By Scott Keith –
A few weeks ago, I was honored to be a plenary speaker at the now much lauded Christ Hold Fast (CHF) conference. For many, it was a life changing event. Why? Because the unadulterated Gospel of Christ was handed over with detail and passion for the sinner, over and over again. The speakers were fantastic. They faithfully proclaimed Christ and the forgiveness of sins through God’s radical pursuit of “prodigals” just like us.
By Bob Hiller –
Have you ever watched poetry? If you’ve seen Stephan Curry of the Golden State Warriors, you have. Curry is making a mockery of the NBA this year. It is really hard for him to miss baskets. No one can cover him. You want to hate someone that good. But then you watch him, and it’s like seeing Bizet’s Habanera from Carmen. It is flawless and beautiful. Play the song and watch his twelve (!) three-pointers from last Saturday’s game in Oklahoma City (including a remarkable OT game winner that looked like child’s play to Curry). Pure basketball righteousness. Curry is killing the rest of the NBA. Literally no one can stop him.
So, it was fascinating this past week to listen to the fearful reactions around the league. If Curry is so deadly, what do you do with him? Since they can’t stop him, some are talking about changing the rules and adjusting the game to make it harder for Curry (and other shooters like him…of which there are none) to be so dominant.
By Caleb Keith –
After being fried from a nine-hour road trip, I could not find the mental power to write a proper blog this week. Instead, I offer up a short overview of Romans Chapters 1-4. I submitted this essay as an assignment for my New Testament Book of the Bible class. My professor for this course is Dr. Michael Middendorf, who is the author of the new Concordia Publishing House commentary on Romans. Dr. Middendorf’s instruction has been priceless, and I hope this overview is exemplary of that.
Hello again, readers!
After the overwhelming success of Rachel’s article last week, I feel it is appropriate to run one more of her articles this week. Who knows, this may be the start of something big. The Jagged Word, or 1517 the Legacy Project for that matter, are always looking for new writers. Rachel is incredibly talented, and her insights into the world of motherhood are honest, gritty, and centered on the Gospel of Christ. Please enjoy one more article from Mrs. Rachel Francisco.
By Paul Koch –
I first met Raymond Whitt when he entered into my study in Kingsland, Georgia and shook my hand. Though he looked quite old he still had that firm grip of a man who worked hard throughout his life. Raymond had recently lost his wife, and when he began to talk about it his strong and conservative appearance dissolved into tears of immense grief.
By Bob Hiller –
I recently had a great conversation with some old friends about why I like sports. Not being fans, they could only see the negative impact of sports on culture, higher education, and the church. Though I vehemently tried to defend the benefit of sports, much of what they said resonated with me. What is wrong with sports? Or, perhaps a better question is, what is wrong with our attitude towards them? Is there something wrong with playing and watching sports?
By Cindy Koch –
There is something about this simple word that makes my skin crawl. Even today, when I hear myself say it, I shake off a little shiver of disgust. The syllables bludgeon the ears and even the tongue from which it speaks. Most of us edited this word out of polite conversation long ago. But it still sweeps across my lips, leaving that bitter flavor behind.
By Joel A Hess –
We will soon be singing o felix culpa as we march into the sanctuary to celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and for the dead: you and me. “O happy guilt,” Augustine exclaimed long ago as he reflected on the mystery of God’s ridiculous reversal of good for evil.
By Bob Hiller –
I know, some of you are tired of me posting about sports and theology on my blog about sports and theology (not to name names Flanagan). But, I have a really good analogy about how the Broncos defense was like the gospel for Peyton Manning. He got on the field and did nothing to help the team win, and yet was given all kinds of accolades for another’s work…anybody? You like it? Fine…I’ll move on…
By Jonathan Holmes –
*Jonathan is a pastor of the LC-MS returning from disability and a friend of The Jagged Word.
Anxiety is really starting to piss me off. My anxiety always makes me mad, but I’ve begun to train myself with the question, “What does it matter?” Since the answer is usually, “It doesn’t matter at all, so jog on…” But it’s other people’s anxiety that has begun to piss me off too. Now, I don’t yell at those dealing with it, like “GET OVER IT ALREADY!” No, that is neither Christ like, and usually the anxious person’s anxiety is usually increased, and it does nobody any good. It’s counter-productive.
