As we mourn the loss of those who were killed and wounded in that Orlando night club just a few days ago I am pressed by a nagging thought. These mass shootings don't seem to be letting up, in fact, they seem to be getting worse.  After what happened in Paris and then San Bernadino, the prospect … Continue reading Mourning Again In A Culture Of Death →

It's out in no man's land that John the Baptist calls people to repentance. In fact, it was the people of Judea and Jerusalem who were going to him to be baptized.  Away from Zion and the Holy Temple to the mucky insignificant waters of the River Jordan.  It's there that they sought renewal.  Given … Continue reading On the Periphery: What John the Baptist May Teach Us Today →

Today is Memorial Day, the day in which citizens of the United States of America remember those who died fighting in various U.S. conflicts.  Such a day is usually filled with parades, barbecues, and solemn remembrances of the fallen.  Such a day is celebrated in many nations.  There's no denying that those who are willing … Continue reading Please Stop Misusing Jesus’ Words →

In the wee hours of the morning as I was sitting with our newborn Lilly I came across an article written by Dr. Paul Raabe of Concordia Seminary entitled "Do Non-Lutherans Pay Attention to LCMS Theology?" The very title intrigued me because it's a question that I've heard many times before or along similar lines like, … Continue reading Maybe We’re Not As Great As We Think We Are →

Last summer the legalization of same-sex marriage set off an apocalyptic firestorm amongst conservative Christians.  A cursory viewing of Facebook would have one convinced that the world as we know it was about to end.  Similarly, in the last few weeks, Donald Trump becoming the heir-apparent presidential nominee of the Republican Party and the conflagration … Continue reading The Birth Pangs Of Losing Control: Gays, Trump And Transgender Bathrooms →

If you asked my wife if she thought I was an obsessive at heart she would immediately respond with a "Yes!".  For better or for worse, I am what Freud would call an obsessive.  On a good day this prompts a deep desire to learn, to create and to love.  On a bad day I become … Continue reading An Exercise in Christian Narcissism →

In his great work The Cost of Discipleship Dietrich Bonhoeffer begins by writing about the problem of cheap grace.  Cheap grace, he writes, "means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks' wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices." Throughout the years I've heard some people claim that the notion … Continue reading Stop Trying To Comfort Me! →

Author's note: I edited some of this post due to the unneeded offense my wording caused. I am at a point in life and ministry in which I've become quite jaded by all of the God talk that comes from church leaders.  It's getting hard for me to stomach lines like "God is at work … Continue reading God’s Stamp of Approval? →

There's no denying that Resurrection Sunday is probably the most joyous Sunday of the church year.  With Easter comes the joyous message of Jesus rising from the dead and triumphing over the devil, sin and, of course, death.  As Jesuit priest James Martin along with many others on social media thoughtfully communicated: Easter changes everything.  We … Continue reading The Cognitive Dissonance of Resurrection Faith →