Everyday Lutherans

I had a conversation with someone the other day and something really stuck out. "People just need to commit to the church and choose to follow Jesus."  The conversation continued and the person was longing for a church that was only within their mind.  Longing for more people to follow the message of Jesus Christ and the life that he has given to them.  This person hoped and longed for more to gather with them. The person had watched movies about what the church should be, important practices, along with studies that were published online by Biblical teachers that had their own TV show.  These teachings, movies and voices, are loud within the society, the people who cling to it are willing to put money, energy and passion behind it.   As a church leader, I have heard a lot of this, it seems that this understanding of God and the church resonates well with the people.  It makes sense, it is clear, and it explains a lot about this world.  Yet I wonder, j...

Ever since the beginning when Adam was given the power to name the creation, we have continued to label, name and define.  Now a name is a powerful thing, it is our identity, it is how people recognize, call us, and remember us. I believe it was Shakespeare who said, "A rose by any other name is just as sweet." Which is true, I mean the name that we have does not really define our characteristics. If I would list the name of a person, you may have someone come to mind because you know a person by that name.  You can think of their hair color, their height, if they are a good friend, good in school or some other characteristic about that person.  Or even an item, if I say a chair, you may think of a flat surface with a back rest with four legs for support. Yet even when we think we know of what something is does not mean that it is always that way or can not be changed.  Let's talk about a chair. A chair does not need four legs. There are times that our definitions ne...

When I was a kid, I grew up thinking that God was this old man with a long white beard.  He sat on a big throne and had a lot of people who were singing around him.  But I was always afraid, I thought that God was one who looking out for the things that I was doing wrong.  Yet then Jesus would come and tell me things were going to be ok.  That God had been sitting on the throne for a long time but really he meant well and loved me.  As time went on my understanding of God grew, as it should because my relationship with God grew as well. I began to realize how that understanding of God was so true.  God wanted what was best for me and wanted me to realize the LOVE that He truly shared for me. Yet in my teen years, while your whole body and world seem to be put into this blender of reality and nothing seems to work out right.  You can also begin to wonder, doubt, and be down right frustrated with God.  For these two voices of God looking out for wha...

With the bombings that took place in Boston, I began to remember all the other tragedies that have taken place in the world as of late.  From shootings, bombings, wars, world wars, and even threats of nuclear war. With all the suffering  pain and death still around us, it is kind of a challenge to hear that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and through that resurrection, defeats the Devil, Sin, and victory over death. We hear this word but then bear witness to this reality.  Are the words simply a hope?  Are they meant for some future time in which Jesus will come again and place within the Earth: peace, justice, and love? If the words are an account of what actually happened, why is there still sin?  Why is there still death? I am not going to lie, I do not have the answers.  I will join with the people who are lamenting and cry to the one who will ultimately answer these questions and so many others that people raise.  I will use t...

Three days after Jesus' disciples witnessed him dying on the cross, the women went to go and care for his body and prepare it for final burial.  However when the women went to the tomb, they found the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus gone.  A messenger, an angel of God, told them that Jesus was not among the dead but is now among the living.  Jesus had been Resurrected. How did they react?  Like many of us do, they were shocked, amazed and basically confused.  Even among the disciples there were those who did not believe.  Not until Jesus appeared to them and they were able to see the wounds upon Jesus with Jesus living right before them once again. Then Jesus tells these men and women to go and share this news with everyone.  They do even when they were confronted with death, they would not go against the message that they knew to be true. So what was accomplished here within the resurrection?  Well that depends greatly on the faith tradit...