One of the great things about music in the Church is how it represents the ongoing praise of […]
baptism
I often wonder what my life would be like if certain things did not happen the way they […]
It is tempting to look away from those disabled, broken humans holding their mother’s hands, sitting in front of the 7-11, or fumbling with their lips to say, “Hello.” We write them off as freaks of nature and abnormalities who should not concern us. We would like to think one day no one will suffer like that.
By Paul Koch – This Thursday, on the 4th of July, our nation will celebrate its independence. We […]
By Karl Strenge – The language we used in the proper preface for the Ascension reminded us that […]
By Joel A. Hess – I still remember visiting Mary. She was in the memory ward at Samaritas […]
By Joel A. Hess –
Bath night. I still remember my mom announcing it after dinner. “Before anyone watches Happy Days, you have to get cleaned up.” I was fortunate. If I remember right, I got to take a bath first. Nice clear, warm water was waiting for me. But when I was done, the next kid got in. Why waste water? Each kid would take their turn. By the time the last one got in, that water wasn’t so clean looking. But it did the trick. My parents probably realized that the older the kid the more she would hesitate about getting in gray water. Who knows what was in that water by the time my youngest sister hopped in? Or more importantly, who knows what the youngest might leave in that water? Gross! This didn’t work as we got older. We knew better. No way am I going to get in the bath after my brother.
By Cindy Koch –
She smiled as great grandpa offered his hands to hold the squirming little baby boy. Not just because he had become antsy after 45 minutes of a traditional church service where she did everything to keep her 8-month old quiet through reading and sermons and prayers. No, now she smiled because her son was clenched in the strong arms of the faithful who sat steadfast beside her.
By Paul Koch –
The moment when our Lord steps into the waters of the Jordan River to be baptized by John is of great significance for the understanding of our faith. Here the identity and purpose of our Lord’s arrival come into focus. John the Baptist is doing what his namesake calls for him to do: He is baptizing. He is washing the repentant children of God in the Jordan River as a testimony of their confession of sins and their longing for a new hope in the coming Messiah. Remember, John is preparing the way for the Messiah. He is the voice calling out in the wilderness. Things are going well. People are flocking out to him, to be part of this new thing. But all of it takes a strange turn when Jesus enters into those waters. The people had been entering the water to repent and so be ready to receive the Christ, but why does Jesus enter? What does he have to repent of? What sins does he confess?
By Paul Koch –
When I was a child, I disliked clothes shopping. You remember the days when mom would hold up outfit after outfit and have you try them on one after another to try to get the perfect size (which was usually just a little too big so that you had room to grow). Getting new clothes back then was necessary, but it wasn’t all that memorable. However, these days, getting new clothes is a lot of fun. While it’s been a while since I’ve bought a new suit, there is an awesome feeling when you wear a new outfit. The clothes can actually make you feel better. Perhaps they make you feel more accomplished or more respectable. You can buy clothes that make you feel more free or spontaneous. Clothes go far beyond being practical and protective. They can make a statement or even help you achieve your goals. There is truth in that old saying that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that clothes are the driving force in your life, but they aren’t impartial to who you are or what you want to be, or at least they can be.
By Cindy Koch –
Have you followed the footsteps of Jesus? Sometimes I think I can be kind enough, sometimes I think I can love like he did. Every once in a while I have a really great day when the sky looks a little bluer and I’m pretty proud of myself for my gentle tongue and thoughtful actions. But then there is the day when I lose it, I am angry at just about everything. How can I possibly get any better? Is this Jesus stuff not really working for me? Sometimes I think I need to take a good hard look at my walk.
By Hillary Asbury –
My favorite thing about studying in Italy was getting the chance to travel and see religious art and architecture around the country.
The history was so rich, and I absolutely relished being surrounded by it. Everywhere I traveled there was a main cathedral, usually at the city center, always referred to as the “Duomo,” not for the often domed architecture but for the Latin word for “house.” As the city’s main dwelling place of God, it was often built imposingly large, made to be visible (and the campanile, or bell tower, heard) from any point in the city. It was a beacon, the center of daily life.
By Bob Hiller –
This past week, Time Magazine ran a number of articles and vignettes on what one might do to live a longer life. And this was great news! After all, death is the worst! We’re all trying to avoid it, or at least put it off as long as possible. So, thankfully, Time Magazine has the secrets you need to live longer, happier!
By Jeff Pulse –
The Old Testament text for Transfiguration Sunday, February 11, 2018, is from the second book of Kings. The text is II Kings 2:1-12 and is the account of Elijah being taken up into heaven in a whirlwind right before the eyes of Elisha, his chosen successor. There are several interesting things to consider in this text, especially as one considers why it was chosen to compliment the Mark account of the Transfiguration of Jesus. We especially want to look at two things: 1) The aspect of death and resurrection demonstrated in this text and 2) the movement through water into eternal life/heaven that is so prevalent in the pages of Scripture, both Old and New Testaments.
By Paul Koch –
The story of our Lord’s baptism in the Jordan River is one of my all time favorite texts from Holy Scripture. This is the text that begins our Lord’s public ministry. It is here in these waters that he makes the definitive step from being Jesus born of Mary to the Savior anointed by God to redeem all of mankind. It is an exciting and dramatic moment full of intrigue and drama that we don’t want to miss out on. In fact, I believe that in this simple and short text we find the very heart of our hope and confidence as the children of God. For this isn’t just some quaint history lesson, but a record of how it is that our Lord atones for our sins. This contains our assurance to endure as brothers and sisters in Christ.
By Paul Koch –
So here we are once again standing at that strange moment in the year when we are going to turn the page on the calendar. Tonight, at the ringing of midnight we will welcome in the year 2018 and say goodbye to 2017. There will be celebrations around the globe as different cultures mark the passing of time in their own way. Some will be at late night parties with friends and family, some will gather in big cities and countdown the final moments with total strangers. I, for one, look forward to a champagne toast and a kiss from my bride as we ring in the new year. One of the great things about New Year’s Eve is it’s a rare moment when we stop and consider the passing of time. We turn our attention to the years that have already gone by and the pondering of how many years we may have left. Amid the parties and the celebrations there is a real attempt on this night to reflect on our use of time.
By Joel A. Hess –
“A Baby can’t believe,” a lady told me on our church Facebook page. How many times have I heard that? She probably thinks herself an heir of the reformation. Luther and the reformers didn’t go far enough. “You gotta accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, “she wrote, “A baby can’t do that.”
By Paul Koch –
It has occurred to me that I have been to more weddings than the average person. I’ve been behind the scenes. I’ve been to visit the bride in that quiet moment before the service begins to ask for God’s blessing upon their union. I’ve instructed both young and old men how to properly button their rented tuxes. Though I’m not great at it, in a pinch I have learned how to pin on a boutonniere. There is a lot that goes on at a wedding. Lots of little details that everyone is running around worried about. Of course, a wedding doesn’t have to be complex and extravagant, but I’ve found that even the most modest and simplest wedding still has important details that are a part of it. And the vast majority of those details center around what people are wearing.
By Paul Koch –
What we do here in this place seems, at times, to be disjointed from the world in which we live. I suppose it has always been so: the rhythm and focus of the church is not governed by the cares and fears of our world. It offers something more, something unmovable in the shifting sands of our age. So, there is something of an expected difference that comes from a church. But there are times, and I think this is one of them, where the casual observer of our fellowship might find what we are doing here a bit naive, and perhaps even a little offensive considering what is happening all around us.
By Cindy Koch –
Look in the mirror, my daughter. What do you see? Can you see the beautiful girl that God created you to be? Do you see the white robe of righteousness that Christ put on you? Do you see a perfect and blameless life that lives inside of your heart? Probably not. You might see a familiar face that you remember looking back at you on both happy days and sad days. But she looks pretty normal. Maybe she doesn’t even look all that special. How could this girl in the mirror be the amazing bride that Christ loves?