Christianity
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Reflecting on morning devotions – 8/6/2014
Sometimes when I do my morning devotions, I read through them hurriedly and barely pay attention because I want to get on to other things. This morning, I really read them (see Scriptures below). Two words stuck out for me in relation to the “new creation” from 2 Corinthians 5:17. Those words are “realities” and…
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Biblical Reflection on Immigration and Our Response
I’ve been listening a lot to the debate over immigration. Whether we’re talking about the laws of the United States, border enforcement, supporting other countries to make immigration less attractive, what to do with people (adults and children) who are already in the United States, the effects on the economy, politics, safety/security or any other…
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Devotion: Mediocrity, Excellence and Jesus’ Teaching on Humility
Humility isn’t really a prized cultural value, is it? That’s what makes the reading from Luke’s gospel so difficult. Take a moment and read through the gospel. You may also want to listen to this week’s sermon to get a feel for the breadth of the gospel reading. When we speak of humility, doesn’t it…
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Devotion: Holy Rest
“Time is money” the saying goes. These days, with so many options for our time and so many demands on our lives, we feel as though time is a commodity. We spend time, save time, waste time, invest time, buy time, manage time, we lose time. We organize and systematize in order to gain efficiency…
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Devotion: Division, Diversity, Harmony?
One of my greatest joys in junior high and high school was being part of our school choirs. We were very good, and won awards as we competed against other choirs. When people go to see musical performances, they see a polished presentation. Having been involved in preparing for those performances, I know that the first…
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Devotion: Fear vs. Faith
Imagine that you’ve been given a writing assignment. You are to write in a typical form with an introductory paragraph stating your thesis, paragraphs supporting or developing your thesis, and a concluding paragraph. Your topic is: “Where fear and faith collide”. What would your main points be? In other words, how do you understand…
Epicurious Lutheran 