Perhaps the primary tool pastors use are their words – written, spoken, and lived. Hopefully, these are in sync. We use words to comfort, challenge, inspire, inform, educate, and warm hearts to the gospel. Writers, poets, and pastors have the honor and responsibility to translate what we see and experience into words. I have used this blog to share articles that I have written for our monthly newsletter, reflections on current events, and devotions for our congregation. There are many other topics I would like to have written and some articles partially written that may never see the light of day.

As we conclude this year, I enjoyed looking back at what I wrote and what readers found interesting or helpful.

May God bless and keep you in peace this New Year!

Pastor Jeff

Top 10 Blog Posts Read in 2015

The following are the top blog posts read in 2015 even though some were written prior to 2015. They are in order of the number of times they were read this year.

1. Comments at Bethel in Light of Recent Supreme Court Rulings (June 28, 2015)
2. Devotion: Wilderness Wandering and Spiritual Assessment (October 21, 2013)
3. Devotion: The Future – What’s Next? (May 6, 2013)
4. What is a Lutheran supposed to do during Lent? (February 18, 2015)
5. Comments at Bethel in Light of Charleston, SC Shootings (June 22, 2015)
6. More Mass Shootings: We’re better than this (December 2, 2015)
7. The Adventures of Flat Jesus (June 26, 2015)
8. Bethel Bible Study – Exodus Resources (September 19, 2012)
9. Why do we go to church anyway? (April 15, 2014)
10. Christ-mas or X-mas? (December 10, 2015)

 

10 Most Recent Posts

The following are the 10 most recent posts to this blog. You’ll notice that many of them start with “Building Bethel.” For those  readers not familiar with Bethel, our theme through 2015 focused on the many ways in which Bethel is built and strengthened for mission.

1. What the heck are “O Antiphons”? I’m glad you asked (December 23, 2015)
2. God’s Gospel Through the Small (December 19, 2015)
3. Christ-mas or X-mas? (December 10, 2015)
4. More Mass Shootings: We’re better than this (December 2, 2015)
5. Building Bethel: We Do Stuff Here You Just Don’t Do Anywhere Else (November 25, 2015)
6. Building Bethel: Stepping Out in Faith (October 29, 2015)
7. Building Bethel: Discernment (September 27, 2015)
8. Faith Question: Faith & Finances (August 31, 2015)
9. Building Bethel: Overcoming 18 Inches (August 29, 2015)
10. Building Bethel: Waking the Sleeping Giant (August 3, 2015)