Musings about Faith

Based on Matthew 28:1-10 It is still dark outside this morning.   Though as I look at the windows I can see just a hint of light and I know that it will not be long before the sun will rise in the sky and light will flood through these windows.   But inside we have our lights on and we are comfortable.   The candles we have lit are for symbolic use since they have no practical use anymore.   We do not need these candles to see!   I think that we take light for granted and that we really don’t take darkness seriously any more.   After all we are dependent and comfortable with our electricity, our lamps and industrial lighting and so forth.   The fact is that we can get up at any time of the night and turn on a lamp and essentially create day in order to do whatever we want at any time. But, can you imagine a world where that is not the case.   A world where there are no artificial electric lights and instead the world is lit only by fire? ...

In October of 2017 we will reach the 500 th anniversary of the event that began the series of events that led to the Reformation: Martin Luther’s nailing the 95 Theses for debate on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Saxony.   Lutherans of all varieties will be taking the opportunity this year to remember this day and celebrate the Reformation.   But I think there are some things we all should keep in mind.   First – The nailing event was only the first of a series of events that led to a permanent break between various German churches and Rome.   This was not Luther’s intent.   He did not set out to create a new church, he only wanted to call attention to what he felt were abuses and he hoped that the leadership would address these.   Was he cynical or naïve in this expectation?   It is a good question.   Power had corrupted the Roman church of the late Middle Ages so much that there would have been no realistic possibility that...

We have now been studying the Gospel of Matthew in the Wednesday morning Bible study since November and as I get deeper and deeper into the Gospel I would like to share some thoughts on Matthew’s unique focus, meaning and narrative approach. Often, many of us tend to think of Matthew as the harsh, uncompromising, even judgmental Gospel – “cut off your hand… pluck out your eye… cast out into out darkness, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth” and all of that!   And certainly if you take Matthew’s Gospel in small bits then this is exactly what you are left with. But when you explore the Gospel and leave everything in its narrative context a different message emerges and it is a message of radical, unconditional and even illogical love!   In brief, here is a summary: God’s overwhelming love is for all of the creation and all of God’s children (who, are all of humanity, BTW) – it is, however, the distinct calling and responsibility of the ecclesia – the Chu...

As a child I always loved Christmas so much.   It was for me then such a magical time of the year, and I suspect that our children and even the child still within us continues to enjoys the trimmings of this season – the lights, the cookies, the presents, the carols!   It all mixes together and can generate such excitement, especially in the children.   I remember, many, many years ago, when I was a child not being able to sleep at all on Christmas Eve.   One year I simply couldn’t stand it any longer so I go up out of bed, around 4:00 AM or so and slipped down to the living room where I proceeded to begin to tear through the packages with my name on them that were sitting under the tree.   Suddenly my dad showed up and sent me back to bed with orders to remain there until a “reasonable hour.”   A reasonable hour?   Now, exactly what is a “reasonable hour” on Christmas morning when you are a child? Of course, one of the things that made the wait...