By Ross Engel –
In death, we often find ourselves playing the, “if only I had done ____” game. We plague ourselves thinking of all the things we should have done, or could have done, or would have done. “If only we had left earlier.” “If only I had recognized that this was taking place.” “I should’ve known better.” “I could’ve done something.” “If only I would’ve done this instead.” As we focus on these should’ves, could’ves, and would’ves,
By Paul Koch –
We have grown accustomed to view church as sort of a nice, safe, and even neutral place in our lives. We come here on Sundays, sit in our usual seats, enjoy receiving of the gifts of God, and then head out about our day feeling a little more enriched, a little more uplifted, and a little more encouraged. Church may be compared to a hearty home cooked meal or a family reunion. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but it is fueled by a sense of belonging and joy. If nothing else, a good church is comfortable and makes us feel welcome. But there is far more to church than meets the eye, far more to our nice and safe gathering than can be detected from the outside. In fact, church has something very dangerous at its core.
By Graham Glover –
Sometimes I feel as if I should be having a vocational identity crisis.
I’m pretty sure that I was taught by the church, guided by the Holy Scriptures, that my primary responsibility as a pastor is to preach the Word of God. This preaching takes many forms: sermons, teaching, counseling, and presiding. But no matter the form, my vocation is first and foremost about proclaiming Christ and Him crucified. He is the source, the subject, and the object of everything I do as one who holds the Office of the Holy Ministry.
By Joel A Hess –
In his commentary on Galatians, Luther makes a big deal of the call as he comments on the first couple of verses of the letter. Of course, the apostle Paul does too! He hangs his hat on his call as he begins the letter, stating, “Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead!” Paul drops some credentials to remind his readers that he is an official ambassador of the king, unlike the wolves in shepherd clothing who were trying to put the shackles of the Law back on the Galatians.
By Paul Koch –
“It is the glory of the Lord to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” – Proverbs 25:2
About 8 years ago I first tried my hand at gardening. In the sandy soil of our home in southeast Georgia I built a small bed and planted a few seeds. That first year’s harvest was by all accounts a failure. I learned a lot about soil nutrients and proper water. But the second year was a little better, and the year after that, a little better. Each year I expanded my garden beds as well as my knowledge and understanding and I envisioned a backyard that would be more garden beds than lawn. I truly learned to love all that was involved in a garden,
By Graham Glover –
Last week was extraordinary. It was as vocationally, spiritually, and personally fulfilling as any week in recent memory.
Last week I got to be a pastor.
By Bob Hiller –
This past week, I was made a part of a new Facebook group called “What Would Nagel Say?” It is a page dedicated to all things Norman Nagel. Now, I was never blessed to have Dr. Nagel for a class while in seminary, though he was still teaching there when I attended. But I do have some good recollections of his presence on campus. His chapel sermons stood out in my mind for two reasons. First, they were soaked in the blood of Jesus. Second, he would always start leaving the pulpit before he stopped talking. It was kind of awesome.
By Paul Koch –
People often ask me if I miss living in Georgia. When they do, my usual response is to say that I miss the people. You see, I don’t miss the bugs or the humidity or the lack of mountains but I miss the wonderful people I grew to know and love in Southeast Georgia. However, there is one thing that recently I’ve found myself longing for. I don’t know if it’s just our absolute lack of rain here in Southern California but I’ve begun to really miss storms. In Georgia we had storms that were unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was the type of weather that would grind a freeway to a halt in minutes. They were violent and powerful and beautiful all at the same time.
By Paul Koch –
What is a Reverend?
When I sign my name to official documents such as a marriage license, I state my title as a “reverend.” When I go to a conference or have business cards printed, my name usually appears as Rev. Paul Koch. Even when I set up my signature for e-mail correspondence, I put the beloved and expected Rev. at the beginning of my name.
By Paul Koch –
“Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2
It seems like it might be good, wonderful even, to live a life without a preacher—without that one who speaks the Law and Gospel into our ears, holds that damned mirror before our eyes, and shows us the vanity of our earthy pursuits. To be without a preacher means I can focus on the here and the now, on what I can see and validate by experience.
By Paul Koch –
We like our beggars to be ashamed and humble. We don’t want them to be overly excited, bold, or desiring to have a conversation with us. When we come across the beggar on Main Street in our city’s downtown, we prefer that they just slide their hat or cup out asking for some change without making eye contact. After all, they aren’t offering anything to us. They aren’t providing some great blessing to society. They’re beggars—parasites sucking off the kindness and generosity of others. If they’re gathered in a group, laughing and joking around, we’ll likely pass them by. If they’re showing anything but abject humility and poverty, we don’t want to see it. And the worst of the worst is the beggar who doesn’t act like a beggar, the beggar who seems proud even boastful that he is a beggar.
By Bob Hiller –
With the death of Muhammed Ali, 2016 has taken one of the most significant public figures in the last half century. Almost without argument, Ali is considered to be the greatest boxer of all time. He even, rightfully, self-glossed himself “The Greatest.” (Is it bragging if he’s right?) Not only did Ali dominate in the ring. He was a trailblazer outside of boxing, as well. In an era where athletes, let alone black athletes, were expected to be seen and not heard, Ali used his fame as a platform to stand up for what he thought was right. In the ‘60s, when the Civil Rights movement was in full swing, Ali provided a voice for the black community.
By Bob Hiller –
Do you remember the old Nike commercials where Charles Barkley announced: “I am not a role model…I am not paid to be a role model…I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court”? I remember that commercial resonating a great deal as it came in the wake of the news that Magic Johnson was HIV positive. Johnson was a hero of mine, and as a young Christian kid, I had this naïve view of the world that successful athletes were good Christians who lead morally exemplary lives. I was in the sixth grade and went into mourning when the announcement came out. I was burned, not just because he was no longer going to play basketball, but because of my hero’s promiscuous sexual habits. My hero had let me down.
By Ross Engel –
For twenty years now, I’ve had the same pair of companions accompanying me to the gym. My wife can’t stand them. They’re old, they smell like sweat and maple syrup, and they push me beyond the limits of what I can do on my own. Well, today my wife can rejoice, because those companions are no more. They ripped during my morning session in the gym.
By Bob Hiller –
I was recently engaged in a conversation with some theological minds on the question of preaching (Besides sports, what else is there to really talk about?). The hypothetical question was raised: “Should a pastor ever preach a sermon with no Gospel?” This is like asking: “Should Steph Curry actually be the NBA MVP?” It will create a conversation even though it is a ridiculous question with an obvious answer. But I was bored, so I bit.
By Paul Koch –
Many years ago, I experienced a sort of enlightenment of self-awareness. It was one of those moments when you find yourself in a position to be able to step back and examine yourself and make new assessments that will impact your life. It happened in our basic hermeneutics class at the seminary, where I struggled with our primary text, What Does This Mean? by Dr. Jim Voelz. Voelz asserts right out of the gate that it is impossible to achieve a truly neutral reading of a text.
By Graham Glover –
Finally, it’s over. After a long and slow decay into political oblivion, social conservatives need to hang it up. Their movement is dead – completely devoid of life.
By Paul Koch –
At night I read to my son when he gets into bed. We just finished reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. If you’re unfamiliar with the basic story line, the four Pevensie children enter into a magical land called Narnia through the back of a large wardrobe in a spare room. Now, the land they find there is locked in a perpetual winter caused by an evil witch. When one of the children says that winter isn’t all bad because you can play in the snow and of course there is Christmas, they learn to their horror that there is no Christmas in Narnia. The witch’s power makes it always winter but never Christmas.
By Bob Hiller –
This has been an overwhelming week for the ol’ Haymaker. I have begun serving a new congregation in beautiful San Diego County (Community Lutheran Church). Though I’ve been a pastor for the better part of a decade, I have found myself completely overwhelmed. I know it’s a pious cliché for pastors to say that their calling is too big for them, and that they have to rely on the Lord. But dude, I am in over my head. I am thrilled that the Lord has placed me in this new place. And I am completely overwhelmed.
By Bob Hiller –
Somewhere along the way, I was taught that sermons should always be about Jesus. Further into my training, I learned that this doesn’t just mean that we should talk about what Jesus did a long time ago, but that what Jesus did a long time ago is for you here and now. The proclamation of the Good News (that is, the Gospel) is not simply an explanation of sacred events, but the delivering of sacred gifts, which in itself is a sacred event. Preaching is delivering Jesus to sinners and attacking those things that try to get in His way. At least it should be. At least, that is what I was taught.
