The title of my article plays around with the Robin sayings from the old Batman & Robin series. I Googled it, and Robin exclaimed everything from “Holy Alphabet, Batman!” to “Holy Love Birds, Batman!” to “Holy Zorro, Batman!” But let’s talk about why this article is entitled “Holy Admiration”….. Continue Reading »
Posted in Devotional, Inter-Faith Relations, Lutheran Church | Tagged Atonement, Batman, Batman & Robin, Christ, Christian Faith, Christianity, Discipleship, Eighth Commandment, Exodus 20, First John 4, fullest revelation, fullness of salvation, God the Son, good news of Jesus Christ, Gospel, Holy Trinity, Hope, Interfaith, Jesus, Jew and Gentile, john 3:16, Love, Lutheran, Lutheranism, Martin Luther, One God, religious faith, Romans 1, Salvation, Sikh, Sikhism, Small Catechism, Spirituality, Theology, turban, Yeshua |
Our Tanzanian brothers and sisters use a special Swahili word to describe their understanding of community. The word is “ujamaa” and it is most accurately translated as “family-hood.” It is a unifying term that the Tanzanian government has urged all Tanzanians to embrace in order to transcend their various tribal identities in favor of a unified national identity. And the concept of ujamaa is often represented by carvings of interlocking people mutually uplifting, encouraging and caring for one another. Continue Reading »
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, Public Sphere | Tagged Apostolic, bishop, Body of Christ, Called by God, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Church, clergy, diocese, Ephesians 2, Ephesians 4, Evangelism, Faith, Grace, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Holy Temple, Hope, Household of God, Israel of God, Jesus, Jews and Gentiles, layperson, Love, Lutheran, Messiah, One Mankind, parishioner, pastor, priest, saints, Son of David, Son of God, Spiritual Gifts, Stewardship, synod, Tanzania, tribal, tribalism, Ujamaa, Word and Sacrament, Yeshua |
We should not feel bad about feeling bad. Within our society that idealizes feeling “happy, happy, happy” all the time, we can sometimes be shamed into feeling bad about feeling bad. However, this is not right, because it is an unrealistic societal pressure placed upon us that only makes us feel worse. Continue Reading »
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, Science & Religion | Tagged Ascension, Atonement, Bronze Serpent, Christ is risen, Christianity, cross of Christ, crucifixion, Death, Devil, Easter, Failure, Faith, forgiveness, Grace of God, Grief, Guilt, Healing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 3, Lord and Savior, loss, Mental Illness, Moses, Mosheh, Numbers 21, Redemption, Regret, renewal, Resurrection, Salvation, Shame, Sin, Spirituality, Wholeness, Yeshua, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach |
In John chapter 17, our Lord Yeshua (Jesus) prayed for his universal community of believers and disciples called the Body of Christ (The Christian Church). This prayer in John 17 is known as his great High Priestly prayer for us, and in this prayer he states the following: Continue Reading »
Posted in Devotional, Inter-Faith Relations, Lutheran Church | Tagged 2017 AD, 325 AD, 500th Anniversary of Reformation, Apostolic, Body of Christ, Christ, Christian Church, Christian Unity, denomination, Easter, Eastern Orthodox, ecumenical, Egyptian Coptic, Ephesians 4, From Conflict to Communion, God the Father, God the Son, Grace, Greek Orthodox, High Priestly Prayer, Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, Jesus, Jews for Jesus, John 17, Judeo-Christian, Lord of Life, Lutheran, Lutheran World Federation, Mary the Mother of our Lord, Messianic Jews, Nicaea 2025, One Baptism, One Church, One Faith, One Lord, Pontiff, Protestant, Queen Elizabeth II, Redemption, Resurrection of our Lord, Risen Lord, Roman Catholic, Savior, Third Council of Nicaea, Third Millennium, Vatican, Word of God, Yeshua, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach |
One of the best spiritual internet memes I’ve seen for Ash Wednesday and Lent says the following: “We are all equal. We came here by birth and will leave in death.”
The Church Season of Lent starts on Ash Wednesday when we hear again the words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” And the day we call Ash Wednesday is an annual reminder of our mortality in order to encourage us to turn toward God in penitential reflection and prayerful dedication. In addition, this special day begins our annual Lenten journey of spiritual devotion in preparation for the coming of Holy Week and Easter Sunday, totaling forty days and six Sundays of Lent (46 days from Ash Wednesday). And of course, the seventh Sunday following Ash Wednesday is Easter Sunday, the Sunday celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Continue Reading »
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, Science & Religion | Tagged Alpha and Omega, Ash Wednesday, ashes to ashes, Big Bang, Christ, Creation, cross of Christ, Death, dust and ashes, dust to dust, Empty Tomb, Eternal Life, Everlasting Life, Evolution, from everlasting to everlasting, Good Friday, Good News, Gospel, Holy Week, impermanence, Jesus, Lent, Love of God, Messiah, mortality, remember that you are dust, repent, return to the Lord, to dust you shall return, Universe, Yeshua |
As disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to share our faith in Jesus with all people. In fact, our Lord and Savior Jesus said the following: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-19). And, of course, there is the Lord Jesus’ famous fishing statement: Continue Reading »
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, Public Sphere | Tagged Bread of Heaven, Bread of Life, Charity, Christ, Christian Mission, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, Follow me, Hope, J2e3, Jesus, John 6, Mark 1, Matthew 19, Matthew 28, Messiah, Outreach, Share Jesus, Sinners, spiritual beggars, unchurched, we are beggars, Yeshua |
Sha’alu Shalom Yerushalayim (“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem”) is a Hebrew exhortation and blessing from Psalm 122 of the Holy Bible. In this Psalm, God both exhorts us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and promises us a blessing, saying, “May they prosper who love you.” Continue Reading »
Posted in Devotional, Lutheran Church, Public Sphere | Tagged Acts 1:11, Advent, Ben-David, Ben-Elohim, Ben-Miriam, Christ, Christmas, Eternal Life, Forgiveness of Sins, Genesis 12:3, Gentiles, Good News, Gospel, Ha-Mashiach, Holy Spirit, inner peace, Israel, Jerusalem, Jesus, John 8:12, Josheph and Mary, Joy, King of Kings, Life Everlasting, Lord of Lords, Luke 2:10-14, Luke 2:29-32, Mary, Matthew 5:9, Messiah, Peace, Peace on Earth, Peace-keepers, Peacemakers, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Prince of Peace, Psalm 122:6-7, Romans 13:1-7, Salvation, Sha’alu Shalom Yerushalayim, Simeon, USA, War, World War, Yeshua, Zechariah 14:4 |
