Today we were blessed to worship with the people at Blessed Savior Lutheran Church in New Berlin, Wisconsin. Pastor Sander had invited me to preach for both services, which I think was a blessing not only for me but also for him, as he was struggling with a health issue that made standing very painful… Continue reading New Berlin, WI
Category: Theology
Reading Ramblings – July 25, 2021
Date: Ninth Sunday after Pentecost ~ July 25, 2021 Texts: Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 136:1-9; Ephesians 3:14-21; Mark 6:45-66 Context: God is the Creator of all things. This means God is master of all things. There is nothing that happens without God’s either direct will (the Flood) or permission (Job). This is how we are to… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – July 25, 2021
Reading Ramblings – July 18, 2021
Date: Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 18, 2021 Texts: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 23; Ephesians 2:11-22; Mark 6:30-44 Context: Just starting the reading at Jeremiah 23:1, we might be inclined to interpret the words as directed towards the priests as shepherds of God’s people. However if you start at Chapter 21 you see this is… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – July 18, 2021
Reading Ramblings – July 11, 2021
Date: Seventh Sunday after Pentecost ~ July 11, 2021 Texts: Amos 7:7-15; Psalm 85; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:14-20 Context: The Word of God often stands in stark contradiction to the rules of polite society or the transitory whims of human nature, not to mention the insistent rebellion of outright evil. Speaking the Word of God… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – July 11, 2021
Reading Ramblings – July 4, 2021
Date: Sixth Sunday after Pentecost ~ July 4, 2021 Texts: Ezekiel 2:1-5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Mark 6:1-13 Context: It remains my longstanding tradition not to preach sermons for secular holidays. I don’t preach about dads on Father’s Day, or love on Valentine’s Day, or our nation on July 4th. As such, I will… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – July 4, 2021
Travel Day!
Today we bid goodbye to our friends and hosts – the Asburys – in Norfolk. This necessitated a bus ride to Omaha, where we rented a car and headed to Sioux City, IA. I’ve actually wanted to ride a Greyhound bus ever since I first heard Simon & Garfunkle’s haunting tune America. A desire I’ve… Continue reading Travel Day!
Reading Ramblings – June 27, 2021
Date: Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, June 27th, 2021 Texts: Lamentations 3:22-33; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15; Mark 5:21-43 Context: The lessons for today don’t appear to work together very well. The reading from Lamentations is a brief ray of sunlight in an otherwise very dark and sorrowful book. The psalmist rightly directs praise to… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – June 27, 2021
In the Air
Incredible, that we can in the span of 2 hours of actual air time move halfway across the country, leaving behind the brownscape of the southwestern desert to land in the lush greenery of the mid-west. What a blessing our technology is in so many ways, and what an amazing example and fulfillment of our… Continue reading In the Air
One-on-One
A lot of how we were prepared to build a network of partners focused on meeting with large groups of people – congregations. I’m sure from one angle this makes a lot of sense. If you talk with a lot of people at one time it’s a more efficient use of your time and there’s… Continue reading One-on-One
Reading Ramblings – June 20, 2021
Date: Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 20, 2021 Texts: Job 38:1-11; Psalm 124; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41 Context: At least in America, there is a stream of Christianity that emphasizes that life in Christ is a life victorious. Not victorious solely over sin and Satan and death – which we are very definitely victors over… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – June 20, 2021
The Nelson Family Indonesia 