The Word and the Work: Thoughts on Preaching, Pastoring, and the Christian Life

Thanksgiving is this week so that means we have already been under a constant barrage of Christmas music for several weeks now.  As I have fought through this in a very Grinchy fashion I have begun to wonder about Parson Brown in the classic Holiday song Winter Wonderland.  You know he was who they were going to pretend that the snowman was."In the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he is Parson Brown".  Any ways, I have always been aware of the term Parson, but did not really know its origin.  A quick Google search will tell you that a Parson was a clergy member, especially in the Anglican tradition, that was the overseer or pastor of a church, usually in the country, that was not a part of a larger charge or presbytery.   This term has fallen out of use many places, because people are not fond of its rural implications.  Somehow to be called Parson is to be viewed as a rube of sorts amongst men of God.  As I looked at this I was really brought to an appreciat