throughout the festival. Sometimes they’d even get married. The system was probably more successful than most modern dating apps!   Our tradition these days

February 14, 2018

Christian Standard

A Night for “Kings and Queens” to Shine

By Justin Horey On the evening of Friday, February 9, limousines will line up in front of Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in coastal Florida. As guests in tuxedos and gowns make their way down the red carpet toward the entrance, cameras will flash and onlookers will yell, “You look great!” “We love you!” Some of the honored guests will be in wheelchairs. Some will use walkers. Others will struggle to speak. On this night, the occasion is not an award show or a celebrity gala; it’s “Night to Shine,” a prom-style formal event for people with special needs created by

June 16, 2017

Christian Standard

Let Us Celebrate

By Rick Chromey Every culture has holidays, but few sanctify more special days than Americans. Perhaps it”s because we embrace our past as good and godly. Perhaps it”s because we hunger for any reason to party or get a day off. Or perhaps it”s because we need another special day to capitalize on our consumerism. Regardless of the reason, Americans celebrate famous people like Martin Luther King Jr., St. Patrick, and Columbus. We memorialize Mondays into three-day weekends to rest from our labor. We throw parties on July 4, October 31, and December 31. We love to give thanks around

February 14, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

A Command for Valentine’s Day

By Mark A. Taylor Sweetheart dinners, couples retreats, and sermons about love are all great, as long as they move us beyond the frivolous expressions typical of our culture”s shallow take on deep issues. When it comes to marriage, God has spoken. His command comes three times in Paul”s epistles, twice within a few phrases of each other. “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” Paul tells the Ephesians. “Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies” (5:25-28). To the Colossians, the apostle puts it this way: “Husbands, love

February 13, 2017

Christian Standard

St. Valentine

By Joe Boyd I am pretty good about remembering my wife”s birthday and our anniversary. Christmas is hard to overlook. But Valentine”s Day always sneaks up on me. If you”re like me, your February 14th may involve a frantic stop at the flower shop to overpay for roses and chocolates. The cynics among us like to claim that Hallmark invented these pop-up holidays to sell greeting cards. Our consumer culture undoubtedly pours a massive amount of gas on the Valentine”s Day fire. But is that all this is? Is there a bigger story at play here? (Hint: there is always

February 6, 2017

Christian Standard

February Ministry Ideas

By Michael C. Mack February 5″”Super Bowl Sunday. For outreach ideas, go to the Super Bowl Outreach page of Sports Fan Outreach International: http://sfoi.org/super-bowl. February 11″”Make a Friend Day. Holiday Insights (www.holiday-insights.com) describes this day as “a great opportunity to meet someone new or do something to make a new friend.” Leverage this weekend to encourage church attendees to connect with others in community through small groups or other ministries. February 14″”Valentine”s Day. “¢ Throw a Valentine”s dance just for singles. Provide a fun, inviting opportunity for those who are tired of online dating and blind setups. (You might even

February 4, 2016

Michael C. Mack

Five Ideas You Can Use This Month

Ideas for your youth group, small group, class, ministry team, or congregation . . . By Michael C. Mack 1.  Deliver roses and chocolates to residents of nursing and retirement homes on Valentine’s Day. 2. Offer a free Valentine”s Day wedding weekend. Parkcrest Christian Church in Long Beach, CA (Parkcrest.org), has offered free use of its facility, an officiated ceremony, and a cake-and-punch reception. 3. February is American Heart Month. Conduct a Valentine”s Day blood drive. Partner with the Red Cross (redcross.org) to set up a mobile unit in the parking lot. Promote the drive in the church and community.

January 15, 2016

Christian Standard

Let Us Celebrate

By Rick Chromey Every culture has holidays, but few sanctify more special days than Americans. Perhaps it”s because we embrace our past as good and godly. Perhaps it”s because we hunger for any reason to party or get a day off. Or perhaps it”s because we need another special day to capitalize on our consumerism. Regardless of the reason, Americans celebrate famous people like Martin Luther King Jr., St. Patrick, and Columbus. We memorialize Mondays into three-day weekends to rest from our labor. We throw parties on July 4, October 31, and December 31. We love to give thanks around

June 25, 2015

Christian Standard

‘Jeopardy’ Brings Generations Together

By Becky Ahlberg Back in 1995, Anaheim (California) First Christian Church made the choice to be a multigenerational congregation. That goal has been manifested in a variety of ways, including keeping our families together in worship, having a midweek family night, and seeking out multigenerational experiences. One of our most enjoyable (and rewarding) activities has been our seniors banquet. It was birthed back in 2001 when our youth sponsors were blown away by the generosity of our seniors in helping provide camp scholarships. Our seniors have always been willing givers for our children; student ministries and camps, both winter and

February 14, 2014

Christian Standard

Valentine Love

By Tom Claibourne   Legends abound regarding the origin of Valentine”s Day and the namesake for the holiday. At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies associated with February 14. The best-known account features a Roman priest who was martyred during the reign of Emperor Claudius for refusing to renounce his faith and for defying an edict issued by the emperor. The Roman Empire under Claudius was involved in many bloody, unpopular military campaigns. As a result, it became increasingly difficult to recruit soldiers. The emperor reasoned that the Roman men did

February 14, 2013

Christian Standard

Real Love, Real Joy

By Mark A. Taylor My preacher had advice for married folks in his sermon last Sunday: “As long as you”re going to be married the rest of your life, you might as well enjoy it.” His list of strategies for pursuing and discovering joy in marriage was a thought-provoking challenge even for an oldster like me (anticipating my 40th wedding anniversary in just a few months). But I was even more interested in a Wall Street Journal feature Tuesday that quoted scientific research to underscore a fact about marriage that Jesus himself might have offered. “People who put their mates” needs

February 9, 2011

Christian Standard

For Valentine”s Day . . . a Command

By Mark A. Taylor As churches everywhere capitalize on Valentine”s Day, all of us can ponder a biblical mandate more serious than hearts and flowers. Sweetheart dinners, couples retreats, and sermons about love are all great, as long as they move us beyond the frivolous expressions typical of our culture”s shallow take on deep issues. When it comes to marriage, God has spoken. His command comes three times in Paul”s epistles, twice within a few phrases of each other. “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” Paul tells the Ephesians. “Husbands

June 15, 2008

Christian Standard

We”ve All Been Blessed by Their Faithfulness

By John Samples This article mentions a photograph that appeared in publications that subscribe to the services of the Associated Press. While CHRISTIAN STANDARD purchased the rights to run the photo run with this article in our printed version, we do not have permission to post the image with the online version of this article. According to the old adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” However, here is one picture worth several thousand words. It is a picture of seven siblings who have attained at least 50 years of marriage. The two brothers and five sisters pictured have

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