Creation of Adam, Michelangelo (Wikimedia Commons). Sunday, Jan. 19. First, the good news: I'm getting lots of reading done. I've even finished three or four chapters of Ilia Delio's "Christ in Evolution" (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2008), and I've had plenty of time to read slowly and think about what I'm reading. Which means I'm beginning to understand … Continue reading Hospital journal 1: A merry romp through abstract theology, Christology, rabbit holes and a lovely prayer for good courage
‘We all have to step up’: A Christian scholar’s New Year’s resolve to fight back as Trump 2.0 threatens people of faith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca9zLuXn8ws Kristin DuMez at Dayspring United Methodist Church, Oct. 21, 2014 (Good Faith Media). Normally I'm not very big on New Year's resolutions. I don't know I won't get hit by a bus tomorrow, and I don't have the attention span to follow through on them anyway. But after reading a Substack piece by Kristin … Continue reading ‘We all have to step up’: A Christian scholar’s New Year’s resolve to fight back as Trump 2.0 threatens people of faith
The spirit blows where it will, and this time the spirit blew me from my parish church in Springfield to a synagogue in Galilee and Luther’s Marienkirche in Wittenberg
Restored ruins of 4th-century synagogue at Capernaum (Wikimedia Commons). John 6 (NRSVUE). 59 He said these things while he was teaching in a synagogue at Capernaum. 60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61 But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, … Continue reading The spirit blows where it will, and this time the spirit blew me from my parish church in Springfield to a synagogue in Galilee and Luther’s Marienkirche in Wittenberg
Praying to Einstein’s God (or Spinoza’s)? Dominican discernment journal (2 of _)
Raphael, 'Ezekiel's Vision,' 1518 (Wikimedia Commons). Second of (__) journals based on my answers raised by questions sent to Dominican Associates in advance f an Aug. 24 retreat at the motherhouse in Springfield. See HERE for more info in the first journal. Today's questions, on our Relationship with God, ask: “Who is God for you … Continue reading Praying to Einstein’s God (or Spinoza’s)? Dominican discernment journal (2 of _)
‘We’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden’: Stray thoughts on original sin, medieval and Reformation theology
Jan Brueghel the Elder and Pieter Paul Rubens, Fall of Adam and Eve (Wikipedia) God is not a noun, that demands to be defined, God is a verb that invites us to live, to love and to be. -- The Right Rev. John Shelby Spong, Twitter, April 20, 2015 (qtd. Wikipedia) Maybe it's dumb luck, … Continue reading ‘We’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden’: Stray thoughts on original sin, medieval and Reformation theology
‘I believe … I cannot believe’: A mantra from Luther’s Small Catechism to lead me on when the night is dark
Léonard Gaultier, Christ Heals an Epileptic Boy, ca. 1580 (National Gallery). Mark 9 (NRSVUE): 14When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them and some scribes arguing with them. 15When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet him. 16He asked them, “What are … Continue reading ‘I believe … I cannot believe’: A mantra from Luther’s Small Catechism to lead me on when the night is dark
‘I believe; help my unbelief’: Praying with anxiety (spiritual direction, January 2024)
Lightly edited copy of an email I sent to my spiritual director in advance of our session for January. I think it's important to say what it is -- and isn't -- as we start a new year. I've been writing these for several years now, primarily in order to help me focus my mind … Continue reading ‘I believe; help my unbelief’: Praying with anxiety (spiritual direction, January 2024)
Turkish-American scholar: ‘What I find most hurtful in this whole (Gaza) situation is the reduction of complexity’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7BjYNMEcgg&t=326s Analysis by FRANCE 24's international affairs editor [4:40-5:37], Dec. 11, 2023 When I was growing up in small-town East Tennessee, people who weren't familiar with my Norwegian surname would sometimes call me Ellerstein, substituting the common suffix in Jewish names for the -t-s-e-n that doesn't roll trippingly off an English speaker's tongue. I thought … Continue reading Turkish-American scholar: ‘What I find most hurtful in this whole (Gaza) situation is the reduction of complexity’
A Jesuit, a Protestant reformer and a spiritual mutt walk into an ER (instead of a bar): How I’m learning to trust God
Pilgrims entering Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem, November 2012. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. -- Proverbs 3:5-6 (NRSV): Our prayer doesn’t change God’s mind, it changes us. It helps us change our own minds and hearts. It … Continue reading A Jesuit, a Protestant reformer and a spiritual mutt walk into an ER (instead of a bar): How I’m learning to trust God
Saints, sinners (an echo of Luther’s simul justus et peccator?), politics and ‘both-and’ dialog in Pope Francis’ interview
Editor's (admin's) note. When I shared this on Facebook, I introduced the link with this headnote: "New post to my spirituality blog. In which I'm reminded: (2) We're complicated; (2) Pope Francis' remark about saints and sinners sounds like Luther; and (3) it's always a good idea to look for 'both-and' dialog and reconcile differences." … Continue reading Saints, sinners (an echo of Luther’s simul justus et peccator?), politics and ‘both-and’ dialog in Pope Francis’ interview
Luther and the indwelling ‘Christ present in faith’ — Finnish theologians, Irish Jesuit offer a way of coping with a scary diagnosis
Matthias Stom, St. Peter at Prayer, ca. 1633-40 (Wikimedia Commons) One thing about getting a cancer diagnosis -- it tends to focus your mind, especially if you've been working on your prayer life already. Increasingly since I was diagnosed toward the end of October, I've been falling back on what's sometimes called the Prayer of … Continue reading Luther and the indwelling ‘Christ present in faith’ — Finnish theologians, Irish Jesuit offer a way of coping with a scary diagnosis
Richard Marius: Notes & quotes
d r a f t More information on Martin Luther biographer Richard Marius, whom I knew at UT-Knoxville and mentioned in passing in my Nov. 11 post on Martin Luther's concept of the indwelling of Christ. I'm rereading his 1973 biography Luther and wrote: One of my professors at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Richard … Continue reading Richard Marius: Notes & quotes
Finns re-examine Luther on justification by faith, the indwelling of Christ and other theological headaches
Luther, second from right in back row, and theologians, 1557 woodcut (Wikimedia) A couple of weeks ago, I noticed an item on the Patheos website by Ted Peters, emeritus professor of systematic theology and ethics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. I like to check him out from time to … Continue reading Finns re-examine Luther on justification by faith, the indwelling of Christ and other theological headaches
An interfaith ‘aha! moment’: Reading John Wesley’s journal on the love of God and Luther’s theology of justification by grace
O wad some Power the giftie gie usTo see oursels as ithers see us!-- Robert Burns ("To a Louse") Some people have spiritual "aha! moments" at retreats or in the presence of God at the seashore or on a mountaintop. And some of us, I guess, are fated to have our moments of clarity while … Continue reading An interfaith ‘aha! moment’: Reading John Wesley’s journal on the love of God and Luther’s theology of justification by grace
Spiritual direction, August 2022
Editor’s note. Lightly edited copy of an email I sent to my spiritual director in advance of our monthly meeting for August. I email her every month, mostly to focus my mind before we meet, and I archive them here so I have a record of issues I’ve dealt with over time. Being able to consult them … Continue reading Spiritual direction, August 2022
Who am I in Christ? Who are the people of God? A surprising answer from Ireland that brings the abstractions down to earth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkLzIeztC3c Shuan Davey, "The Deer's Cry" [St. Patrick's Breastplate]. [...] Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me, Christ in me,Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,Christ when I arise, Christ to shield meChrist in the heart of everyone who … Continue reading Who am I in Christ? Who are the people of God? A surprising answer from Ireland that brings the abstractions down to earth
Praying St. Ignatius’ colloquy with a story from the Talmud about Hillel the Elder and a corny Latin pun by Martin Luther
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APMu32sC2nM There Is No White Jesus | Famalam | BBC Three | April 12, 2017 Editor's (admin's) note. Second of two posts in which I try to imagine an Ignatian Colloquy, a one-on-one conversation with Jesus, on a series of Zoom calls. It's a prayer technique adapted from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. I’ve … Continue reading Praying St. Ignatius’ colloquy with a story from the Talmud about Hillel the Elder and a corny Latin pun by Martin Luther
Dear Christians, one and all rejoice! — we can study Johann Walther’s (and Luther’s) first chorale book online
d r a f t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpNsuVQ3sUg Selections by Today I stumbled across a YouTube post I expect to spend a lot of time with, even though it features music that's not exactly on the charts today -- and it's a pretty wonky thing to curl up with for light summer reading. It's an audio file … Continue reading Dear Christians, one and all rejoice! — we can study Johann Walther’s (and Luther’s) first chorale book online
Can an 11th-century legend of St. Patrick teach a 21st-century skeptic to pray? Echoes of a hymn from my confirmation
An Ignatian colloquy for Trinity 2020 -- 2 of ___ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fqzWs6KPoE St. Patrick's Breastplate, arr. Rod Lewis, Columbia, S.C., Trinity Sunday 2020 Editor's note. As I try to jumpstart my prayer life, I've been experimenting with Jesuit prayer exercises known as Ignatian contemplation and the Triple Colloquy, in which you imagine yourself interacting with Jesus. … Continue reading Can an 11th-century legend of St. Patrick teach a 21st-century skeptic to pray? Echoes of a hymn from my confirmation
Ow! Again I say to you, ow! False witness and civility in a polarized society
Editor's (admin's) note: Lightly edited text of a blast email I sent to participants in the "Sundays@6" online congregational book discussion group I co-facilitate on the Ten Commandments, ahead of our session on the eighth commandment (by the Lutheran and Catholic system for numbering them and the ninth by the most common Protestant system) forbidding … Continue reading Ow! Again I say to you, ow! False witness and civility in a polarized society
How a Zoom class on the 2nd (or 3rd) commandment, Luther’s catechism and a Latin pun suggest a God I can pray to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WppMKwpXsQs Trailer for the Rev. Adam Hamilton's curriculum, "Words of Life" The last couple of weeks, I've been doing something I never thought I would ever do -- I'm teaching a Sunday school class. In more exact terms, Debi and I are co-facilitating an adult faith formation class on the 10 Commandments over Zoom. It's … Continue reading How a Zoom class on the 2nd (or 3rd) commandment, Luther’s catechism and a Latin pun suggest a God I can pray to
‘Words of Life’ — blast email for a parish bible study on the 10 Commandments (also numbering and Luther’s catechism)
d r a f t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Xxhupj_6Q&list=PLFcbGPrXfjC0FA8pvDscNH6dnfNFbvXs3 Week 2 - Do Not Make an Image for Yourself Editor’s (admin’s) note: Lightly edited email sent to participants in a Sunday evening adult faith formation Zoom discussion that Debi and I are co-facilitating at our Lutheran church in Springfield, Illinois. It follows Words of Life: Jesus and the Promise of … Continue reading ‘Words of Life’ — blast email for a parish bible study on the 10 Commandments (also numbering and Luther’s catechism)
‘Words of Life’ — emails for first faith formation class on the 10 Commandments, held online due to the pandemic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WppMKwpXsQs&t=9s Editor's (admin's) note: Excerpts from emails sent to participants in a Sunday evening adult faith formation Zoom discussion that Debi and I are co-facilitating at our Lutheran church in Springfield, Illinois. It follows Words of Life: Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today, a book with supplemental material by the Rev. Adam … Continue reading ‘Words of Life’ — emails for first faith formation class on the 10 Commandments, held online due to the pandemic
A Franciscan take on the presence of God in all of God’s creation — including brother wolf … and all of us
Second of two posts looking ahead to the new liturgical year and making new (church) year's resolutions. For the earlier post, link HERE. Mural of St. Francis, Creative Commons Prayer. Photo Jim McIntosh (CC BY 2.0) Fr. Richard Rohr's daily meditation for Friday poses a theological question I want to work on in the coming … Continue reading A Franciscan take on the presence of God in all of God’s creation — including brother wolf … and all of us
A new (church) year’s resolution poses a question — is music ‘an agnostic’s spiritual practice?’ My answer: I don’t know yet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjAuBTLdqPg&t=18s Paula Bär-Giese, soprano; and Hans Meijer, lute, in character as Katie von Bora and Martin Luther, perform 'From heaven above I come' and 'A child is born in Bethlehem' agnostic (n.) 1870, "one who professes that the existence of a First Cause and the essential nature of things are not and cannot be known" … Continue reading A new (church) year’s resolution poses a question — is music ‘an agnostic’s spiritual practice?’ My answer: I don’t know yet
A ‘Zen Lutheran’ morning prayer
Luther and family, by Gustav Spangenberg, ca. 1875 (Wikimedia Commons). Prayer and meditation have never been my long suit -- I don't have the patience for either. But thanks to a recent bout of pneumonia, I may have found a practice that works for me. It combines two of my interests, Western Buddhist spirituality and … Continue reading A ‘Zen Lutheran’ morning prayer
A spiritual mutt discovers Franciscan spirituality in a time of apocalypse, learns he knew at least some of it all along
Click here https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2021/ for directory. Last week I signed up for Richard Rohr's daily meditations. I figured a brief daily exercise might lend a little discipline to my spiritual routine (or lack thereof) in these days of lingering pandemic, self-quarantine and isolation. I've read his stuff before, and it liked it. So I haven't been … Continue reading A spiritual mutt discovers Franciscan spirituality in a time of apocalypse, learns he knew at least some of it all along
What Luther said about the presence of God in his cabbage soup and why it matters
"Religionsgespräch [Colloquy] zu Marburg," Christian Karl August Noack, 1867 (Wikipedia) Seen on the unofficial ELCA discussion group's Facebook page, an allusion to Luther's comment "that God is [present] in his cabbage soup." I'd never seen it before, and I loved the quote! Hence this blog post, so I'll know where to look for it. Maybe … Continue reading What Luther said about the presence of God in his cabbage soup and why it matters
Of teacher-bashing, political vitriol … and a cure for invective in Luther’s catechism
Editor's (admin's) note. I'm sharing an email message to a family member replying to a blast email headlined "Everyone Wants Kids in School -- Except for the People Who Are Supposed to Be Teaching them!" [Bang mark in the original.] We've gone round and round before about what I perceive as teacher-bashing, and this time … Continue reading Of teacher-bashing, political vitriol … and a cure for invective in Luther’s catechism
Canned fish at Christmas, the ‘most charitable construction’ and Luther’s catechism: Notes on a Norskie heritage
Editor's note: While I was looking for other posts to link to my year's-end spiritual formation review, I came across this draft. Apparently I started it just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit town, and I never got back to as my concerns and priorities shifted dramatically. It looked like it was worth salvaging, so I … Continue reading Canned fish at Christmas, the ‘most charitable construction’ and Luther’s catechism: Notes on a Norskie heritage
A Jesuit, Martin Luther and a statehouse reporter walk into an elevator … surviving the aftermath of this year’s election
Tennessee State Capitol, Nashville (Wikipedia) In an online election-eve article titled "Jesuit tools to help you survive the election (and its aftermath)," Fr. James Martin, SJ, laid out some tips for America magazine readers on "navigating the rough emotional waters over the next few days, weeks and perhaps months or years." Naturally enough, they come … Continue reading A Jesuit, Martin Luther and a statehouse reporter walk into an elevator … surviving the aftermath of this year’s election
ROFLMAO — what would Luther’s 95 Theses sound like in an corporate office email memo to all staff?
Luther posts the 95 Theses, by Ferdinand Pauweis (1830-1904). Wikimedia Commons. Posted today to the "Daily Shouts" section of the New Yorker's website, a humor piece by Patrick Crooks, a contributing writer who also describes himself as a "Creative thinker. Strategic problem solver. Administrative professional." He's certainly creative, and he's obviously written an administrative office … Continue reading ROFLMAO — what would Luther’s 95 Theses sound like in an corporate office email memo to all staff?
Augustana Synod outtakes — cut during final edit, paper for ALPLM on ‘Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden’
CUT FROM CONCLUSION: In quite a different context, folklorist James Leary suggests the multi-ethnic dance bands of the 1940s and 1950s in the upper Midwest created a “creolized, regional repertoire” out of Norwegian, Swedish, German, Slavic and “Scandihoovian” musical licks. “Here,” he proclaims, “reside North Coast creoles.” I am sure that L.P. Esbjörn, Paul Andersen … Continue reading Augustana Synod outtakes — cut during final edit, paper for ALPLM on ‘Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden’
Spiritual journal for August — further thoughts on Word and sacrament in a time of pandemic
Email sent today to my spiritual director, lightly edited. Since it quotes extensively from this blog (and WordPress isn't letting me do block quotations the way I want to), I am putting my email message in lightface italics and leaving quoted material in Roman type. Hi Sister -- [* * *] Not very much to … Continue reading Spiritual journal for August — further thoughts on Word and sacrament in a time of pandemic
Elijah and the word of the Lord: No windstorm, no fire, no earthquake. Just get back to work (Pentecost X)
1 Kings 19:11-13 (NRSV) [The word of the Lord] said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the … Continue reading Elijah and the word of the Lord: No windstorm, no fire, no earthquake. Just get back to work (Pentecost X)
Working on a Swedish-American history paper and reading Luther in a global pandemic: Spiritual direction journal, July
Copy of an email sent tonight (Saturday) to my spiritual director. Lightly edited in the interest of making sense and removing obvious illiteracies. Hi Sister -- Just a quick note -- quicker than usual this month -- to confirm that unless I hear otherwise from you, I'll be calling you Monday at 2:30 p.m. for our … Continue reading Working on a Swedish-American history paper and reading Luther in a global pandemic: Spiritual direction journal, July
An unfinished outline on a Finnish theologian: Mannermaa, theosis and Lutheran-Russian Orthodox dialog
NOTE: This is something about Luther's concept of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that I was working on last month, before I learned my proposal had been accepted for the Illinois History Conference sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum -- and my priorities changed! Now I have to crash my paper, … Continue reading An unfinished outline on a Finnish theologian: Mannermaa, theosis and Lutheran-Russian Orthodox dialog
Phillip Cary on Luther — sola scriptura with a twist of performance anxiety
Now here's a guy who's on my wavelength ... Phillip Cary, who teaches philosophy at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pa., has a book out with the somewhat daunting title The Meaning of Protestant Theology: Luther, Augustine, and the Gospel That Gives Us Christ. I hadn't heard of him before, but I saw a review … Continue reading Phillip Cary on Luther — sola scriptura with a twist of performance anxiety
Book review: Luther, Protestants on Gospel as ‘auditory sacrament’
Jason Micheli, "Why Be Protestant?," review of The Meaning of Protestant Theology: Luther, Augustine, and the Gospel That Gives Us Christ, by Phillip Cary, Christian Century, May 18, 2020 https://www.christiancentury.org/review/books/why-be-protestant. Excerpts: Cary locates the distinctive contribution of Protestant theology to the body of Christ not in its divergence from the great sacramental traditions of Catholicism … Continue reading Book review: Luther, Protestants on Gospel as ‘auditory sacrament’
Spiritual direction — journal for June
Copy of email (lightly edited) sent yesterday to my spiritual director, summarizing what I've been trying to do in the past month and suggesting an agenda for our next session. Jun 19, 2020, 7:44 PM Hi, Sister -- Just a note to confirm our spiritual direction meeting at 2:30 p.m. and give you a general … Continue reading Spiritual direction — journal for June
Was Luther a mystic? Hard to say. But an offhand Latin pun and a Lutheran T-shirt offer a new way of thinking about it
Volunteers from First Lutheran Church, Rock Island, Illinois, serving at smörgåsbord. Augustana Founders' Day Reunion, 155th anniversary, Andover, Illinois, April 25, 2015 I have begun to preach and lecture once more; in fact, yesterday I preached in your place. ... Christ lives; and we are Christs -- with and without the apostrophe (Christi sumus in … Continue reading Was Luther a mystic? Hard to say. But an offhand Latin pun and a Lutheran T-shirt offer a new way of thinking about it
Spiritual direction — seeking a ‘new normal’ during a global pandemic
Since I started spiritual direction a couple of years ago, I've emailed my spiritual director ahead of our monthly sessions ... summing up what I've been journaling about since our last meeting and, more to the point, getting a little focus on themes I've been working on and, more to the point, new directions that … Continue reading Spiritual direction — seeking a ‘new normal’ during a global pandemic
Throwing an inkpot at the virus? Some wisdom for a brutal time from a 14th-century mystic, Luther’s catechism and a Buddhist meditation
https://www.facebook.com/peacelutheranspringfield/posts/1102830350102257?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARByBlc4lICuCA3vbsOF2dLVNReMDsC3fJcGbrDztTKMxNo7Yvk36ysoFlDJzD0AjhazR37AdoCzxxZuDHgOSTeU7wMNZJHOH4NtVU1vEuxxIwp9X1x2a19pJQVTjJnwIv3-6xgaRxMzac51V9kC0Nc-IibArTGMvuSMLvgucLkZnsDmGFSNt_1y3ASEsoUy4YJflA7EPxMscK0Krt4-gFeyXndJBtF2EB_U0FLgYzTAs2kKZJcY1Yz_eSP_WFFUAF2iavb-HNYUJB2NiykhTFtg_HIshv8sgl5pzaoWylvBsKc6RfHEQRW80RZqYw9YSQDt_pIyYn7tGa5tR7ctiBH-wDWfaixAwBPL-N-1OVwkIm-4c4BZQsMIl2KnDd2JTJT2GulOxnrb-v7BLrlgEMmAWQl8VRDd0ZO79BEaS06LXV1M0GBYaobP72iKPquEZ01ByNdcjrQPHDM44Qjnwk_wqr6ZsSJpMstVjOSInMRHw4PWO-87Zw&__tn__=-R Mostly I do church online these days, like most of my relationships in self-quarantine, and last week Peace Lutheran shared a passage on Facebook from the 14th-century mystical writer Julian of Norwich. I was feeling down -- frightened might be a more accurate word -- after two and a half months of the COVID-19 … Continue reading Throwing an inkpot at the virus? Some wisdom for a brutal time from a 14th-century mystic, Luther’s catechism and a Buddhist meditation
Spiritual direction — journaling in a time of pandemic and social distancing
Copy of email sent today to my spiritual director and posted here to provide a monthly update on themes we’ve been working on and my progress (or lack thereof). Lightly edited to fix obvious illiteracies. Sr. __________ -- I hope all is well with you as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Debi and I have been … Continue reading Spiritual direction — journaling in a time of pandemic and social distancing
Luther on church, Anabaptists (copy)
Notes on my post at https://hemlandssanger.wordpress.com/2019/08/23/note-luther-quote-on-anabaptists/ on Luther's quote about the church as a "little flock of the faint-hearted, the feeble, and the ailing, who feel and recognize the wretchedness of their sins" in his sermons on John 1-4. Copied here from Hemlandssånger, Aug. 23, 2019 for convenient reference ... --- Screen shot Aug. 23, … Continue reading Luther on church, Anabaptists (copy)
Of Luther's Catechism, daily prayer, the spiritual exercises of Loyola and the communion of saints in a time of plague
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdEURn4NEas Carl Schalk, Luther's Morning Prayer, Summer Music Academy, Valparaiso University, 2018 Here's something I've been struggling with since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Springfield: How do you do communion when you can't go to church and take communion? I hadn't realized how much my spiritual life centered on singing in the choir and weekly celebration … Continue reading Of Luther's Catechism, daily prayer, the spiritual exercises of Loyola and the communion of saints in a time of plague
Theology, shmeology: When is an answered prayer like a kick in the pants?
Picking up on a thread -- more like an internal dialog -- that started last month when I was reading a copy of James Hazelwood's new book, Everyday Spirituality, in the doctor's office. Hazelwood is the bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's New England Synod, and he had some interesting things to say … Continue reading Theology, shmeology: When is an answered prayer like a kick in the pants?
D R A F T / Theology? Shmeology. Why the Book of James isn’t an ‘epistle of straw’ — notes & quotes
James Hazelwood, bishop of the New England Synod -- in his chapter on service quotes theologian and futurist Len Sweet ... "... his point is that through the ages, different parts of the Old and New testaments have particular power and resonance. The 16th century saw the book of Romans; in our time it just … Continue reading D R A F T / Theology? Shmeology. Why the Book of James isn’t an ‘epistle of straw’ — notes & quotes
An after-Christmas epiphany on John 1:1-5 and Genesis: We’re burning up the garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsiD5tB9yrc ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corp.), Jan. 8, 2020. Genesis 2:15 (KJV). And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.To dress it and to keep it (Ellicott's Commentary). The first word literally means to work it; for though a paradise, yet the garden … Continue reading An after-Christmas epiphany on John 1:1-5 and Genesis: We’re burning up the garden
Ebenezer Scrooge, Luther’s sermons and Swedish-American history: A New Year’s resolution (of sorts)
On the way back from visiting family in the Quad-Cities on Christmas Day, we tuned in to the public radio station from Champaign. As we zipped down Interstate 155 from Peoria to Lincoln and onto I-55 toward home, they aired a dramatic reading from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. A 45-minute dramatic reading was the … Continue reading Ebenezer Scrooge, Luther’s sermons and Swedish-American history: A New Year’s resolution (of sorts)
The dear angels’ song at Bethlehem and the presence of God in a well-annotated 1871 edition of Luther’s House Sermons
Luther's Sermons, annotated by seminary student in St. Louis, ca. 1908. Originally posted July 15, 2018, to my research blog Hemlandssånger and copied here (with light editing). Original at https://hemlandssanger.wordpress.com/2018/07/15/luthers-dear-angels/. Everyone has an inner child. But mine took a double major in English and history, so my inner life can get pretty odd sometimes -- I guess … Continue reading The dear angels’ song at Bethlehem and the presence of God in a well-annotated 1871 edition of Luther’s House Sermons
Advent meditation: John the Baptist, the kingdom of heaven, a Swedish theologian and the duty to resist anti-Semitism
Mass grave at Bergen-Belsen camp. Inscription says, "Here rest 1,000 dead, April 1945."Memorial stones and Israeli flag are placed on monument in observance of Jewish tradition. One of the spiritual exercises I try to practice is something the Jesuits call "creative prayer" or Ignatian contemplation -- after St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the order … Continue reading Advent meditation: John the Baptist, the kingdom of heaven, a Swedish theologian and the duty to resist anti-Semitism
Is it time yet? Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Advent — ‘Savior of the Nations, Come’ and the presence of God with us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyXynduy6JA Johann Walther and Michael Praetorius | Nun komm der Heiden Heiland Instrumenta Musica - Ercole Nisini | Excerpt from concert 31 Dec. 2016 A couple of weeks ago, I took one of those quizzes that go around on Facebook. What's your favorite season, I was asked. Spring or summer, I answered. I couldn't decide … Continue reading Is it time yet? Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Advent — ‘Savior of the Nations, Come’ and the presence of God with us
A Bonhoeffer moment and a barstool conversation between Luther, Bonhoeffer and a Finnish theologian — links and quotes for future reference
This article in Sojourners magazine -- "Is Today a Bonhoeffer Moment?" -- appeared last year in February, but I never got around to reading it. Then it popped up today on my Facebook timeline. I'm excerpting it and parking here for future reference. (Something I may want to keep in mind, also for future reference: … Continue reading A Bonhoeffer moment and a barstool conversation between Luther, Bonhoeffer and a Finnish theologian — links and quotes for future reference
Luther and the cypress tree in the courtyard: How picking a new URL led me to seek refuge in a Zen koan
Courtyard at SCI-Benedictine: Cypress tree was at left, just out of picture. Like so many of the good things in life, it happened pretty much by accident. But there was an underlying logic to it. Well, maybe "logic" isn't the right word here. We're not talking about a logical syllogism as much as, oh, maybe … Continue reading Luther and the cypress tree in the courtyard: How picking a new URL led me to seek refuge in a Zen koan
Was Luther a mystic? It all depends …
... on (a) who you ask; and (b) what you mean by "mystic." "Mystic" has always been one of those words I've been suspicious of. It sounds New Age-y to me, or it reminds me of those desert monks who used to sit on top of a pole for years. I wasn't quite certain what … Continue reading Was Luther a mystic? It all depends …
Ordinary Time 