Similar to how each of the four gospels differ regarding Jesus’ first acts of ministry (as explored in the last reflection), the formation stories regarding the first disciples also varies. There is much to learn from this and far more to discover than this one short reflection could possibly exhaust. Yet, let’s explore a few […]
Tag: Kingdom of God
On Arrival
The season of Advent is only four weeks long and before you know it the celebration of the Christ Child on Christmas morning is just about here. Advent literally means the significant arrival of some person or event. Like so many seasons of the Church Year (and themes of Christianity itself) there are multiple layers […]
On Needing One Another
Jesus appointed twelve apostles. Did he really need to? As the Son of God, he surely could have just gone about his mission on his own, right? In today’s culture we tend to idolize those who are strong solitary characters that appear to not need anyone else. People who take on the evils of the […]
On Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day
Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day were the same day this year. It’s a fairly rare occasion and apparently happening only one more time this century (2029). And this almanac synergy is occurring at a time in human history where division is great and conflicts between peoples are growing more abundant every day. For those who […]
On Rebuke and Affirmation
Naturally I’m a slow reader, often going at a mental cadence akin to a pony ride. When I read the Bible this is usually the case as well. Sometimes, though, I listen to an audio recording of Scripture and that experience is as if I am suddenly galloping on a horse and experiencing a familiar […]
On Our Saviors
Alongside examining what is sacred in our society and social circles, we must also reflect on who we elevate as our saviors—or, as we often soften the reality: our heroes, role-models, stars, icons, idols. These saviors we turn to come in all forms: respected historical figures, talented pop artists, savvy politicians, fair arbiters of justice, […]
On Faith and Politics
Many of us have been told there are two topics that are simply too personal to discuss publicly: faith and politics. Between now and Reformation Day 2020 (October 31), I am writing a series of reflections on this topic. Why? Simply, because I believe that what many of us have been told is unbiblical and […]
On Strangers and Enemies
Strangers are not always our enemies and our enemies are not always strangers, but we often treat strangers like our enemies and our enemies like strangers. And that’s because strangers and enemies are both often simply the result of human-made barriers and conflict. Some barriers are so systemically ingrained in our world that we forget […]
On Money
A key frustration of Martin Luther was how the church glorified and used money. He saw that the church in his day distorted the good news of Christ by offering salvation in exchange for money. And when the church became focused on money it ceased being the church. It stopped serving God. I wonder if […]
On Relationships
Martin Luther challenged the church teachings on relationships for priests and got married. Protestant churches today often view this as a minor detail. A natural, easy thing to accept. However, we must realize the uniqueness of this action. Now, it may be that historically some priests had secret wives in Luther’s day, but there is […]
Relevant Reformation 