Have you ever sat in your church building and day-dreamed about how you would redesign the layout, if money was no object? Okay; maybe you haven’t, but I have. The proposed statement on the practice of Word and Sacrament stirred my imagination sitting in church one day. I began to imagine what the house of […]
Archives for May 2016
A Roman Catholic Resposne
I had the pleasure of serving Lutheran churches of different synods as a church musician for nearly a decade. I came to admire the centrality of the Word, baptism, and the eucharist in their individual and congregational lives. Roman Catholics easily find our eyes of faith distracted by less central features of the Christian landscape. […]
Associate in Ministry Responds to “The Use of the Means of Grace”
Along with my ordained colleagues, fellow Associates in Ministry, and many lay members of my congregation, I awaited the publication and revision of The Use of the Means of Grace: A Proposed Statement on the Practice of Word and Sacrament, with great anticipation. As Chair of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod Worship Committee, I was hoping […]
Who is the Most Lutheran of Us All?
“Mirror, mirror on the wall—who is the most Lutheran of us all?” That was the question raised at a recent Conference of Bishops gathering as we discussed worship practices among our congregations. Now we are presented with a document, The Use of the Means of Grace, that effectively gives us a standard to understand what […]
Recapturing the Importance of Sunday
In considering The Use of the Means of Grace: A Proposed Statement on the Practice of Word and Sacrament, the voting members of the 1997 Churchwide Assembly will do nothing less than consider the very essence of what it means to be the Church of Jesus Christ. [This issue of Let’s Talk was put together […]
Letters to the Editor – 2.2 Spirituality
Kudos for your excellent Epiphany 1997 edition of Let’s Talk! Read every word of it, which is saying a lot for someone often caught in a paper blizzard. As an ELCA deaconess serving as a counselor and spiritual director I especially appreciated Jack Finney’s excellent article, “Taking Time for the Soul.” In this time of […]
Frank Senn’s Warning – A Response
Since Frank Senn’s response, in Let’s Talk, Volume 2, Issue 1, to my previously published piece goes right to the heart of some crucial issues in our thinking about the ELCA, it is well worth a response and even further discussion. He raises two major issues: the theme of baptism and the question of the […]
In Memoriam: Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Archbishop of Chicago, 1982-1996, Friend-Teacher-Brother in Christ
On Friday, August 30, 1996, I listened to the news conference at which Joseph Cardinal Bernardin shared with his Church, the public, and friends around the world that he was dying of pancreatic cancer and probably had less than a year to live. He said that he had placed himself in the hands of God […]
Other Spiritualities: A Travelogue
Manifestations of the supernatural outside the realm of typical Christian experience have piqued my curiosity for a long time. My interest began during missionary service in Liberia, West Africa, as I gradually became aware that African life was permeated with spiritual realities in ways that we Western missionaries could barely comprehend. A few years ago, […]
The Lutheran Third Order of St. Francis
When you see the words Lutheran Third Order of St. Francis, it may conjure up many thoughts, feelings, and questions. An astonished “what?” plus momentary confusion will probably be at the top of the list. After all, Lutherans do not have religious orders, do they? But before I answer several of the questions most frequently […]
God’s Extraordinary Presence
As a parish pastor I have found that in order to grow in Christ and to be refreshed with God’s grace I need to go deeper in prayer, which Martin Luther referred to as “a sacrament, for it has both God’s command and very many promises” (Apology of the Augsburg Confession XIII). I am sharing […]
Nurturing Your Spirit After You’ve Said “Amen”
I once knew a man who was taught to pray by folding his hands, bowing his head, closing his eyes and talking to God just like talking to a friend. For years this man tried his best.Yet when the “amen” came, he felt like a failure. He just couldn’t pray that way. He felt something […]
On Spiritual Direction
Where is God in my life? To what is God calling me? What is God’s will for my life, and how do I discern it? If you find yourself asking these questions, you may be a candidate for the ancient Christian practice of spiritual direction. Or, perhaps you sense God calling you to a deeper […]
Letters to the Editor
I meant to drop you a note after the Easter, 1996 issue of Let’s Talk. It’s when the Advent 1996 edition arrived that I realized I have been negligent. I am referring specifically to the Leon Rosenthal article, “The Foundation: Finding Unity as Biblical People of Promise.” Considering the wretched history of Christian-Jewish relationships, our […]
To Be “God With Skin On”
While pondering the idea of what are important ministerial character traits my first pastor Judith Boggs came to mind. A story I read in the Reader’s Digest years ago describes the role she played in my life: A mother was putting her two-year-old to bed and as she left the room he pleaded with her […]