500 years ago, on April 18, 2021, Martin Luther spoke the following words at the Diet of Worms: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred…
The third Sunday in Advent is set aside to focus on joy. We are not quite to the joy of Christmas yet but we are getting close. For believers we have a certain kind of joy. It is the joy that follows sorrow and mourning. The pattern is pretty common in Scripture. In Isaiah 61…
One of our new realities with COVID-19 is social distancing. Apparently when we talk and sing we propel droplets into the air. And if we have the virus then those droplets can end up on those around us and possibly give them the virus. So if we distance ourselves from each other the droplets fall…
Imagine a day in the future when you go looking for something in your house and you stumble across a pile of face masks. All the memories of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 come flooding back into your mind. You might even pick up one of those masks, put it on your face and remember…
Paul’s letter to the Romans follows a familiar pattern that is found in many of his letters. He spends the first several chapters focusing on the Gospel. Then in chapter 12 Paul starts to focus on applying the Gospel to our everyday lives: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to…
Romans 8:18-27: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [19] For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. [20] For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of…
If any group of people is going to be angry at God for the COVID-19 pandemic it should be Christians. Here is very earliest description of life in a Christian community. It comes from the second chapter of Acts: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread…
Mirror Neurons 