“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exalt in you; I will sing praise to your name, O most High.” (Psalm 9:1-2, NRSV) Praise lifts up the person who receives it, and also forces the giver to see with new eyes. In a world filled with criticism, judgment, and condemnation, praise forces us to change the way we Read More …
I believe that all baptized children are welcome to the Altar. The following is a guide that will hopefully help parents with bringing their children forward to receive communion. First, for all children, it’s important to see what’s going on at the altar. There is a drama unfolding at the the table during the liturgy and like any good drama it should be seen and heard first hand. Parents might sit in a pew closer Read More …
Our Lady of Guadalupe (also Virgin of Guadalupe) is the name given to Mary the mother of Jesus when she appeared to Juan Diego on hillside outside Mexico City. The Virgin appeared to Juan Diego on Dec 9, 1531 and spoke to him 5 times in Nahuatl, Diego’s native language. The account of her apparition is found in the Nican Mopohua. At the end of the encounters her image appeared on Juan Diego’s tilma (cloak) Read More …
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4). Creation points beyond itself to something-or should I say someone-bigger. The Psalmist recognizes here that the sky with the moon and the stars are not here just by chance, they are a work of art by a Read More …
“Lord my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands—if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe—then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust.” (Psalm 7:3-5, NRSV) Radical reflection is a difficult thing. It requires that we examine the recesses of our soul, shine light into the unlit crevices in our Read More …
“I am weary with moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with weeping. My eyes waste away because of grief they grow week because of my foes. Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer” (Psalm 6:6-7a,8b-9 NRSV). There are periods, sometimes long stretches, when all we can Read More …
When I first became Lutheran I understood it to be a theological movement. I was brought into a church by a pastor who said, “If you can mix your Catholic upbringing with your recent Evangelical faith, you will do well in the Lutheran Church.” That pastor went on to mentor me in the Lutheran Confessions, teach me how to read scripture, show me how to think theologically, and bring me up in the Lutheran Christian Read More …
The basis for our teachings at Good Shepherd and all Lutheran Churches is: the scriptures of the Old and New Testament; the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds; and the Book of Concord (The Lutheran Confessional Writings). These works provide the anchor points for everything we do. They act as aides in helping us enter into the mystery of God’s presence and clarify the faithful teaching of the Lutheran Church. If one wants to dig deeper Read More …
Since last year we’ve (Good Shepherd) done several blessings during our celebration of the liturgy on Sundays. We’ve blessed bikes, chalk, backpacks, ashes, palms, people, and this month we are blessing our pets. But, that’s not even the half what we could do. The ELCA also publishes resources to bless new communion-ware, bells, organs, windows, paraments, vestments, houses, and more—there’s a lot of blessing going on. I am partial to these kinds of rites Read More …
The News Story Making the Internet rounds is the story of a 17-year old girl who was kicked out of a homeschool senior prom. She was wearing a dress that was deemed inappropriate in length for the dance by the chaperones. As someone who has seen some of the dresses and Halloween costumes that pass as clothing I want to firmly say, “YES, there are inappropriate clothing choices that people make and YES the school does Read More …