I don’t often preach on Job, but I did last week; the text was extended sections of chapters 36 & 37, the last chapters before God speaks to Job out of the whirlwind. I appreciated the opportunity to wrestle with a challenging text, a challenging book, and be reminded that good news can come even…… Continue reading Good News in the Book of Job
Category: Theology
It’s not about trying harder
A reflection Matthew 14:22-23, Jesus’ encounter with his disciples on a stormy Galilean Sea. One way to read this text is as an exhortation to have more faith, to be more trusting. We would be better disciples if we just tried harder. But, I don’t read it that way. I think it is actually a…… Continue reading It’s not about trying harder
When it Comes to Freedom, Prepositions Matter
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Happy Independence Day. Let freedom ring. Are you thinking about freedom today? I’m sure many of us are, and I imagine the word “freedom” generates a wide range of emotions from different people all across our country as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States. What do you…… Continue reading When it Comes to Freedom, Prepositions Matter
Weavers of Hope
The Pope’s Two Building Projects “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone…… Continue reading Weavers of Hope
Being Held to Christ’s Bosom
Karoline Lewis, professor at Luther Seminary and a great lover of John’s Gospel, was the speaker at the Large Church pastors gathering a few weeks ago, and she shared something in her presentation that really struck me, and I wanted to share it, especially as another academic year has come to a close and this…… Continue reading Being Held to Christ’s Bosom
Considering the Animals on Earth Day
Any day is a good day to lift up and celebrate God’s deep relationship with and providential care for the animal kingdom, which is valuable and precious to God in and of itself, not just through God’s relationship with humanity. At the same time, Earth Day is a particularly good day to do this, and…… Continue reading Considering the Animals on Earth Day
Saturday’s Holy Silence
Today, words fail. Today is holy silence, holy darkness. Today, we ponder the mystery of death: that step into the unknown, that which lies beyond our grief, our loss. Today we consider the veil that separates life from death; today, it is as thin as it ever will be. This is the moment of great…… Continue reading Saturday’s Holy Silence
A Thought for Judas
Today is Good Friday. And, as always today, I am thinking of Judas. I have both written and preached about Judas before, and I have a heartfelt theological interpretation about him that always surfaces today in particular, but it actually informs much of my theological understanding of salvation in its entirety. There is a medieval…… Continue reading A Thought for Judas
Faith and Doubt
“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
We Are All Jonah
I want to offer a brief reflection on a great sermon that my colleague Sam preached in chapel yesterday on Jonah 3:1-10. It was a perfect sermon for the Lenten season, as we reflect on our own relationship with God and with others, repenting of where we have sinned and fallen short. Here is the…… Continue reading We Are All Jonah
Happy Lutheran 