"...we may be despising and rebelling against a divine ordering of things..." Below is an essay I wrote back in 2014, with one very slight edit of word order. Because a dear brother in Christ fondly recalled it and asked if he might use it in his Intro to Pastoral Theology course at Concordia Theological … Continue reading These Pleasant Places
He Will Come and Serve: The Passage
Initial thoughts on the text for "He Will Come and Serve" A sermon on Luke 12:35-40 (ESV) New Year's Eve, 31 December 2017  Most of our popular English translations use the same word "master" in verses 36, 37 and 39. The ESV, NIV, NKJV and NASB all translate in these three verses with "master." … Continue reading He Will Come and Serve: The Passage
Unmoved by Affliction: The Passage
A first look at 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 Preparing for Midweek Advent Service II, 6 December 2017 Paul's ministry demonstrates the Spirit of spiritual care for the faith and lives of others. He repeats his earnest desire to see them face to face several times in this epistle. Besides concerns for their physical safety, Paul is … Continue reading Unmoved by Affliction: The Passage
On Christian Unity: The Passage
A few weeks back, I was teaching a Bible Study on Church History for students at Wayne State College. We've been tracing events in world history, including the good and the bad of Christian responses. Sometimes the Church was on the receiving end of violence and government coercion. Such hardship brought people together around what … Continue reading On Christian Unity: The Passage
The Mistress of The House: The Passage
To Zarephath! With Elijah, we follow along as this week's Old Testament reading from 1 Kings 17:17-24 leads us to the home of a widow. She rules over her household there, in obedient service to the Lord and direct support of his prophet's life and ministry. Elijah's presence there is the result of the Lord's … Continue reading The Mistress of The House: The Passage
The Prison Chapel Porter
I step out of the blinding, scorching summer heat and enter the second set of steel doors into the prison chapel. Takes a minute for my eyes to adjust enough to take in the room. There's a guy by the altar. His back was to me and he didn't look up, but then again the … Continue reading The Prison Chapel Porter
The Tom Sawyer Approach
"Tom Sawyer... skips school to swim and is made to whitewash the fence the next day as punishment. He cleverly persuades his friends to trade him small treasures for the privilege of doing his work. He then trades the treasures for Sunday School tickets which one normally receives for memorizing verses consistently, redeeming them … Continue reading The Tom Sawyer Approach
Isaiah 50:4 Blues 