Your kid bullied another kid. You said, “Tell him you’re sorry.” You taught him penance, not repentance. Penance trusts the child’s willpower. Repentance kills the old child and raises a new one. New blog: how parents and teachers preach the Gospel in real time.
Christians live in two kingdoms: Church and State. God gave each a different task. The State uses the sword to restrain evil; the Church proclaims Christ to save sinners. Confuse them and you get politics as religion or the pulpit as a campaign stop. Keep them straight and you’re free to love your neighbor in both.
A culture that prizes quick inspiration tends to neglect patient formation. And a culture that loves information often resists the proclamation that actually claims us and calls us to repentance for the forgiveness of sins. But Christ gives His Church pastors anyway—men called to preach His Gospel and teach His Word, so His people are forgiven, strengthened, and kept in the truth.
At St. John Lutheran Church & School, catechesis is not a program or a hoop to jump through. It is the church’s ordinary work of handing over the faith once delivered to the saints to the next generation (Jude 3). We teach our children to confess what God has said, to trust Christ crucified for them, and to live from His gifts in His church.
As the fall approaches, many Christian communities gather for Bible Study, Sunday School, and confirmation classes, refocusing on the Scriptures. Our congregation of St. John Ev. Lutheran Church and School in Sherman Center have been committed to preaching and teaching the Word for 170 years! However, the new school year also brings distractions and daily demands that can easily overshadow our commitment to studying God’s Word.
Every parish member, young and old, is to be nurtured in the faith, to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to be saturated with God’s Word, to live lives according to Christ’s commands, to be equipped for Christian service, and to reach out with Christ’s Word of Law and Gospel to those unbelieving, lapsed, or weak in the faith.
The Christian church celebrates on January 18th the Confession of St. Peter. On this day, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And we hear the Apostle confess to Jesus, “You are the Christ.” Exactly right! Jesus is the Christ, or if you prefer, in Hebrew, the Messiah, or simply the Anointed One. This refers to the anointing of oil God prescribed for priests, prophets, and kings. And Jesus fills all those offices and fulfills them, too.
People everywhere are asking, “Who is in charge here?” It seems that no one wants to take responsibility for what the wrongs and evils see in the world. Crime is left unpunished. Laws are made and then broken. Corporations refuse to pay a living wage to their workers. Parents neglect their children. Spouses abuse each other. The question is good: Who has the authority to respond appropriately? According to the law, the appropriate response to lies is objective truth, evil with punishment, and goodness with reward. This is what we expect from those in authority over us. But if they neglect these duties, we are left asking again, “Who is in charge here?”
Resilience is a trait rooted in thoughts, choices, and behaviors. Spiritually speaking, the means for resilient people and congregations are already yours. The Spirit is at work daily to return you to Jesus, to listen to His Word, and to guide your words and deeds. Immediately after Pentecost, the Spirit-gathered Church was given the gifts that make for resilient people—people who would be persecuted, slandered, attacked, and even killed. All but one of the Apostles died a martyr’s death, yet remained faithful unto death. “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers… And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-27).
I’ve assembled a few recommended Bible-reading plans below. No plan is better than another; the right one is the one you like and are able to stick with. I have yet to meet someone who expressed regret at taking the time to read through Scripture in its entirety!
