By Cindy Koch –
I know I’m not the only one. We’ve all done it at one time or another. It usually surfaces when we are at a crossroad, important decision, or uncomfortable spot. Sometimes it is in response to something really terrible—a death, loss, or extreme sin we find within. It flashes through the mind of almost everyone who loves our Creator, Redeemer, and Preserver. We take a reflective step back and ask, “What is God’s will for my life?”
By Joel A. Hess –
Many people, even those who are remotely familiar with Christianity, know the popular story of Peter walking on the water. Oh sure, Jesus was more successful at this miraculous task, but we are far more excited about Peter’s experiment, right?
By Tim Winterstein –
How do minds change? We tend to assume that if only we can present our opinions in the right way, and if the other person would simply be reasonable, then our rational opinions would surely change their rational minds. Those assumptions lead us to the conclusion that if I present my opinion and the other person doesn’t change his or her mind, then that person must be unreasonable or something worse. Who wouldn’t be willing to change his or her mind when confronted with the excellent and reasonable arguments I present, about which I am already convinced? So, disagreement has become not a sign of a rational, contingent opinion held in good faith, but a sign of a disease or poison that must be eradicated in order for reason and justice to prevail. That’s not a good recipe for civil discussion.
By Cindy Koch –
Deep breath. What do you smell? What do you taste? What do you feel? Exhale. We slowly, calmly, intentionally explore every sensation rushing through our minds. Stop focusing on the past, look right in front of you. Stop anticipating the future, simply embrace the present – today. Mindfulness, being present, living in the now, is the popular practice of the moment in our crazy mixed up world. (In my local city, even kids are offered mindfulness periods in public school.) It’s possible I wouldn’t have ever noticed this funny little quirk in our current culture. But I’m hearing more about this trend that tries to comfort the tormented minds of our world. And I’m beginning to wonder if this is a silent assault on an ancient truth.
By Paul Koch –
On my way home from Jiu Jitsu, tired after a night of rolling, I drive past a local church called The Miracle Center. My body aches – I feel old and very mortal – and I wonder about what goes on in there. Do they sell miracles? Do they give them out for free? Is there any guarantee that you’ll receive one? And what happens if you’re not satisfied with the one you get? I smile to myself and readily admit that I’m in the market for a good miracle or two. If I wasn’t so busy on Sunday mornings, perhaps I’d go check it out.
By Paul Koch –
Today in church we had the joy and the privilege to read together one of my all-time favorite sections of Holy Scripture. St. Paul’s words in chapter 7 of his letter to the church in Rome is a delightful gift. Now, it can sound a bit confusing as he says things like, “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” It sounds as if Paul is having some sort of mental crisis. In fact, perhaps that is exactly what is happening. The thing that makes this text so wonderful is how brutally honest it is about the human condition. About the struggle of the Christian life. About why I can desire to do good over and over again, and yet fail to accomplish it.
By Ross Engel –
“But now, this is what the Lord says— He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
In one of his hit songs, the late artist, actor, poet, and musician Tupac Shakur (whose work is certainly not appropriate for young ears) asked the question, “Is it a crime to fight for what is mine?”
By Paul Koch –
Every congregation is its own unique entity, not completely separate from others but also not a simple reproduction. A gathering of God’s people around his Word and gifts will be impacted by those very people, and so it will display a unique character as the blessings of God impact a particular people in a particular time and place. This means that every congregation will have its own ethos that permeates how it worships, makes decisions, and views itself in the cultural landscape.
By Tim Winterstein –
On my last post, John Joseph Flanagan (who must have been a 19th-century Irish priest in a former life—no, I do not really believe in reincarnation) commented,
“I think you should consider filling your mind and exposing your eyes to more uplifting entertainment than horror movies and stories about zombies. After awhile in the cesspool of life, one can become really quite soiled you know. And if you just happen to be a Christian or at least profess to follow Jesus, you might consider the choices you make as indicative of your character and the virtues you embrace. ‘Guard your heart,’ the Bible tells us. Even Christian liberty can be abused, and to open yourself to the garbage you write about will surely lead to a dark path indeed, and away from the faith and far away from your Lord.”
By Cindy Koch –
It was early in the morning; the pain was still dull and distant. I looked up at a quiet, blank celling considering the severity of this discomfort, but I knew it had only begun. Taking one last look around the dark and familiar room, I soaked in a moment of rest before it started up again. Inhale… exhale… Ouch. That tiny, soft sting took my breath away one more time. I gasped for a little more air as I felt something like a white-hot rock pressing harder and harder into my lower abdomen. Only two minutes had gone by. It was time to do something about this.
By Joel A. Hess –
A couple of weeks ago, our president took the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement. No matter your opinion on the matter, it does say something on which Christians, atheists, and everyone else can agree. The earth is beautiful, and we should take care of it. Of course, there are many different ways one can accomplish this. When it comes to witnessing, all creation is quite a witness, as Psalm 19 agrees. Even the most extreme atheist usually agrees with the wonder of creation. It’s sad how often Christians so quickly dismiss their liberal environmentalist friends. What a great talking point this is! After all, we know the creator: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
By Ross Engel –
When tragedy strikes, the thing to do these days is to start a hash tag campaign. It is short, easy to do, and takes no effort or action on the part of the individual. By posting with the right hash tag, everyone else who is using the same hash tag knows that you stand in solidarity with them. Some events even come with their own background pictures that you can use to change your social media profile picture to really show your support. One of the best things about a hash tag campaign is that the folks that don’t know about it or don’t use the hash tag, are an opportunity for the hash tag user to tout some moral superiority, even if they aren’t actually doing what has been hash tagged. Seriously, how many people actually are praying for whatever it is they’ve hash tagged?
By Bob Hiller –
This past Sunday, our congregation rejoiced with all the saints and angels over four eighth graders who stood up to confirm their faith in the triune God. At our church, we enjoy personal testimonies from each of the confirmands. I always enjoy listening to the students talk about how they believe in the death and resurrection of the incarnate God for them. I love hearing the pro me in action! But the part of the service that really gets me is the old rite of confirmation. In it, these eighth graders renounced the devil, confessed their faith in the truth of God’s Word, committed themselves to a life filled with and formed by the Word and Sacraments, and said they were willing to stake their lives on this confession. What is not to love in this rite?
By Joel A. Hess –
I like to bitch. I like to complain. I like to point out faults in institutions and bureaucrats. I like to throw rocks at hierarchies and hierarchs. I like to make fun of the Church. Quite frankly, it’s easy as long as I don’t have to be the guy in charge, and it makes me feel like quite an avant-garde genius. Life’s great as long as I don’t have to be the guy in charge.
By Graham Glover –
A Southern Lutheran
It’s not an oxymoron, although sometimes it seems like it should be. Compared to the Northeast and Midwest, there aren’t a lot of Lutherans in the South, especially Missouri Synod Lutherans.
By Cindy Koch –
If I could only see a word. Beginning as a bubble somewhere deep inside, filling with meaning and pictures and referents as it rises to the mind. Floating gently or thrashing turbulently behind the eyes, waiting to be released. Finally, the mouth opens, the fingers twitch. Blinding rays from the external exposure reach inside for just a second. Drawn to the fresh air of freedom, a word finds her flight.
By Graham Glover –
Protestants have a problem. It’s a problem that’s not going away. Protestants try to explain it, they try to finesse it into something understandable, at times they even ignore it – wishing it weren’t as big an issue as it is. But it’s still here. It still lingers.
By Paul Koch –
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the most profound week in the life of the church. It is a week of unmatched movement and devotion as we rapidly change from the shouts of “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” to the cries of, “Crucify him, crucify him!” This week we will journey through the incredible gift of our Lord’s own body and blood as he declares, “Take, eat this is my body,” and, “Take drink this is my blood, given for you.” Then we will come to the place of the skull and try to avert our eyes as our Lord is crucified there, as all the punishment you deserved is pressed down upon his flesh. But it won’t end there. We will move from the darkness of that night to the glories of the new day and the promise of life beyond the grave.
By Graham Glover –
The United States of America has become our idol. It has become our god. Our worship of it, or at least what we think it should be, consumes us. I dare say it defines us. We talk about what it means to be a good American all the time. Our devotion to living out what we perceive to be the “American Dream” is the benchmark of our success – its fulfillment is what we strive to every day.
We may claim to put God first. We talk often about the importance of family and friends. But nothing beats the U.S. of A. It is our priority. In everything.
By Scott Keith –
(I will be teaching a breakout session at the forthcoming Mockingbird Conference. This blog is a foretaste of that lecture. Enjoy. Please check out the Mockingbird Conference and register. See ya there!)
Dynamite does one thing well; it blows stuff up. Dynamite is no more than an absorbent material, such as sawdust, soaked in a highly combustible chemical called nitroglycerin. The absorbent material makes the nitroglycerin much more stable. Attached to the nitroglycerin-infused sawdust is either a fuse or a blasting cap. Once lit, the fuse or cap creates a small explosion that triggers a larger explosion in the dynamite itself. Once ignited, the dynamite burns extremely rapidly and produces a large amount of hot gas in the process. The hot gas expands very quickly and applies pressure and thus blows up or explodes.
