In speeches over the past few months, President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have both used the phrase "freedom of worship," rather than the more common phrase "freedom of religion," found in the First Amendment. Some religious conservatives are raising concerns about what this change in terminology could mean for domestic and foreignContinue reading “Freedom of Religion vs. Freedom of Worship”
Category Archives: Lutheran
Christian Worship on the 4th of July
This newsletter article, a reworking of a past blogpost, appeared in my congregation's July newsletter. My sermon for the 4th of July also touches on church/state issues. The 4th of July this year falls on a Sunday. Though there will be flags waving outside of houses, and parades with red, white, and blue processions, andContinue reading “Christian Worship on the 4th of July”
Congregational Viability and the Future of the Church
I've been a pastor for a whopping 18 months, but have worked in church settings – seminary, congregations, church publishing house – for much of the last ten years. As I settle into my career and my life as a parent of growing children, I find myself looking ahead. And as I look ahead, IContinue reading “Congregational Viability and the Future of the Church”
Trying to Make Sense of Israel and Gaza and a Lutheran Bishop
Today I had the privilege of attending a briefing at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC for leaders in the faith community regarding Israel's interception of six boats bound for Gaza with humanitarian supplies, an incident that turned deadly on one of the vessels. A high level officer at the embassy gave a statementContinue reading “Trying to Make Sense of Israel and Gaza and a Lutheran Bishop”
Preaching and Plagiarism
To what extent is there an expectation that a preacher's sermon is original work? Surely the expectation is that the preacher proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. But is there also an expectation that the words of the proclamation are original words composed by the person speaking them? If sermons are borrowed from anotherContinue reading “Preaching and Plagiarism”
The Lutheran Zephyr 