The Crossings Blog

Thursday Theology -full listing Crossings Film Series
  • In the Aftermath of the Riot: Four “I” Words and a Word of Hope
    Co-missioners, Come Saturday it will be a month since we saw the images streaming from Washington, D.C. of things we never imagined taking place in the United States of America. The event has unleashed a Noah’s flood of commentary and reflection, of which our last three posts have been the merest drop. Turns out we ...
  • Angela Denker’s “Red State Christians.” A Review
    Co-missioners, At the end of last week’s post our editor, Jerry Burce, promised a third installment of some unfolding reflections arising from the Capitol riot of January 6 and responses thereto. What comes your way instead this week is an interlude of sorts—more grist for that third grinding, as Jerry wants to put it. A ...
  • A Sermon in the Wake of the Capitol Riot
    Co-missioners, This is Part II of what seems to be evolving into a three-part series by our editor on the tumult of January 6. We pray you find it of use. Peace and Joy, The Crossings Community A Sermon in the Wake of the Capitol Riot by Jerome Burce Preface “Yes, there is Gospel sufficient to our terrible American day. The challenge ...
  • First Thoughts on the Sack of the Capitol
    Co-missioners, We pass along the first part of an unfolding reflection by our editor. Peace and Joy, The Crossings Community First Thoughts on the Sack of the Capitol by Jerome Burce The last thing anyone can need or want today is another loud and lengthy fulmination about the wickedness that unfolded in Washington D.C. a week ago. Even worse would be ...
  • On Repentance and New Year’s Resolutions
    Co-missioners, We are either a week or a day late with this post, depending on the item that grabs your eye. The day-late item is a prod to take a look—or another look—at Ed Schroeder’s “Take the Jerusalem Bypass.” Call it a sermon. Alternatively, call it an exercise in Law/Gospel theology at the ground-floor level of ...
  • A Letter from Coronavirus Prison
    Co-missioners, On this seventh day of Christmas we send along a letter that popped into our editor’s inbox on Christmas Eve. It came from Michael Hoy, the editor of two posthumously published books by Robert W. Bertram. Mike has spent much of this year working hard on a book of his own, on the topic of ...
  • The Great Gift Exchange
    Co-missioners, It’s Christmas Eve, a day for all of us to sit quietly with Mary and ponder the marvel of her newborn son. To that end we pass along an extended meditation by Steve Albertin. It rings some cherished Lutheran chimes that, in Steve’s handling of them, turn out be more subversive than some of us ...
  • The Christmas Verdict
    Co-missioners, Our editor, a working pastor and preacher, is also our contributor this week. We pass along a recent sermon of his on a Christmas text that few preachers are drawn to. God grant relief for dark December days, crackling with judgment. Peace and Joy, The Crossings Community The Christmas Verdict (A Sermon) by Jerome Burce Author’s note— Almost all the Christmas ...
  • What Heaven Is
    Co-missioners, Matt Metevelis, remember? The hospice chaplain in Las Vegas with a side job at a little Lutheran congregation in the downtown area. We last heard from him directly at the beginning of September when he reviewed N.T. Wright’s book on the pandemic. A month later we sent you to Mockingbird for a piece he published ...
  • How I Finally Got Advent
    Co-missioners, Our editor, intent on grinding an axe about the season of Advent and what to make of it, rummaged in our library and found an essay he wrote on the topic some sixteen years ago.  By Ed Schroeder’s sufferance it became his first-ever contribution to Thursday Theology. Much of the essay is dated by now, especially ...