confession

An Island of Guilt

By Tim Winterstein –

One of my favorite lines from any song is “Every moment is a red light/a red light you just run” (“Puttin’ Out Fires,” Bill Mallonee [Vigilantes of Love]). It highlights the futility of trying to undo something that is in the past. As we feel the burden or the guilt of some action in the past, especially actions that we cannot undo, we constantly seek to atone for the action and justify ourselves. It’s a natural reaction on our part to want to make right what we’ve done wrong. But how can those wrongs in the past ever be made right? They’re over and done with, and yet we’re not free of them.

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Making A Statement

By Bob Hiller –

Are folks still talking about all those important theological statements being made by America’s most popular Christian conference speakers? OK, that is a bit of a snarky opening sentence, but what’d you expect from my blog? Though perhaps not as earth shattering as Twitter has made them out to be, the Nashville Statement and the Denver Statement are pretty serious business. Never heard of them? Well, I hadn’t either until last Thursday, by which time, they had taken the social media world by storm There I was, delighting in a Guinness at the local pub, when my brother pastor asks me, “Why haven’t folks taken a strong stand against the Denver Statement?” Being a native of colorful Colorado (God’s favorite state, I’m sure), and awaiting the final preseason game for my beloved Broncos, I thought perhaps someone from the old Orange and Blue had brashly predicted a Super Bowl victory.

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The Joy of Hurting One Another

By Paul Koch –

Every now and again as I move through the ebb and flow of life, I am provided with vivid reminders of the depravity of mankind—not just that we are sinners or broken beings, but that we have a drive within us that longs for the wicked, what St. Augustine called “concupiscence.” And while there are many examples of mankind’s compassion, love, and kindness (especially in the wake of disasters like Hurricane Harvey), I find that I’m growing more comfortable with the idea of man’s willingness to tear one another down rather than build each other up.

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Reclaiming Liturgical Art

By Hillary Asbury –

Whether or not we realize it, the visual arts are being used by churches every day. If you were to walk into a Christian church of any sort, there would more than likely be a cross hanging somewhere, if not at the focal point of the worship space. That cross is the result of an artist’s craft. From hand-hammered brass to ceramic pieces created on a wheel, many of the communion chalices we encounter are beautiful works of art. These are vital pieces of the church’s function, of the Divine Service, and they are more often than not created to be visually pleasing, with rich meaning and symbolism. Altars and even pews are crafted with care and creativity. Banners fly proudly with symbols appropriate to the church season. Visual aids grace bulletin covers, PowerPoint presentations, and projections. Church logos are created by graphic design. The visual arts are already important to the Christian life, but perhaps we’ve been using this art passively.

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Born Haters

By Joel A. Hess –

Recently, our former president, with good intentions I’m sure, tweeted a Nelson Mandela quote, “No one is born hating another person because of his race, background, or religion….” It has quickly become one of the most liked tweets of all time. At first glance, it’s easy to like and retweet. Just look at a cute baby! They don’t know anything about race or hate. Just ask them! 

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The Cost of Changing a Mind

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.

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Saint and Sinner

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.

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Monsters in the Pews

By Bob Hiller –

Who do you think is sitting in the pews on a typical Sunday morning? Are our congregations filled with sin-conquering saints living from one victorious moment to the next, or are our pews filled with sin-bound failures who are hanging on for dear life? Maybe it’s a mix of both. Maybe it’s a mix of both in the same seat. For the folks who come to our churches on Sunday morning, what does it mean for them to live the Christian life? Perhaps asked in a better way: What do the lives of the Christians in our churches actually look like?

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Racism in Our Ears

By Bob Hiller –

A couple of years ago, when I first started writing for this blog, my brother told me I needed to deal with some of the pressing social issues in our culture. He said that since I write a good deal about sports, I should talk about race in sports. I have been incredibly hesitant to do this for many reasons. First, I am a rather privileged white dude. My views on race are not going to be particularly well informed. Second, I try to keep my blogs to issues of preaching + ham-fisted sports analogies, though I have blogged about social issues before. Third, I have an aversion to the social gospel, which I don’t believe should be confused with biblical Gospel. Fourth, and perhaps this is the most shameful reason, I am afraid of causing offense where offense need not be given (the key word there is “afraid,” read “cowardice”). To be fully honest, I don’t know the utter depths of the issues. I cannot argue for or against politically conservative or liberal views with any sort of competency. I am ashamed to say that I live in a rather white world where issues of race are not on my doorstep every day apart from what I hear in the news or see on social media.

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The Church Has Built a Building

By Paul Koch –

Over the past ten years or so of listening to the experts at pastors’ conferences talk in hushed tones about the slow and sure decline of the mainline denominations or speak brashly about intergenerational ministry and our failure to engage the millennials, the common encouragement of their fears and worries has not gone unnoticed. Quite simply, we are reminded over and again that the way things used to work just doesn’t work anymore. If we are to live and thrive, we need to change. We need to adapt and perhaps even mimic the techniques of those we disagree with theologically so that we remain relevant.

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Be Ashamed When You Sin, Not When You Repent

By Joel A. Hess –

“Be ashamed when you sin, not when you repent.” – John Chrysostom

This little quote from Golden Mouth struck me this past week. Our social media society has compelled most people to configure false images of themselves on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Like a recent episode of the British TV show Black Mirror, people put stuff out there to get likes, pure and simple. Ha, it’s kind of like this blog post. Therefore, at first glance, it may appear that all our friends are living extraordinary lives of constant adventure, romance, perfect marriages, and happy families. Black Mirror really shoves this in your face.

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Coloring Book Jesus vs. the Dark Night of the Soul

By Bob Hiller –

A few weeks back, my son brought me a picture he had colored out of a Bible story coloring book. It was Jesus carrying the cross. My boy had done a fine job of coloring Jesus’ Hulk-like legs yellow, the Lord’s mighty six pack orange, His everlasting arms purple, and the old rugged cross green. Though He was all muscle and rainbow, this burden was not easy for coloring book Jesus. After all, His face did seem a bit uncomfortable having to bear that Kelly green crucifix. Don’t misunderstand me, I was impressed with how well the boy is coloring within the lines, and the color scheme wasn’t all bad. But I have to be honest, I am just a tiny bit uncomfortable with a coloring book page of the our Lord bearing the cross. Maybe I’m being picky, but coloring Jesus on His way to Calvary does seem to take away from the gravity of the Passion.

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When I Kept Silent

By Ross Engel –

They say that silence is golden. Sometimes this can most certainly be true. It can be a real treat to find a quiet place to study or read. A quiet afternoon at the beach with the breeze, the ocean waves, a cigar, and a book is my idea of a perfectly relaxing day. Last week, my wife and I got to enjoy a night out. While the night included a lively Irish Dancing show, our evening actually began with an hour of just the two of us lost in conversation in the quiet corner of a mostly empty cocktail lounge. That silence was golden!

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Happy 500th! Everybody is Martin Luther

By Joel A. Hess –

This year marks the 500th year since Luther nailed his 95 reasons explaining why he objected to the selling of indulgences. We now call that seemingly ordinary day in 1517 the beginning of the reformation. While there were many who sought reform in the Church before Luther, he was the one who lit the match. God gave him the unique gift of being both highly intelligent and passionately pastoral. His enthusiasm for the Gospel and ability to communicate it was unmatched.

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Earth Idolatry

By Scott Keith –

“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” Romans 1:25

When I’m not traveling for work, I like to spend as much time as possible in the mountains at our little cabin in the woods. Quite simply, it recharges me. The work needed to keep the place up, starting the fire in the morning, the slower pace of life, and the natural beauty all bring me a sense of calm and peace that I don’t always possess when I’m “down the hill.” I have always thought of the mountains as home, and so whenever possible, I follow the well know mantra uttered by Jon Muir: “The mountains are calling, and I must go.”

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