(…continued) Many church councils have had long discussions about how to make worship times more convenient and forms of worship more acceptable. It is as if it is the council’s job to help people fit worship into their busy schedule and specific preferences, if that is even possible. Many congregations offer options, such […]
386) Don’t Take it Easy (part two of four) Read More »
In his book Prairie Parables Lutheran pastor Dave Johnson writes: It is now easier than ever to get to Oldham, South Dakota, my hometown. The old Meridian highway, now called Highway 81, has been much improved over the years. I can remember when it used to take a wide circle around sloughs, when
385) Don’t Take it Easy (part one of four) Read More »
One does not grow in faith spontaneously. What we believe about original sin tells us that sin is what increases spontaneously. Sins, like weeds, will grow unattended and without effort. This is how we get into some of the habits that we don’t want and would like to get rid of. And when we
361) Faith and Habits (part three of three) Read More »
To speak of the habit of going to church is looked upon by many in a negative way. It sometimes said with disapproval, “They just go to church out of habit.” But we must be careful about judging other people’s motives. Do we ever fully understand even our own motives? Besides, even if someone
360) Faith and Habits (part two of three) Read More »
Occasionally I would question my eighth grade confirmation students about their worship attendance. I’d ask them to tell me how often they attended church and why. I’d then ask some other questions to help me understand their attitude towards worship and the church. The results were always interesting. The reason almost everyone at that
359) Faith and Habits (part one of three) Read More »
A vast majority of the American people believe there is a God. God is all powerful. He holds all the cards. You are here because he put you here. If he so chooses, God can decide how long you will stay here; and, if there is to be anything else for you after
331) Paying Attention to God Read More »
Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you by God. How often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks, but you were not willing.” –Luke 13:34 In the Biblical stories we see many wonderful blessings by God, but
330) What Does God Want? Read More »
James Weldon Johnson was born in 1871 in Jacksonville, Florida. Though he is best known for his writing, he was gifted with many talents. He was a poet, novelist, songwriter, anthologist, and newspaper publisher. He was also an educator (high school principal at age 23, and for many years a college
270) The Negro National Hymn Read More »
In Part Five of his Small Catechism, Martin Luther (1483-1546) teaches us about the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Luther repeats some of the same concepts he taught in Part Four on the Sacrament of Baptism. He asks of each, ‘what benefits do we receive,’ and in both he replies, ‘the forgiveness of
180) Martin Luther on Holy Communion Read More »
From a blog entitled Why Millennials are Leaving the Church by Rachel Held Evans. To see the full article and more by Rachel Evans, go to http://www.rachelheldevans.com …The assumption among Christian leaders, and evangelical leaders in particular, is that the key to drawing twenty-somethings back to church is simply to make a few
176) Give These Young Folks What They Want Read More »
