Date: Seventh Sunday of Easter, May 16, 2021 Texts: Acts 1:12-26; Psalm 1; 1 John 5:9-15; John 17:11b-19 Context: The lectionary designates this the final Sunday of the season of Easter. While technically accurate, it’s unfortunate that by falling on Thursday, the Ascension of our Lord is generally overlooked by the Church. The readings emphasize our relationship to our resurrected… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – May 16, 2021
First Visits
We’ve been blessed to make three congregational visits this month as we finalize our time in California and prepare to pack and move away. Two in-person visits and one online presentation to congregations we are somewhat familiar with, and that I’m friends with the pastors of. We’ve never been worried about the visitation and presentation… Continue reading First Visits
Reading Ramblings – May 9, 2021
Date: Sixth Sunday of Easter ~ May 9, 2021 Texts: Acts 10:34-38; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1-8; John 15:9-17 Context: We near the end of the Easter liturgical season. The readings become more and more pointed – what is the response of God’s Easter people, how do we live who wait the return of our Lord in… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – May 9, 2021
Reading Ramblings – May 2, 2021
Date: Fifth Sunday of Easter ~ May 2, 2021 Texts: Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 150; 1 John 4:1-21; John 15:1-8 Context: To appearances, Satan and the world continue to gain the upper hand over Jesus and his followers. Stephen has just become the first Christian to die for his faith. Yet Luke does not take the… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – May 2, 2021
Virtual Meets
As we move further into the process of building a network of partners to support our work overseas, we are limited by time and responsible use of finances in terms of how many different places we can physically visit. However thanks to COVID, ironically, we’ve all learned better that when we can’t be together in… Continue reading Virtual Meets
Orientation Completed!
Another week here in St. Louis at the International Center, the second week of our mandatory orientation. While last go-around focused on helping prepare people to make presentations to congregations, this week focused more on considering and preparing for the monumental shifts that come in relocating to another country. Spiritual and emotional health need to… Continue reading Orientation Completed!
Reading Ramblings – April 18, 2021
Date: Third Sunday of Easter – April 18, 2021 Texts: Acts 3:11-21; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36-49 Context: As we continue in the season of Easter (and every Sunday is really a celebration of Easter, regardless of the liturgical season) the readings emphasize the effects of the resurrection reality. Though a bit confusing… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – April 18, 2021
Envy
It’s hard to know what to talk about at this point in our preparations for overseas church work. It isn’t as though things aren’t happening, it’s just that they aren’t the exciting sorts of things that partners are looking forward to hearing about. We aren’t deployed to the field yet. We don’t have beautiful pictures… Continue reading Envy
Reading Ramblings – April 11, 2021
Date: Second Sunday of Easter – April 11, 2021 Texts: Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 148; 1 John 1:1-2:2; John 20:19-31 Context: Easter is a season as well as a specific date. Our Lord rose three days after his crucifixion, and this unparalleled event in human history is given a liturgical season to better flesh out more… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – April 11, 2021
Reading Ramblings Intro
For years now – over a decade – it has been my practice to provide some food for thought on the readings for worship. This does several things. It helps me begin my process of thinking about the texts for the upcoming Sunday, including some preliminary isogogical and exegetical work. It also hopefully has been… Continue reading Reading Ramblings Intro
The Nelson Family Indonesia 