The Father’s Loving Discipline
4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore,…
Attention to U.S. Hunger at White House Conference
When the ELCA signed a request of President Biden to host a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger, and Health, the group of organizations stated: “We can end hunger in America, and a public commitment to a White House Conference, with ending hunger as a key priority, is an essential step in accomplishing this goal” (March 14, 2022 Letter). The conference sponsored by the White House on September 28 became the second of its kind in over half a century. Tackling hunger, nutrition and health in America was the theme, accompanied by the announced Biden-Harris Administration National Strategy on…
Prompts for Prayers of Intercession – October 9, 2022
These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are prepared by several leaders in the ELCA and reflect current world and national events. You are encouraged to adapt and add other concerns for your local context, including staying informed of events and concerns in your synod. Intercession prompts: For an end to the continued violence and war in Ukraine… For those recovering in the aftermath of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, including our siblings in the Florida-Bahamas Synod and the Caribbean Synod… For the ministries of American Indian and Alaska…
Valley of the Shadow of Death: Please Keep Me in Prayer
I have really been going through it. I won’t disclose exactly the source of it all (not sinful or anything), but I have a load of anxiety pulsating through my body even as I type this. The Lord is working, and things are getting better; but I would desperately ask that you hold me up in prayer as you remember me. I literally felt as if I was walking through the valley of the shadow of death, as near as last night. I’m still in that valley, but hopefully mostly through it, and on the upward bound. Stress and anxiety…
October 2, 2022–Duty!
Joshua Serraro, San Carlos, CA Warm-up Questions What does duty mean? Do you believe that you have any duties as a child, sibling, student, or citizen? Duty! John Stewart is an actor, comedian, and talk show host. He is probably most famous for hosting The Daily Show, a comedy news show, for many years. Stewart is also a well known advocate for 9/11 first responders and the military. Recently he did an episode on his Apple Tv show, The Problem with John Stewart, talking about toxic burn pits from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The military dug large holes…
Christian Presence in Jerusalem
Today, September 27, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a statement in support of HM King Abdullah II following his speech at the UN Assembly in NY on September 20. The speech raised concerns about threats to the Christian presence in Jerusalem. Jerusalem Patriarchs and Heads of Churches Statement about HM King Abdullah’s UN Speech HM King Abdullah II speech can be watched here. ELCA Blogs
Reflecting on Advanced Theology Degrees and a Theology of Glory
I know some tire of me opining on what has been called a ‘theology of glory’ (which is a negative thing), but for me it is seemingly something the Lord always has convicted me on ever since I started radically walking with him. This was of course a theme for Martin Luther who is known for his theology of the cross versus what he identifies as a theology of glory (that of the schoolmen). I believe, ultimately, the Apostle Paul is really the greatest advocate for living a life in the theology of the cross (which of course includes resurrection and ascension). In light…
Prompts for Prayers of Intercession – October 2, 2022
These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are prepared by several leaders in the ELCA and reflect current world and national events. You are encouraged to adapt and add other concerns for your local context, including staying informed of events and concerns in your synod. Intercession prompts: For relief and recovery efforts following Hurricane Ian and Typhoon Noru… For communities grieving and rebuilding after flooding in Pakistan… For all areas of the world who have suffered recent natural disasters… For the health of creation… For peace amidst leadership…
Situation Report: Hurricane Fiona
Situation: Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 18. The storm brought torrential rainfall and dangerous flooding and knocked out electricity across the entire island. Hurricane Fiona also caused major flooding in the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean islands. Afterward, it moved north and impacted the eastern coast of Canada. Flooding in Puerto Rico Response: Lutheran Disaster Response is responding to Hurricane Fiona through the Caribbean Synod. The synod is providing gift cards for people impacted by the flooding so they can purchase their immediate needs. As the damage from the hurricane is assessed, Lutheran Disaster Response and the…
The Monad’s Banqueting Table: On Classical Theism’s Affectionless God
Classical theism is once again a hot-topic. If you scroll through theo-Twitter you will find an in-house debate on the entailments of a classical theism. But this isn’t just reducible to the debate between the Reformed Baptists, and the impact that Thomas Aquinas has had upon the development of their respective types of Reformed and/or Calvinist theology. This debate is ongoing amongst philosophical theologians like Ryan Mullins, Steven Nemes et al., and whatever their alternative offering might be—whether that be an ‘open theistic’ understanding, or something more phenomenal. And then of course we have the charge against folks like Barth,…