Christianity
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God’s Gospel Through the Small
I got to know my good friend, Sarah Cordray, through the doctor of ministry program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Through her, I saw a wonderful picture of small church ministry that I had, frankly, never considered. As I listened to her and read her work, I began to pay closer attention to what…
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Christ-mas or X-mas?
Every year at this time is the great debate about Christ-mas versus X-mas. The concern is that, by replacing “Christ” with “X”, we are “taking the Christ out of Christmas.” That would be true if the “X” was like the x in algebra where the letter is just a variable that stands in for or…
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More Mass Shootings: We’re better than this
I was sitting in my office at church this afternoon when our secretary asked if I’d seen the news. Today, it was the news of the mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, CA. What I find especially heinous about this attack is that Inland works with developmentally disabled people from infants to the elderly.…
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Building Bethel: We Do Stuff Here You Just Don’t Do Anywhere Else
From December 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs…
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Building Bethel: Stepping Out in Faith
From November 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.…
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Building Bethel: Discernment
From October 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us… ~ Acts 15:28 By the time you read this, another major hurdle in my doctoral program will have been overcome. My thesis proposal is due on September 30 at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN for review by the Institutional…
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Faith Question: Faith & Finances
How do you answer this question… Is the role of faith the same or different when managing personal finances versus church finances? Explain.
Epicurious Lutheran 