The Hope of Leviticus 25, Part 1
The Hope of Leviticus 25, Part 1 [Photo credit: An Idyll of the Deep South, by Aaron Douglas, 1934] Christians often give short shrift to large swathes of the Old Testament. Baked into much of Christian culture is a latent, misguided notion that the Hebrew Bible is all laws and fire and brimstone. That’s a... Continue reading→
Presentation of our Lord
Presentation of our Lord The Sunday after the Epiphany (Jan 6) is always Baptism of our Lord. However, with two Sundays back in Advent focusing on John and his baptism at the river, I decided to take a different text with resonant themes. Presentation of our Lord is a "lesser festival" appointed for February 2... Continue reading→
Wealth, Justice, and the Kingdom of God
Wealth, Justice, and the Kingdom of God For the second week in a row, I neglected to address in my sermon the elephant stomping around the Sunday Scripture readings. Last week I did not speak about marriage and divorce – which were central themes in both the Genesis and Mark texts. This week I was... Continue reading→
Marriage, Divorce, and the Misuse of Scripture
Marriage, Divorce, and the Misuse of Scripture This Sunday I did not address the elephant stomping around the appointed Scripture – divorce, and by extension, human sexuality and the tortured interpretation history of Genesis 2 and Mark 10. To be clear, no Scripture should ever be used as a “clobber text” to blame and shame... Continue reading→
Reverence
Reverence In many Lutheran congregations it is a common practice to reverence the altar and the cross (usually positioned in the same place), especially for worship leaders such as acolytes, pastors, and assisting ministers. This act of reverence is usually performed with a slight bow toward the cross and the altar – an act of... Continue reading→
When Would I Deny Someone Holy Communion?
When Would I Deny Someone Holy Communion? The US Conference of Catholic Bishops is considering a statement on communion practices that could deny admission to the Lord’s Table to politicians who support pro-choice public policies. The Roman Catholic Church carefully stewards the Eucharist, welcoming to the Table those in communion with Rome (this is why... Continue reading→
Who Is Our Neighbor?
Who Is Our Neighbor? Last week we held our first Know Justice, Know Peace Bible Discussion out in the New Joy Pavilion. We began by listening deeply to Scripture – using the Collatio method we’ve used at New Joy for Praying the Psalms.
Job Opening: Office Manager
Job Opening at New Joy Lutheran The New Joy Personnel Team is actively looking for a person to fill the role of Office Manager. Please consider sharing this opportunity within your networks, or consider your own call to serve the church in this way. All interested applicants: Please submit a resume and letter/email stating interest... Continue reading→
Know Justice, Know Peace
A Public Bible Exploration Series
“Purity Culture” vs “Promise Culture”
"Purity Culture" vs. "Promise Culture"