Early on in the current occupation cos-playing as an actual, functional administration … back during the slash-and-burn heyday of Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency,” Michael Flynn posted something on the X social media platform about Lutheran Social Services (LSS) being a money laundering operation. Elon Musk, owner …
During the ELCA Churchwide Assembly this week, a colleague from seminary, Scott Johnson, who is now Bishop of the Nebraska Synod, posted a piece he had written back in February with a view toward the election of the next Presiding Bishop of the ELCA (one of the major agenda items …
For those of you still needing to “do more research” or other checking to figure out which candidate to vote for in the upcoming election: STOP Stop pretending it’s about policy points or candidate background or facts or any other rational, logical process. Whatever you’re still looking for has nothing …
Maybe it’s taken so long for me to get back to this because this particular point is about to be very needed? The last few weeks on the national scene have brought a lot of upheaval and uncertainty. However, the connections between candidates and Project 2025/Agenda 47 should not be …
As noted two posts back, the three American heresies that I described reflect yielding to, rather than resisting, the temptations Jesus faced in the gospel stories often called The Temptation in the Wilderness. The previous post reviewed the basics of the story and the first challenge, turn some stones into …
As noted in the previous post, the three American heresies that I described reflect yielding to, rather than resisting, the temptations Jesus faced in the gospel stories often called The Temptation in the Wilderness. First, a recap of that story … then, an exploration of how things drifted from back …
In the tradition of giving something up for Lent, I have determined to give up American heresies. Not all of this is uniquely American; much of this has long roots elsewhere and some are ancient. However, old roots transplanted into a new environment can give rise to something both old …
Perhaps the very oldest proclamation of Christian belief is to say: This Jesus, the Anointed One – who was crucified, buried, and risen, is the Lord of All. In the era where the story of Jesus played out, to say, as followers of this Jesus did, that Jesus is Lord …
After starting on Ash Wednesday, the season of Lent comes to Sundays with the story of Jesus facing temptations or testing in the wilderness. These accounts from three of the four gospels, plus the opening chapters of the Book of Job and a few other mentions of the satan (or …
The word used for the Church season between Epiphany and Easter is Lent, which derives from an old word for spring, a season of increasing light. Originally Lent was a time of intensive preparation for the sacrament of baptism at the Easter Vigil service. In more northern climes, fasting was …