497 years ago today, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Castle Church in Wittenberg starting what later became known as the Protestant Reformation. Which means that in 3 years, all the world will be observing the 500th anniversary. If you are beginning to prepare your own congregational celebrations, don’t forget to include resources for your youth. And if you’re looking for a place to start, you’d have a hard time finding a better resource than this one produced by the Luther Memorial Foundation in Wittenberg. They are in charge of the Luther and Melanchthon houses in Wittenberg, Luther’s birth and death...
Matthew 22:15-22
posted by DJL
Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people...
Matthew 22:1-14
posted by DJL
Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell...
Big History
posted by DJL
I love David Christian’s concept of teaching “big history.” And by big, he means, really, really big. In this TED Talk, he narrates the history of the universe in 18 minutes. Why? To invite us to place our lives, dreams, hopes, setbacks, and struggles into the largest...
Matthew 21:33-46
posted by DJL
“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his...
Matthew 21:28-32
posted by DJL
“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not.’ But later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir.” But he did not...
All Saints Sunday A: The Sermon I Need to Hear
posted by DJL
Dear Partner in Preaching, You’ll know what to say to your congregation on this Sunday. I know that and trust that. But for what it’s worth, I’m going to share with you in this letter what I want, even need, to hear on All Saints’ Sunday this year. Our custom, of course, is to remember those who have died in the last year. And I believe that practice is, to borrow the old words, “meet, right, and salutary.” It gives us a moment to grieve those we have lost but also to move to thanksgiving for their life and, even more, for their place now among the saints gathered in the nearer presence of God. And so by all means, read the names...
Matthew 21:23-27
posted by DJL
When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I...
Leadership Defined
posted by DJL
I wanted to follow up on one brief element of Susan Colantuono’s TED Talk on the Missing Third of Leadership that I posted yesterday. In particular, while she was identifying the missing third – that is, the strategic, operational and financial acumen and ability to execute mission and achieve goals – I want to tarry a bit with the other two, the two elements she believes we usually focus on. She defines these two as 1) using the greatness in you to 2) bring out the greatness in others. What strikes me about this formulation is, first, it’s a great shorthand definition of leadership in general and, second, that it may take some...
Matthew 21:18-22
posted by DJL
In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it,...
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