Vocation

Why I’m Happy Being a College Dropout

By Caleb Keith –

*Written by my beautiful wife Erika, who is helping me through a busy week.

I met my husband, Caleb, just after finishing my sophomore year of College at Concordia University-Saint Paul. We were camp counselors together, and our relationship moved pretty quickly. We both knew within a few weeks of dating that we would marry. It was an exciting time, but we were going to school in different parts of the country. We made some difficult decisions pretty quickly; I would finish the fall semester at Concordia in Saint Paul and then transfer to his school, Concordia Irvine, in the spring.

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Giving God a Nap

By Bob Hiller –

Has the Church forgotten God? I know it sounds like a strange question. The Church is supposed to be a place where all our efforts and energies have to do with God. But sometimes I wonder what would happen if we in the Church truly stop to think about the God with whom we are dealing, or perhaps better said, the God who is dealing with us.  Let me give you an example.

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Walking in Our Neighbor’s Political and Religious Shoes

By Graham Glover –

My two favorite things to talk about are politics and religion. I am a Lutheran pastor, who years ago worked as a lobbyist, am currently working on finishing my PhD in Political Science, while serving my country as an Active Duty Chaplain in the US Army, with a wife that used to run state-level campaigns, and a father-in-law whose professional and political career has been devoted to public service. I suppose you could say such topics are part of my DNA, as they encompass so much of who I am and what I do.

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Get Your Head in the Game

By Bob Hiller –

As I sit down to write this here Jagged blog on this lovely Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Dodgers have just shut out the Chicago Cubs for the second straight game, taking a two-games-to-one lead in the National League Division Series. Post-season baseball is about as good as it gets for America’s pastime. Thus far, this series has been no exception. Even though the 6-0 Dodger shutout in Game Three may not have been a nail biter. It makes for great intrigue going into the rest of the series. The Cubs have been the best team all season long, but can they come back to take the series be one step closer to ending their 108-year championship drought? Or will the Curse of the Billy Goat live on?

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You Are Not in Control

By Jaime Nava –

Life is changing for me. I am moving states to begin a new position in St. Louis. I just had a second daughter born over a couple weeks ago. We’re selling the house and getting ready to move. It’s exciting but also sad. You see, I had to decide whether or not to stay at the congregation I served or to serve in St. Louis. I do not envy anyone with a call. It is hard.

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Why Bother?

By Paul Koch –

The dull drumming of yet another speaker talking about what the church ought to be doing, how it ought to reach out, or how it might better restructure itself bounces off my stubborn ears as I sip my second cup of coffee. I’ve endured morning devotions with songs I don’t know and longed for a Gospel proclamation that seems to be in short supply.

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Unsafe Theology

By Paul Koch –

Do you remember drinking from the garden hose as a child? I do. In fact when I’m working in the yard these days I will still get a quick drink from time to time from the hose. I like it. I like the taste; compared to the water that comes from the dispenser on the door of my fridge you would almost think they were from a different source. The water in the house passes through our water softener system, then through a filtration system in the fridge while it is chilled down a bit before it reaches my glass. In my front yard the water takes a more direct route off the main water line through a tired old hose with a slightly corroded metal spigot and directly into my mouth. It may not be as healthy or safe as the filtered option inside, but there is something simple and enjoyable about it.

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Passion Is Overrated

By Josh Keith –

Okay, hear me out before you scoff and click on another blog. I myself have many passions which I love. I have various passions, and I would never give them up—from the adrenaline rush of setting up anchor and climbing a mountain face to the overly nerdy conversations of new Marvel movies to come. Here’s the kicker: Don’t follow your passions. Now, what I mean by this is that too many people nowadays don’t understand what passion is, or rather what it should be. Passion is happiness; it’s fun something fun that you love, but we have bit of a crisis going on these days. People my age don’t know how to work toward anything but their passion.

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Religious Liberty: The Coming American Battle

By Graham Glover –

Social conservatives in America have been on the losing end of two epic battles over the past 43 years. The first occurred in 1973 with the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade to legalize the innocent slaughter of unborn children. The second occurred in 2015 when the Court fundamentally altered the legal and historical definition of marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges.

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Where are all the Men? We Shot Them

By Cindy Koch –

I did something terrible this morning. I guess it happens all the time, but I am still ashamed even as I type these words. Like you, I am one who is shocked at the dreadful state of our world today, but then I go participate in their deadly games. A gentleman ran up to me today and offered to carry a heavy bag to my car, that was only a few feet away. Without thinking twice, I shot him down.

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Conquering Armies

By Scott Keith –

Not long ago, we on the Thinking Fellows podcast had the opportunity to interview Dr. James Nestingen. Dr. Nestingen was my Doctor Father and is a good friend. I always love the chance to pick his brain. This time around we discussed Luther’s seminal work, The Bondage of the Will. Dr. Nestingen provided us with many gems, including the advice of reading the book backward, that is from the last half first and the first half last.

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Should’ve, Could’ve, Would’ve

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,

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Please Help

By Caleb Keith –

I have a problem and need your help. You see, like most other people in my generation, and perhaps even those outside of my generation, I am dependent on the internet. More specifically, I am dependent on the Google search engine. This dependence is a gut reaction and a tool that feeds a general skepticism about the things I know and the knowledge passed onto me by parents, advisors, and even experts. I only recently became aware of my addiction because I happen to be a young parent whose own parents live nearby.

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There’s No Reason to Be Depressed About the 2016 Election

By Graham Glover –

First, a confession: I’ve been politically depressed for about 8 months.

When 2016 began, my political psyche started going downhill. As the primary season rolled on, my political bad mood turned in to downright depression. I think it hit rock bottom after the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. For the past month I’ve wanted to shut down politically. Seriously, I thought I had reached the point of no return. My love of and faith in politics had all but worn out.

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Inevitable Catechesis

By Joel A Hess –

Dear parents, your kids will be catechized whether you like it or not.

For many churches, autumn marks the beginning of confirmation classes for young people. The season also witnesses many a pastor’s struggles to convince families to make instructing their children in the faith a top priority. Understandably, after spending long hours in school and extracurricular activities, even families that make Christian education a priority find little time to do it seriously.

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