Category: Holy Spirit

Going Deeper with the Feast of Creation

Posted in Scripture, Bodies, Imagination, Ethics, Creation, Hope, Life and Living, Jesus, Love, Incarnation, Nature, Religion, Theology, Bible, Holy SpiritLeave a comment

For our opening worship this academic year, we commemorated a new liturgical festival: the Festival of Creation in Christ Sunday, or, more simply, the Feast of Creation. It is meant to be celebrated every year on the first Sunday in September, to praise God our creator, and to inspire care for God’s creation. This commemoration…… Continue reading Going Deeper with the Feast of Creation

Faith and Doubt

Posted in Bible, Church, Easter, Holy Spirit, Hope, Imagination, Jesus, Life and Living, Religion, Scripture, TheologyLeave a comment

“German 15th Century, Doubting Thomas, c. 1460, hand-colored woodcut, Overall: 6.8 x 5.5 cm (2 11/16 x 2 3/16 in.) overall (external frame dimensions): 39.4 x 31.8 cm (15 1/2 x 12 1/2 in.), Rosenwald Collection, 1951.10.2” Yesterday I preached in chapel on the “doubting Thomas” text: you remember the story. Thomas misses Jesus’ appearance…… Continue reading Faith and Doubt

A Sermon on the Sheep & the Goats

Posted in Bible, Church, Forgiveness, Holy Spirit, Hope, Jesus, Life and Living, Politics, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Sin, Social Issues, TheologyLeave a comment

Photo by Anil Sharma on Pexels.com A sermon on Matthew 25:31-46; the sheep and the goats. One of the gifts of the lectionary is that, often, we who preach, teach and study Scripture are brought into uncomfortable proximity with texts that challenge our understanding of the gospel and Christian discipleship. It is a gift, but…… Continue reading A Sermon on the Sheep & the Goats

Bearing Witness

Posted in Books, Church, Holy Spirit, Imagination, Jesus, Life and Living, Scripture, TheologyLeave a comment

In my work with the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church, we had many conversations about the word “evangelical,” and the name “Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.” There are strong feelings about both, with plenty of people feeling like we should change our name, and ditch “evangelical” altogether. We heard from many people that the…… Continue reading Bearing Witness