Prepare Ye

From Rabbi  Jonah Pesner : We share that common text in our tradition. The most often repeated command in our tradition, for Jews, but shared with you, our Christian family. ‘You were slaves in Egypt, and therefore you are to love stranger.’ Thirty-six different times it is repeated in the Torah. Thirty-six, which is the Jewish number for life. One time, it says, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ Thirty-six times it says love the stranger because it is thirty-six times harder, but thirty-six times more important. Together, Lutherans and Jews, and Christians and Muslims, and people of all faiths, and people of no faith must at this moment in history do justice to that phrase that the most sacred act is to love the person who is not like us.  at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Milwaukee, WI; August 8, 2019.

The use of social media in the church has seemed to be embraced like lukewarm water.  While some people and churches have embraced Facebook, blogs and websites, others avoid it, citing it as yet another change to be afraid of. But if Twitter and Facebook can be devices that can overthrow governments, imagine how powerful it could be to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be completely wrong.

Please check out a new blog by one of my classmates who is also on internship, Faithful Yet Changing .

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord , the Lord 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, ‘My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, s...

Each month, I write an article for my home church back in Michigan. I used the article this month to think through some of the things I have been learning this semester. It's a mix of Pauline exegesis, Confessional theology, mission strategies and putting 2 + 2 together. [Paul speaking to Peter] But we have always known that no person is justified by works of the law, if not through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And even we have faith in Christ Jesus so that we are justified by Christ’s faithfulness and not through works of the Law because of works of law no one will be justified. – Galatians 2:16 One of the wonderful experiences here at the Lutheran Theological Seminary is when the subjects we are studying in one course spills and blends over into others. The doctrine of justification by grace through faith is one doctrine that has been soaking up all of my courses. Three courses in particular: the Lutheran Confessions, Studies of the Epistles and Mission Strategies, have cov...

While watching the post-debate spin from the VP debate last night, I have come to a realization. While I do not, and will not support the McCain-Palin ticket, I readily admit Gov. Palin did well and connected with the viewing audience. She is a very engaging person. Would I like her to be my neighbor? Sure. Would I enjoy having her as a friend? Doggone it, I'd have to say yeah. Do I want her anywhere near the nuculer launch codes or to have more power than Dick Chaney? Gosh Darn It, No Way in Hell! I want my political leaders to have some gravitas. I want them to be smarter than I am. I want them to understand the complex issues the rest of us struggle with. I think it is the same with parishioners and their pastors. They would like someone they can sit down and talk and connect with. But they need their pastors to have some heaft and be able to help them walk through the complex issues and problems of their lives. They would like to have a friend. They need a pastor.