Baptized Into Christ

Out of nowhere, yesterday a dress was all over my Facebook feed.  Why?  Because it appeared black and blue to some and gold and white to other people (I'm strange I guess, because it looked light blue and gold to me...). The science behind why some see different colors in this instance is pretty well understood , but the idea of people seeing the same thing in different ways was absolutely fascinating to many people.  My wife, being a scrapbooker and having an eye for color, found the dress interesting because how people see colors is important to how she does layouts and how she takes pictures of them.  To others, it was fascinating because they wanted to know the "why" behind it. To me, it wasn't all that interesting.  Except...I just can't help reading things like this through a theological lens. Some see blue and some see white.  Does that mean that both are right?  Nope.  The dress is objectively a certain color.  It isn't "whateve...

Inigo Montoya: "He's dead. He can't talk." Miracle Max: "Whoo-hoo-hoo, look who knows so much. It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do." Mostly dead, but not all dead. Such is the way in which many churches and pastors view the fallen nature of humanity.  We're born "mostly dead," but not all the way dead.  Many believe that there is a "divine spark" that still exists within humanity.  The Hollywood version of this is Darth Vader having a spark of good still within him that allowed him to turn from "the dark side." Sorry Miracle Max, but when it comes to humanity, mostly dead is a lie. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5) And you were dead in the trespa...

Last week we celebrated national Lutheran Schools Week.  All over the country (in fact there are Lutheran Schools all over the world) Lutheran Schools had special events and did fun things like sports day, school spirit day, and the so on. But what makes Lutheran Schools so special?  Why are they worth the cost to a congregation?  Why not just assimilate our kids into the other schools? Here are just some of the reasons that Lutheran Schools are worth the cost. The most important job that parents have is raising their children in the Christian faith.  Obviously parents can raise their children as Christians without a Lutheran School, but the reality is that it is harder without the help that you can receive at a Lutheran School.  Instead of a curriculum that is entirely secular, your child gets to see all things through the lens of Christ.  Rather than children being left to pray on their own, they learn to pray with their teachers and other child...

Recently the big news was that David Petraeus, the retired 4 Star General, former Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, director of the CIA, had hastily resigned after it was discovered that he had been having an affair. This is indeed a sad story, as it is always sad when a marriage is damaged by infidelity.  It is a tragic story for the wife of Petraeus. But what pricked my interest was the comments that I heard after the news broke. "The problem is that Americans have a prudish view of sexuality." "We need to be more like European and South American nations that simply expect for leaders to have a mistress.  After all, this is simply how men are wired.  We can't expect them not to have a mistress." "What's the big deal?  Clinton did the same thing and stayed in office." Sadly, the reason Petraeus had to retire wasn't because he had acted immorally or lowered his office by his behavior, but because in having an affair he might hav...

Who is St. Paul’s Lutheran church for?   What kind of a church is it? Those are questions that our members might encounter or even have asked themselves.   What's the answer?   Here are some of my thoughts, though certainly incomplete, it should get you headed in the right direction. Who is St. Paul’s for? (Yes, I know that this is a grammatically incorrect way to ask the question, but it's how people speak.) -               It’s a church for you if you are a broken sinner.   Because the church is Christ’s church, we welcome sinners who are struggling and we are here to love you, support you, and be there for you. -               It’s a church for you if you are married, single, or divorced.   Because the church is Christ’s church we affirm the Biblical teaching that marriage is a wonderful blessing and...

There's no better time than the beginning of the school year to think about the role that parents play in the education of their children. The classic Lutheran understanding is that the parents are responsible for the education of their children. The school is there to help, but the responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the parents. This is also the case for their spiritual education. Our Lutheran School, Sunday School, and church are all ways in which children learn the things of God, but is is primarily the responsibility of parents (and specifically fathers) to instruct their children in the things of God. This happens by what we say to our children.   This happens by the examples we set for our children. This happens by the things we show that we value by what we choose to be a part. This happens by the things we show that we value by involving our children in them. Teaching children the things of God isn't optional, but the primary responsibility ...

The Second Commandment You shall not misuse the name of the Lord of the Lord your God.   What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks. The First Petition of the Lord's Prayer Hallowed be Thy Name.   What does this mean?   God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also. How is God’s name kept holy?   God’s name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it.   Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven!   But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God’s Word profanes the name of God among us.   Protect us from this, heavenly Father! The Second Commandment and the First Petition of the Lord’s Prayer go hand in hand.   Both, ultimate...