By Paul Koch – The smorgasbord that is American Christianity is a plethora of material for running jokes and cultural commentary. Not only is there a conflict between people of the Christian faith and those outside the Church, but there is also an ongoing conflict within Christianity. The Baptists are pretty sure that the Catholics are going to hell, … Continue reading Learnign to Not Love the Church
By Hillary Asbury - The catacombs of Rome are a vast, labyrinthine network of passageways. They are cavernous: dark, cold, bleak, and eerie. Death lingers there. In the stillness and quiet of the depths, you can feel it. Long after the tombs fell into disuse, forgotten for centuries, they still whisper of finality… as though … Continue reading Art Underground
By Paul Koch - The life of an individual Christian is a life that is lived in tension. I know, this isn’t new to you, but it is worth our focus today. The life of a Christian it is not a perfectly stable existence. It is organic. It shifts and moves. It flows from highs … Continue reading Now and Not Yet
By Hillary Asbury - Visual communication is huge these days. It seems like the people in my life are constantly communicating over text message and social media using GIFS, emojis, and memes. I’ve seen whole conversations conducted almost entirely in this way, and I ask myself: Why? Why is this the way we “talk” to … Continue reading Liturgical Art?
By Joel A. Hess - A young pastor was enjoying a children’s message with a bunch of elementary kids (if you can’t handle pastors talking to little kids in the Divine Service, please exit). He asked the kids, “What do you think Jesus said when He rose from the dead?” One girl responded, “Tada!” Everyone … Continue reading Beware of the Peace Snatchers
By Paul Koch - I have realized that there are many texts from the Word of God that I call my favorite. But this one from John 20 is without a doubt my all time favorite text in Scripture. Okay, it’s at least in the top five. You see, it is an honest and powerful … Continue reading A Strange Church
By Joel A. Hess - “For they were afraid!” That’s the end of Mark’s gospel. After being told that Jesus had risen from the dead, they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone—for they were afraid! The last words of Mark are … Continue reading For they were afraid! Happy Easter
