This is an important question that all too often we neglect to answer for our neighbors around us. How is your experience of Jesus and His Church somehow valuable to you? Our culture (both in its secular and parochial manifestations) has done a phenomenal job of denigrating the word “religion” to mean something that has…
It is my birthday this week. And in that vein, I look to the immortal words of the rapper 50-cent (at least the ones that I can quote here): “Go shawty, it’s your birthday. We gon’ party like it’s your birthday. We gon’ sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday . . . “. 50-cent’s song…
You’ll notice something different about this Newsletter. You’ll notice that there is a little link below that says “Read More”. If you click that link, you’ll get the rest of this newsletter article. If you’re not interested in the newsletter article, then you can just move on to the rest of the information in the…
“Get into the Word?” he asked questioningly, “How small would you have to be?!?” That is one of the many incredulous responses that I remember getting back from some seemingly harmless “Christianese”. When I say, “Let’s get into the Word,” you, dear reader, probably understand that I’m trying to say “Let us read and meditate…
Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, which means that we’re in the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is perhaps one of the oldest liturgical seasons that we have in the Church (with the exception of the celebrations of Epiphany). Lent began as a time of contemplation for a group called the “catechumenate”. These “catechumens”…
Why Jesus? This question will function as the theme for the Lutheran Student Fellowship – Region 12 Spring Retreat. They were silly enough to ask me to present and lead them through a process of answering this question for themselves. The question “Why Jesus?” makes me immediately think, “Why any God or gods?” Why is…
Three frogs sat on a log. One frog decided to jump off. How many frogs were left? I heard this story problem at the Emergent Leadership training that I went to last week. The answer, counterintuitively, is “3”. Three frogs were left on the log because “deciding to” do something and doing something are different.…
By Campus Missionary Mary Rowley You’re used to Jesus saying, “Follow me.” You’re not used to Jesus saying, “I’m following you.” But Jesus is following you – just in a different sense of the word. He’s keeping track of you. He knows you well. He never loses sight of you. Psalm 139 puts it this…
By Campus Missionary Mary Rowley, I can pinpoint one particular moment in my life when I was filled with nothing but joy. I was with my parents and we got a phone call from my brother. He was calling to tell us that he had proposed to his girlfriend and she said yes! I remember…
At the end of the sermon last Sunday, I encouraged you to “find your joy”. What it is about your experience of Christianity and your relationship with Jesus that actually really brings you joy. I would love to hear about what your joys are – please use this link to let me know – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1HYX6WJIUyfjbFLFAQS77asglRoko_2UeXmGDXfMBPn0/viewform?usp=send_form…