It didn't take long for people to change their profile pictures to that of the Belgian flag after the terrorists attacks occurred in Brussels yesterday. It was a thoughtful response and a way to show solidarity with the victims and the people of Belgium. This is now the second ISIS attack in Europe that has … Continue reading What Brussels Might Teach Us This Holy Week
Author: scottgeminn
College Professor, Lutheran Pastor, struggling along “The Way” of Jesus.
Choosing Barabbas and Making Sense of Trump
As we stand on the precipice of Holy Week we are about to encounter various situations and persons in the Gospels that we only hear about in church once a year. On Good Friday we will hear about Barabbas, the man who Pilate released to the crowds over and against Jesus of Nazareth. That the … Continue reading Choosing Barabbas and Making Sense of Trump
Making A Deal With the Devil: Presidential Politics 2016
Living in an age in which Donald Trump could end up being the president of the United States of America has the ability to make one cynical, or at the least, grow in their cynicism. I am not immune to this. Cynicism is an easy alternative, an easy coping mechanism when faced with the prospect … Continue reading Making A Deal With the Devil: Presidential Politics 2016
Vibram Five Fingers and God’s Good Creation
Author's Note: This is not a condemnation of sneakers or the benefits of technology, it's meant to evoke thought, imagination and meditation about God's creation. The author wears shoes and sneakers most of the time. I recently purchased a pair of Vibram Five Fingers for running. In part this was due to the influence of a … Continue reading Vibram Five Fingers and God’s Good Creation
Meditation – “Beware the Leaven…”
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” - Mark 8:15 Beware of the centers of power, the people go out to the wilderness for good reason. Beware of the comforts of tradition, they can serve as an excuse not to think. Beware of the in-crowd, because they are “in” they … Continue reading Meditation – “Beware the Leaven…”
Of Course Jesus is Possessed by Satan!
Jesus begins his first ministry campaign by calling fishermen from the north country of Galilee to be his disciples. One would think he would’ve started somewhere in the vicinity of Jerusalem, the center of Jewish religious life and devotion. After all, Jesus was in the area when he came down to be baptized by his … Continue reading Of Course Jesus is Possessed by Satan!
Temptation Redux
In these last few years I’ve come to realize that the temptations that Satan put before Jesus must have been incredibly challenging and difficult for him to resist. I think I failed to realize this because of an overemphasis on his divine nature (Doceticism) that ends up ignoring the human nature/aspects of Jesus and the … Continue reading Temptation Redux
Marauding David and Jesus
In the Gospels Jesus only references King David two times. This has always struck me as odd considering that he is the Son of David and is referred to as such by quite a few people from disciples to beggars. One would think Jesus would have taken more license and used his being the “Son … Continue reading Marauding David and Jesus
Stopping Too Soon
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of … Continue reading Stopping Too Soon
Foolish Love
There’s something in the story of the Prodigal Son that really stands out to me and catches my attention every time I read it. It’s the foolish love of the Father that is best captured in verse 20 of chapter 15 of Luke’s gospel. Luke writes, “But while he (son) was still a long way … Continue reading Foolish Love
A Foolish Way 