Tag: into

The evangelical churches in North America, in particular, and in the West, in general, have largely been secularized. To say something has been secularized has broad affect. But primarily, I am wanting to emphasize how pagan Enlightenment categories have been uncritically swallowed by the churches. Whether that be to affirm climate change (as “creation care” or ecotheology), softness on Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer-Intersex (i.e., “gay Christians”) issues, critical theory and critical race theory, Liberation theology, and a whole host of other antisupranaturalistic Enlightenment categories and ideologies, the evangelical churches, by and large, have allowed themselves to be defined by. And if the culture,…

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…

The following is shared from the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) newsletter for Wednesday, April 9, 2025.  Commemorating Bonhoeffer, Living into his Legacy Today, April 9, marks the 80th anniversary of the death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor-theologian who resisted the Nazi regime and was executed at Flossenbürg Concentration Camp just weeks before the end of WWII.   Over the past year Lutherans, advocates, and those committed to justice on behalf of their neighbor have been steeped in the legacy of Bonhoeffer and the lessons his theology and life have to offer us as disciples also working at…

I shared the following sketch, diatribe of sorts, on X just yesterday. A so-called Theobro (all bro no Theo) reshared it for his friend group, and they went to town. Memeing me galore. Dismissing me out of hand from their dilettantism. Not recognizing that I was leaving space for evangelizing, so to speak, even the philosophers; albeit in non-correlating ways. I.e., taking the philosophers’ respective grammars and language bags, and retexting them in a way that they are deployed in service of the King; insofar that that is possible or advisable. These guys are all bark and no theological bite….

Advent begins today. So also, today begins a new format of Faith Lens. Don’t worry. Faith Lens will still bring current events into conversation with the rotation of Bible passages many congregations use on Sundays. If you’re curious about that set of readings, which is called the Revised Common Lectionary, you can find many helpful resources here.. You can also read more about the Revised Common Lectionary’s history. Advent is a word that means “arrival,” “start,” or “approach.” The advent of something isn’t its completion, but it is the beginning of the thing. We’re beginning this era of Faith Lens…

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but…