In the few days before this emergent village theological conversation event thingy I was kind of nervous. I was thinking about the fact that it has literally been like two years since I read a theological book. I’ve read… a few books between now and then, but nothing with the kind of depth that we…
The Body of Christ
we are the church
thinking ecumenically and maybe a little politically
Lately, I have been having quite a few conversations, theologically and politically with fellow pastors. It would be fair to say that my current colleagues are more conservative than my colleagues in seminary or college. And what amazed me was the fear that “liberal” colleagues expressed 8 years ago over the Bush administration are the…
marriage: job of the state or of the church
…why it is that clergy are able to sign that piece of paper. It is because we are licensed by an approved body (the church). Or rather, it is because the state recognizes the license I already have. I could get licensed by the state to perform weddings, as a friend of mine did, but I already have a license. No need. Also – the only real “official” thing clergy does as far as the state is concerned is sign the piece of paper…
Who Would Jesus Smack Down?
This morning one of our small groups met and I started Joyce Rupp’s “The Cup of Our Lives” with them. It thought it went really well! I’m also now up to 5 youth and a male chaperone besides myself who are able to go on our youth mission trip this summer. Which is fantastic! I…
Winter
Yeah, I know it’s been winter for like three weeks now, but we are getting some pretty heavy winter weather in Iowa this week. I normally take Monday mornings off – to recouperate from the weekend – and then head in to the office after lunch. But I didn’t really feel like shoveling the driveway,…
those silly lutherans…
In my small town, there are basically five churches: Presbyterian, Nazarene, Catholic, LCMS, and my United Methodist church. Outside of town there is a UCC church and an ELCA church that participate with us. We have a fairly good relationship among all of the churches and together have a ministerial alliance that distributes funds for…
welcoming the sojourner
I’m attending a conference right now in Illinois about immigration and the church. And I have been incredibly moved by so many of the personal stories, the images and videos of raids and border crossings, the statistics, the songs from across the world, and the witness of people of faith. It has been not only…
politics in the pulpit – and sharing a fantastic story
I’m still amazed of this whole story, and now it is a video. Head over to Jay Voorhees site for this great story for all of us: Red and Blue or watch it below I’m using it as my children’s sermon this Sunday. And I’m using pieces of Noonan’s Patriotic Grace. And I’m really excited…