He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. John adds this sentence and the verse to the one that preceded it, I think, to make sure we know just how personal is the advent and coming of the Word. It’s one thing to say that the world created by the Word did not...
Law, Gospel, and Participatory Preaching
posted by DJL
One of the comments to this week’s Dear Partner in Preaching, on “Practicing Advent,” raised a great question: is inviting people to practice sharing their faith law and, if so, where is the Gospel? I ask this kind of question myself all the time. But to help you ask and answer it with me, I’ll offer a little bit of background. I am a Lutheran preacher. And when it comes to preaching, the most important thing for Lutherans is to distinguish rightly between law and gospel. (Actually, it’s not only Lutherans who focus on this distinction, but we certainly talk about it a lot!) In short, law stands for all those things that come to us...
John 1:10
posted by DJL
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. Can you hear the heartbreak in this verse? Or maybe it’s less about hearing and more about feeling. Imagine coming home after a long journey and finding no one there. No lights in the...
What Docs Can Learn from Vets
posted by DJL
Maybe I liked this 15 minute TED Talk because it deals with veterinarians and my daughter very much wants to be a vet. Or maybe I love the interdisciplinary approach Dr. Natterson-Horowitz advocates. Or maybe I just see this as another example of the power of embracing diversity, this time embracing the insights one can gain about one species by looking to a diversity of species. Or maybe I just like the word “zoobiquity. Or maybe…. Truth be told, there are a number of reasons I appreciated this TED Talk and hope you do, too. Note: If you are receiving this post by email, you may need to click the title at the top of the post in...
John 1:9
posted by DJL
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. There are two claims tucked into this short verse that invite our attention. First, there are many lights in this world. We might read that in more than one way. We might read that as saying that there are many things that...