Index of the July 2025 Issue of Administration Matters
Issue 100 of Administration Matters Online hearings – 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly The 2025 Churchwide Assembly hearings will be held on Microsoft Teams in the weeks prior to the assembly. These informative, nonlegislative sessions provide an opportunity to hear certain proposals scheduled for action at the 2025 Churchwide Assembly. In accordance with ELCA Constitution 12.31.A25., voting members, advisory members, resource members and people who fall under other categories approved by the Church Council may attend with voice. Others may watch the hearing yet shall not have voice. Hearings will take place 6-7 p.m. Central time on the following dates: Tuesday,…
John MacArthur, Near Death and the Parousia of Christ
Longtime pastor and seminary Dean, John MacArthur, is currently on his way to be with the Lord. It was announced at his church, Grace Community Church, in Sun Valley, CA, that JMac has come down with a pneumonia that he isn’t expected to survive (like only days left). This is sad news, but also points-up, once again, that this life truly is but a vapor. May we hold his family and close friends up in prayer at this time. Relatedly, I have been a longtime critic of JMac’s, online in particular. I started out my blogging career in 2005 bantering…
For what shall we pray?
“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here. Prayer prompts: For an end to war, violence, and genocide across the world, especially in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Israel,…
Evil, The ‘Ancient Menace’: Christ is Victor!
My recent readings in Barth’s Church Dogmatics have me engaging with his development on a doctrine of nothingness (i.e., sin and evil). The particular section I am reading has been exceedingly edifying. The passage I am going to share from him is a summarizing type of statement of what he has been treating heretofore. As I was reading this section it gave me great hope to ponder the present and forthcoming realities, as those relate to Christ’s victory over nothingness-sin-evil, and all that entails eschatologically. It is hopeful to ruminate on the concrete victory of Christ vis-à-vis the despair and…
And Moved into the Neighborhood
And Moved into the Neighborhood By: Deacon Erin Brown – Lutheran Office for World Community The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood (John 1:14) This verse from Saint John’s gospel, particularly The Message translation, has consistently been on my heart over the past few weeks. As people of faith, I believe we have a lot to share about what it means to be a loving neighbor, especially in light of the recent immigration executive orders. As a Christian people, we give witness to the fact that God, through whom the world was created, became a…
Miscellanies On Barth Reception and the Homoousious as Hermeneutic
I wrote these for other social media outlets of mine. I thought I’d share them here as miscellanies. People reject Barth out of hand simply because they’ve been told that Barth is ultimately a liberal (still). But these same people have never actually read Barth enough to know whether that be true or not. Coming from someone, an evangelical conservative Christian (me), who has both read Barth and Barth literature extensively, and published on Barth, these people are simply living in a willful land of ignorance. Granted, Barth’s 𝑜𝑒𝑢𝑣𝑟𝑒 is extensive. But there are ways into Barth that can introduce you…
For what shall we pray?
“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here. Prayer prompts: For an end to war, violence, and genocide across the world, especially in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Israel,…
Worship Resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers
Augsburg Fortress is the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers that support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from other partners in a monthly blog post. Share your All Creation Sings experience As we approach the 5-year anniversary of the release of All Creation Sings, we are interested in the impact that this resource has made in your congregation and community. Share a photo of a copy of All Creation Sings where you…
Barth, Bobby, and a Trinitarian Pietism
… This means that in spite of all his undeniable efforts to move away from Pietism, Barth was clearly too closely attached to it to be able to attack the innermost bastion of Pietism held by his reviewers. In the following section we will elaborate on the decisive point where he was still closely attached to Pietism in spite of everything.” -Eberhard Busch, Karl Barth & the Pietists, trans. by Daniel W. Bloesch (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 2004), 65. This is probably another reason I have so resonated with Barth over the years. My background, of course!, as an…