As I’ve often said, although I don’t understand prayer, I still do it. And this poem, John Daniel’s “A Prayer among Friends,” gets at part of the reason why: the very act of prayer calls things to mind that we might not otherwise notice. Prayer invites a measure of attention, and in...
Philippians 1:12-18a
posted by DJL
I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ; and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the...
What I Learned from Dr. Suzuki
posted by DJL
This past Wednesday was the birthday of Shinichi Suzuki, born in Nagoya, Japan, on May 17, 1898. If his name doesn’t immediately resonate with you, perhaps thinking of the violin may help, as he developed a method used to teach even the youngest children to play what is typically considered one of the most difficult musical instruments to learn. Indeed, the “Suzuki method” has since been adapted to almost all musical instruments over the last half century and around the world. I became familiar with Suzuki and his method when our oldest child began learning to play the violin at age five. Since then, I’m not sure anything has...
Philippians 1:3-11
posted by DJL
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of...
Renew 52 Update
posted by DJL
A little over a month ago, I told you about Luther’s free e-book on congregational renew called, appropriately enough, Renew 52: 50+ Ideas to Revitalize Your Congregation from Leaders under 50. The book is available in formats for iPad, Nook, and Kindle and, more recently, as a pdf file...
Philippians 1:1-3
posted by DJL
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So we talked about Paul. But what about the folks to whom he writes? Philippi was a city...
Smart Failure
posted by DJL
“We spend our time responding rationally to a world which we understand and recognize, but which no longer exists.” Eddie Obeng, founder of the think tank and online management school Pentacle, is talking about the world of business. But he could have just as easily been talking about the...
Philippians 1:1
posted by DJL
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi… It’s hard to imagine the excitement that would have greeted the reading of this first line of Paul’s letter. It was the custom, you see, to read Paul’s letters to the whole congregation,...
The Role of Experience in Shaping our Convictions
posted by DJL
Three weeks from today voters all over the country will take to the polls to elect a new President and a host of other public officials. In Minnesota, along with close to another dozen states, we will also have the opportunity to vote in a public referendum to change the constitution of our state so that it defines marriage as an estate solely between one man and one woman. Not surprisingly, this has occasioned impassioned rhetoric on both sides. This debate echoes, emulates, and informs similar conversations occurring in the church. I understand the passion in these conversations, knowing they stem from deep convictions about the Bible,...
The Rest of MarkR...
posted by DJL
Chapter 13 in Mark’s story of Jesus can feel like something of an interruption. We noticed earlier that it stands apart from much of Mark’s writing with its strong apocalyptic imagery and symbolism and its sudden concern with the end of the world and Christ’s return. Very likely Mark...
Recent Comments