Christianity

Beauty in the Mundane

By Bob Hiller –

Last Sunday was amazing! My congregation in beautiful Escondido, CA hosted our circuit’s Reformation service, and it was epic! (A “circuit,” for those of you outside of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, is a group of congregations close in proximity to each other). A massive, multi-congregational choir, an orchestra, a guest preacher from Concordia University (who totally delivered the “goods” of Christ for us), the Sacrament, and, afterwards, an outstanding Octoberfest celebration all worked together for the good of the church! If this incredible service and celebration wasn’t enough, I came home that night to listen to one of the greatest World Series games in recent memory (though, last year’s Game 7 is hard to top). Game 5 of the Astros/Dodgers series was an epic, extra-inning, home-run heavy 13-12 victory for the Astros. I’ve never experienced a game that incredible on a stage that big. Sunday was amazing!

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Museum Quality Faith

By Paul Koch –

I have never been a collector. It’s not that there aren’t things that I enjoy. In fact, there are times when I think I might try and collect this or that particular thing, but it just never really stuck. Perhaps, I don’t have the attention span. I get started on a collection of something but soon lose interest only to be enticed by something totally different. Part of collecting something means that you must pull whatever it is out of its normal use. If you collect pens, it will mean you will have a large display of fine pens, but you will not actually write with any of them. A collector of antique motorcycles will eventually create a place to store and even show the collection, but will no longer be able to actually ride them. The sound of the motor, the feel of the breeze as you fly down the highway, the way it handles a corner at speed; all of that will fade to an observance from the outside.

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What Would It Take for the Reformation to End?

By Graham Glover –

This past year has seen a number of articles, blogs, podcasts, books, documentaries, sermons, classes, etc., about the upcoming anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. No matter what “side” you think was right or how you understand the particulars of the people and events that transformed the Western Church and much of the world’s history, there is undoubtedly something out there for everyone to resonate with as we consider the events that took place 500 years ago.

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Wonder

By Bryan R. Salminen –

A friend of mine took the GRE  5 times. The GRE stands for the Graduate record examination and is a necessary evil requirement for most graduate schools. Each time he took it, he came out thinking how dumb he really was. He took it 5 different times because he kept graduating and going to a new university and each time he was hoping that maybe this time, this year, he would shine and prove to the world he was smart. Although the exam is not graded on a pass/fail system, he knew he had failed miserably. I met him after one attempt and outside it had been raining and there was this huge rainbow “Look,” I said, and I meant it, “I just want you to know that whatever exam results you get I think you’re a really kind and lovely person and to me that is far more important than any exam results. And I know this too, being the kind and the caring person you are is actually far more important in your life than any grades in an exam.”  “Thank you,” he said, but without sounding at all convinced. But it is true – my friend is an incredibly kind person – he notices the person sitting on their own in a gathering and goes over to talk to them, he notices if someone is upset, he is attentive if there is work to be done or a meal to be prepared, or washing up that needs helping with, he has nursed his guinea pig through cancer, he is brilliant with a mom who has dementia; he is incredibly kind. But you don’t get grades in kindness or generosity or thoughtfulness or awareness of others. You don’t get GRE’s in compassion or attentiveness. And yet those qualities too are the essence of the formation of our lives.

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Happy 2000th Anniversary of the Reformation! 

By Joel A. Hess –

This month, people around the world will be celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Five hundred years ago, a little-known monk and professor at a little-known college in Germany nailed 95 statements against the popular practice of selling indulgences. He assumed a good discussion would follow and that the wiser leaders of the Church, including the pope, would agree with him. Instead, he discovered that the Church’s hierarchy was all in on this Gospel robbery.

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Playing Hide and Seek with Pat Robertson

By Paul Koch –

“Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.” (Isaiah 45:15)

Commenting on this verse, Luther wrote, “These are the words of the prophet, who had already predicted these words of consolation. Now he is snatched into a trance of the Word of God, as if to say, ‘Dear God, how strangely you deal with us!’ It is a matter beyond comprehension to which reason cannot attain.” In one breath, the prophet praises God as a God who hides and then proclaims him as the one revealed to be the God of Israel and our Savior.

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A Shattered Faith

By Paul Koch –

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interest of others.” (Phil. 2:1-4)

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Spotifying Christianity

By Joel A. Hess –

I used to hate the radio. My ears were first awakened to rock-n-roll in 8th grade by the Go-Go’s, Joan Jett, Flock of Seagulls, Men at Work, The Police etc. When their songs came on the radio, I stopped everything and listened to every detail. I stayed up late, unbeknownst to my parents, scanning stations hoping to hear a favorite tune. They were like treasures. The songs became precious to me not just because I loved them, but also because of their rarity.

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Pick Up Your Cross And Stop Whining About It

By Joel A. Hess –

George Atley was killed while serving with the Central African Mission. There were no witnesses, but the evidence indicates that Atley was confronted by a band of hostile tribesmen. He was carrying a fully loaded, 10-chamber Winchester rifle and had to choose either to shoot his attackers and run the risk of negating the work of the mission in that area or not to defend himself and be killed. When his body was later found in a stream, it was evident that he had chosen the latter. Nearby lay his rifle, all 10 chambers still loaded.

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Must Famous Athletes Preach?

By Bob Hiller –

Last summer, as the Major League Baseball season approached the playoffs, the YouVersion Bible app on my smartphone capitalized by offering a devotional for athletes written by professional ball players. I guess the way it worked was each player was either given or chose a particular verse of Scripture and wrote a devotion based on the text. I figured I ought to take a gander as I do write about the intersection of sports and theology. I was prepared for the worst. Much to my delight, however, some of the devotions weren’t half bad! In fact, more than one centered on the bloody cross and free forgiveness of Christ Jesus! Others were a bit more predictable. You know the ones where Paul’s encouragement to the Philippians, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me,” is applied to making the JV volleyball squad or overcoming an injury. (Can you imagine Paul sitting in his cell thinking to himself, “How will I inspire that poor 13-year-old kid who can’t hit a free throw to save his life? Ah, I know! Philippians 4:13!”) To use a delightful sports metaphor, these devotions were really hit or miss!

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Promises of the Rock

By Paul Koch –

The reading before us today from Matthew 16 is an incredibly important text. It was at the heart of much of the struggles during the great Reformation of the church. The question of the power and the authority of the Pope were centered on this text very text. And the power and authority of the Pope had everything to do with the confession of faith that Luther and the other Reformers were defending. Did they have the right to speak against the established church of the day? Where they operating outside the will and command of our Lord by disobeying the Pope and his minions? And then when you actually look at the words of the text, you find that there is a much deeper question that is at the heart of it all. And that question is asked by our Lord; “Who do you say that I am?”

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