“Grace” is a difficult word for us to define today. Sometimes it means graceful, like in the smooth movements of a ballet dancer. Sometimes it means to say grace (thank you) at a meal. But mostly for Bible readers today it means the gift of salvation in Christ, as explained by the Apostle Paul in […]
Read MoreTransformation into a different personality is something God’s Spirit does to and for us. Our part is to spend time in the Spirit’s workshop—believers gathered around God’s Word and sharing its meaning for them. What about a more aggressive approach? What can we do to move ourselves along more quickly to become more like Christ? […]
Read MoreMany still observe the New Year tradition of making resolutions to improve their personal lives, by losing weight or whatever. Most such resolutions usually involve steps they will take to make them feel better about themselves and their lives. They usually want more patience, or better relationships, or just plain more joy in daily living. […]
Read MoreChristmas and Easter. These two church holidays usually see an increase in attendance. Ours is by a factor of three. Such C & E Christians typically don’t show up at weekly services. What is your attitude toward such Christians whose church life is so shallow? One counter-productive approach is to scold them for not being […]
Read MoreHearing stories of transforming moments offers hope that there is something beyond routine living day by day. James Loder provides a helpful explanation. He had his moment early in his career as a professor at Princeton Seminary. He spent the rest of his academic years explaining it in biblical and psychological terms. His moment came […]
Read MoreI derive satisfaction from figuring out how Christ’s Spirit can change and even transform human personalities. Some of my insight on this comes from listening to a Learning Company recorded lecture by Dr. Andrew Newberg. Then I read his book The Spiritual Brain: Science and Religious Experience. Better yet was when he teamed up with […]
Read MoreAt a retreat, I was sitting next to a physician who was the radiologist at the local community hospital. The speaker told about the miracle that happened when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Just before surgery, they took another X-ray. The cancer was gone. I asked the radiologist, “Does that really happen?” “More often […]
Read MoreAccording to Jesus, the Spirit really does influence humans and their behavior. As he explained to Nicodemus, pneuma “influences” pneuma (John 3: 6). The Greek pneuma is used in English to mean wind or air, as in pneumatic tools that work with high air pressure. In context, it is clear that Jesus was talking about […]
Read More“Music is an outstanding gift of God and next to theology. It is an endowment and a gift of God, not a gift of men. It makes people cheerful; one forgets all anger, unchasteness, pride, and other vices. I place music next to theology and give it the highest praise.” So observed Martin Luther. Music […]
Read MoreWe Lutherans make a big deal about the Reformation. We celebrate it on October 31, the date in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. These very scholarly statements challenged the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church at that time, which was the only institutional […]
Read MoreWhat will church cultures look like in America as it transitions into the post-Christian era? Pivotal for my understanding of a fresh perspective on church life was the study of Gordon Fee’s 967-page book God’s Empowering Presence (1994)—his careful and thorough study of the 169 references to the Spirit in the Apostle Paul’s letters. He […]
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