“Spit” Miracle One (Big Sigh) ◊Feeding of 5000 Jews (6:35-44) ◊At sea (6:45-56; disciples think they see ghost, are terrified; see the sea calmed are beside themselves; “didn’t understand about the loaves; hearts were hardened”) ◊Argument with Pharisees re. clean/unclean (7:1-23) ◊About bread (7:24-30; discussion with Syrophoenician woman) Then- 31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, …
The Bishop (Church Executive) as Disciple
John Roth Crossings Conference January 2012 Ever since Martin asked if a couple of us would be willing to join with him in reflecting on what it means to be a denominational executive/Bishop and a disciple of Jesus Christ, I’ve been trying to figure out how to frame that question in such a way that it truly …
CROSSINGS CONFERENCE JANUARY 2012
Thomas A. Skrenes Bishop Northern Great Lakes Synod Marquette, Michigan My first Sunday in the parish now 31 years ago, young and freshly ordained, I was shaking hands at the end of the worship service and a little five year girl walked up to me. She put her hands on her waist and said in the clearest …
“The heart-disease of Self-Referential Faith”
Address to the 4th Annual Crossings Conference, January 22-25, 2012 Conference Theme: “The Gospel-Given Life: Discipleship Revisited” I’m very grateful to Dr. Kuhl for this invitation and still more grateful for the committee’s flexibility in shifting from a presentation by one bishop to this panel format. I’m deeply grateful to my partner bishops for stepping into the …
PART ONE: The Disciple and Christ: Faith Alone
The Gospel-Given Life Discipleship Revisited Introduction: Discipleship and Death “Every call of Christ leads unto death.”1 With those words Dietrich Bonhoeffer challenges forever the course of Christian reflection on the topic of discipleship. Taken in light of his martyrdom,2 he added a witness to those words that gives real world credibility and concreteness to them. Yet, it is …
Mission in Mark
Colleagues, Our guest writer for the next three weeks is Pastor Paul Jaster of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Elyria, Ohio. If you keep up with Sabbatheology, the weekly text study series from Crossings, you’ll recognize the name. Paul has been writing for us since 2004. Lately I’ve been hearing colleagues say that they read extra closely whenever his name …
Best Books on Mission
Colleagues, Last Friday was the Feast of the Epiphany. Blessed be the ears that got to listen once again to the great account of wise ones drawn from the nations to the worship of Christ. Blessed too be the minds that made connections with prophetic promise on the one hand and apostolic vocation on the other, the latter …
How to Disagree Well
Colleagues, Christians are a contentious lot. They always have been. Flip open the New Testament to just about anywhere, then ask yourself whether the passage you’re staring at would have been written had the people it was addressed to not been at each other’s throats over some kind of issue, whether great or small. Chances are very good …