Memories, Memories–of Crossings, of Seminex

Colleagues, Tucked into a secluded cyber-folder in my Macintosh I found two items from days gone by. Each one must have been composed for someone, but it is only for the second one that I still remember who that was. I think I still believe what I said then, so I don’t hesitate to pass it on to …

The Future of Lutheranism In a Global Context

Colleagues, That topic is the title of the book review I’ve just done for MISSIOLOGY, the journal of the American Society of Missiology. The review editor muzzled me down to 500 words. You get much more. Peace and Joy! Ed Schroeder The Future of Lutheranism In a Global Context Edited by Arland Jacobsen and James Aageson Minneapolis, Minnesota: …

Life on the FasTrak. But Not the One You May Think of First.

Colleagues, [Before we get to serious business, take a look at what Crossings webmaster Tom Law just put on our website: https://crossings.org/logs/default.shtml Did you notice? 2452 visitors came to the website EVERY DAY in September. That’s one visitor every 35.24 seconds around the clock day and night. On second thought, that IS serious business.] Now to the serious business of …

In Washington, Missouri, Too — It’s a Time for Confessing

Colleagues, For over a decade Robin Morgan has regularly jumped in (when I’m somewhere else) to keep ThTh postings appearing. Summer 2008 she did four in a row when I was in absentia. Now and then she comes up with eminently postable stuff even when I’m not far away. And Robin is only an hour away from our …

The Next (or Next Next) Generation of Crossings Theologians

Colleagues, Today’s guest theologian, Marty Lessmann, age 25, has a distinction that I can’t imagine how anyone would be able to match. For 90% of Marty’s entire life he’s been “Crossings-connected.” Who can top that? Not me, and I’m occasionally labelled “co-founder.” Marty’s Crossings-connection started when he was two and one-half years old! Here’s how. Twenty-two and one-half …

Jeremiah Wright was Right: God is NOT Blessing America

Colleagues, Those two words hurled at the president of the United States in the “sacred” halls of the US Congress last week were a shot heard round the world. But how are the talking heads seeing it? Mostly as a matter of etiquette. “You just don’t DO that to a US president from the floor of the US …

Those Ten Commandments – Conversation Continued

Colleagues, First off, I did send last week’s post to Pastor X. He responded, and then I did likewise. For now, that’s inter nos. The feedback from y’all on Pastor X’s proposed sermon series on the decalogue has filled my inbasket. One was Jeff Anderson’s “look what I found as a different translation for that Luther citation.” I’ve …

Preaching the Ten Commandments

Colleagues, This time I’m asking you to write ThTh 586, namely, to compose a response to this announcement just published in the parish newsletter by an ELCA pastor here in St. Louis. If your prose is not too incendiary, I’ll send it on to the pastor. Seems to me that it’s clear: he needs help. So does that …

The Crossings Method for Studying Biblical Texts

Colleagues, At the annual meeting of the Crossings Board of Directiors — now two weeks ago — I got an assignment. But before talking about that, listen to this more important news from that meeting. LOOK WHO’S COMING TO THE CROSSINGS CONFERENCE NEXT TIME! Three Significant Others — friends of Crossings but not (yet) insiders — want to …

Crossings Inc. Annual Board Meeting – My Report

Colleagues, Last week the Crossings board of directors held their annual meeting here in St. Louis. As a goldie-oldie I get invited and this year attended for a few hours. I do have to give my report for what I’ve been doing in the past twelve months with my piece of the pie, these ThTh postings. [I have …