Archive for the ‘Religion’ tag
I Agree with Philip Pullman…
… about one thing. And that is that stories teach. They, in fact, often teach more effectively than any other method I could name.
Here is what the controversial author of The Golden Compass (vol. 1 of His Dark Materials) had to say when accepting an award for it in 1996: [...]
Boar’s Head Festival – Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI
Tonight, my family attended the annual Boar’s Head Festival at Julie and my alma mater, Concordia University in Ann Arbor, MI. Back in the olden days, when we were students, Julie sang in the choir and I wore stockings and carried a spear. Neither of us had been to the [...]
Homily for Seminary Wives Retreat
Sem Wives RetreatEvening SuffragesNovember 16, 2007Text: Jeremiah 31:1-34
v. 33 “I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Martin Luther used to have a saying: “Let God be God.” It sounds pretty obvious. Of course God is God. Who else would He be? Certainly it is true that [...]
Homily for 23rd Sunday After Trinity (today)
The is the sermon I preached today at Redeemer as our pastor was away.
Twenty-Third Sunday After TrinityNovember 11, 2007Text: Matthew 22:15-22
People say that the two topics you should never bring up in polite conversation are politics and religion because those are two topics about which most people have strong opinions. With another presidential election [...]
Pullman’s "The Golden Compass"
Many of you have seen the spectacular preview for the upcoming movie, The Golden Compass, which is based upon the novel by Philip Pullman of the same name.
The Golden Compass is the first volume of the well-known and rightfully controversial His Dark Materials Trilogy. I’ve read the books and expect the movies to be [...]
Laughing at Ourselves: Through a Screen Darkly 2
As part of my preparation for a youth retreat I’m speaking at this weekend in Marshall, Michigan, I’ve been studying a new book by Jeffrey Overstreet called Through a Screen Darkly. I’ve long been a reader of his blog.
Yesterday, I read his comments on a film I actually have not seen. It’s called [...]
Reviving Private Confession
There’s a neat article in the Wall Street Journal about the renewed emphasis on Confession in both Roman Catholic and non-Roman circles. Here it is.
Sometimes when you talk about going to private confession, otherwise conservative Lutherans look at you like you’ve grown a second nose on your face. It’s like they’ve never heard [...]
Seminary President Comments on ELCA’s Approach to Homosexuality
Comment on ELCA’s Action by Dr. Dean O. Wenthe, PresidentConcordia Theological Seminary
Sacred Scripture is the living voice of Jesus. Here the Risen and Ascended Lord speaks to us through His prophets and apostles. His voice is pure, holy, and healing. He names those evils that consume human [...]
Preaching to Future Preachers
Here is my seminary chapel homily from this morning:
Kramer Chapel HomilyAugust 2, 2007Text: Acts 26: 1-23
St. Paul was called before kings and governors to explain himself and defend his apostolic ministry. In so doing, he gives us a very nice summary of what a minister in God’s church is to be about.
He [...]
The Devil is Your Friend
300 came out on DVD today, the new film based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller. It’s a pretty riveting action film inspired by the ancient battle between 300 Spartans and about 80 zillion Persians.
As much as I enjoy the film with it’s stylish action sequences, a better rendition of the story is [...]
