I am sitting here in the shiny B concourse at Dulles, getting ready to fly to Japan. I am very excited about this trip–I think it is going to be my favorite of them all. I have been to Japan once before, but never Kyoto, which is the religious heart of Japan–full of temples and…… Continue reading On my way to Japan
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Beyond Penal Substitution
I just got home from a very good, very traditionally Lutheran Good Friday service. The liturgy was excellent, as was the music. However, the strongest impression with which I left the service is how problematic it is when we rely exclusively and heavily on the “penal substitution” theory of atonement. (As the name suggests, this…… Continue reading Beyond Penal Substitution
Three Perfect Days?
Now that I am back from India, I am trying to integrate the whole experience, putting it all together in such a way that the diverse pieces form a coherent picture. For me, this is not as easy as it sounds, primarily because I still am struggling to make sense of the grueling, grinding poverty…… Continue reading Three Perfect Days?
My Last Day in India!
So today was my last full day in Hyderabad, and it was a great day, with lots of time with the family: John, Shiphra, Joshua, Joseph, Victoria (John’s mother)–and then at the end, David, Shiphra’s cousin. We started the morning going to church, of course. Their congregation is Andhra Lutheran Church, Hyderabad Parish–Lakdikapool (area of…… Continue reading My Last Day in India!
Heating Up in Hyderabad!
So, it is really getting hot here; and the heat, plus the terrible traffic adds up to not much fun trying to get around the city and see things. It’s time to come home! (Seriously, how many days can I be expected to survive without little Henry? John, too, of course! :-)Nevertheless, today was another…… Continue reading Heating Up in Hyderabad!
Out and About in Hyderabad
Hyderabad has seen an explosion in population and building in the last 5-10 years–technology, primarily; and they also just built a gorgeous new airport about an hour out of down. All good, except when it comes to evening traffic. Now, since I have been in India I have seen some bad traffic, and I consider…… Continue reading Out and About in Hyderabad
Last stop, Hyderabad!
I forgot to mention one interesting thing about my room. I had assumed that there weren’t many Muslims here in Madurai–I always assume that there are more of them in the north, just because of the history of partition. However, I think that assumption is incorrect, for two reasons. First, there is a mosque right…… Continue reading Last stop, Hyderabad!
Sri Meenakshi Temple
I spent much of today wandering around the Sri Meenakshi temple, which is, as my guidebook says, not so much a temple as a 6 hectare complex; and every inch is absolutely breathtaking. Even now, sitting at my iPad, I’m not even sure how to begin to describe it. It was packed with people, full…… Continue reading Sri Meenakshi Temple
Out and About in Madurai
I am in my last hotel of the trip, in my penultimate destination city. [I’ll say more about my last stop, Hyderabad on Thursday]. I am only in Madurai two days, and I came here for one thing and one thing only: to see the Sri Meenakshi Temple, one of the grandest temples in all…… Continue reading Out and About in Madurai
The Last Day in Chennai
Today was my last full day in Chennai: tomorrow I fly to Madurai. Today started early again, as I took a cab over to Gurukul at 8:15, in order to be there by 9:00 am. The United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India has its offices there, and I was doing the short homily for their…… Continue reading The Last Day in Chennai
Happy Lutheran 