“When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, and said, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.’ Jesus answered, ‘You…… Continue reading Decoupling Illness and Demons
Category: Bible
Letting Go
And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Matthew 4:19 The new academic year at Wartburg Theological Seminary is up and going, and I was privileged to preach at the opening worship service. Instead of preaching on following, I preached on leaving/letting go. I think the idea that…… Continue reading Letting Go
The Bread of Life
If you attend a congregation in a denomination that follows the daily lectionary [like most ELCA Lutheran congregations], you have been deep in John 6 for several weeks, hearing a great deal about bread–and Jesus’ relationship to bread, to life, and to his Father. Most pastors will tell you that this can be a hard…… Continue reading The Bread of Life
A Bad Idea…
“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Paul (Romans 7:19) “I should probably, probably not.” Olivia Rodrigo I’m not a huge Olivia Rodrigo fan, but I definitely like some of her more upbeat songs for my running playlists. One of…… Continue reading A Bad Idea…
Whisper, “found.”
As I was skimming one of my favorite book of meditations and prayers yesterday, I found a lovely prayer by Rev. Emmy Kegler. It is called “For All the So-Called Lost,” and it is a reflection on Luke 15:8: “And what woman, if she had ten coins and lost one, wouldn’t light a lamp, and…… Continue reading Whisper, “found.”
Christian Hope
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”Romans 15:13 This is the verse that the Wartburg Theological Seminary Class of 2024 chose as their verse, and so it was the verse that grounded the “charge”…… Continue reading Christian Hope
Genesis, by Marilynne Robinson
I want to share some thoughts about Reading Genesis, by Marilynne Robinson. I can’t remember who first told me about this literary commentary on Genesis, written by one of my favorite authors, but I do know that as soon as I heard about it, I went online and bought it right away. I know something…… Continue reading Genesis, by Marilynne Robinson
Between Confidence and Fear: the Risen Christ
At dawn on that first Easter morning, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb with spices to anoint Jesus’ body. There was just one problem: an enormous stone was blocking their way. There was no way they were going to be able to roll away that stone, and they…… Continue reading Between Confidence and Fear: the Risen Christ
Treasure, and Faith
Members of the Wartburg Seminary community have been writing short daily devotions during the Lenten season, and I have really enjoyed the opportunity to start my morning with these meaningful reflections. Last week, two of my colleagues, Dr. Samantha Gilmore [our preaching professor], and the Rev. Dr. Troy Troftgruben [our New Testament professor] each wrote…… Continue reading Treasure, and Faith
You’re Not the Subject of the Verb
We interrupt our usual Tanzanian programming for a brief theological reflection. Turn the verbs. It’s Lutheran historian Tim Wingert‘s phrase, something I read in one of his books a long time ago, and I’ve never forgotten it. I love it, because it points so clearly and concisely to how we as Lutherans distinguish between law…… Continue reading You’re Not the Subject of the Verb
Happy Lutheran 