The Crossings Blog

Co-missioners, Matt Metevelis blessed our recent conference with a superb analysis of St. Matthew’s beatitudes. On returning home to Las Vegas he did as do we all, slipping instantly into the rhythms and habits that constitute our usual days. For Matt these habits include some steady posting on Facebook, though with a twist of sorts. Matt ...

Co-missioners, Our conference in Belleville, Illinois last month was graced by the presence of several people who were attending their first-ever Crossings event. Among them was Dr. George C. Heider, a Senior Research Professor of Theology at Valparaiso University. You’ll recognize his name, perhaps. Thanks to an invitation—some gentle arm-twisting?—from Bruce Modahl, a good friend, George ...

Co-missioners, Steve Hitchcock is a member of our editorial team. Some months ago, he found today’s item in our online library and thought it worthy of fresh attention, demanding though it is. The team agreed. The author of the piece is the late Robert C. Schultz (1928-2018). Those who knew him as a friend and colleague called ...

Co-missioners, Our editor sends three notes today, two brief, one longer. Peace and Joy, The Crossings Community __________________________________________________________________ Assorted Notes: Cruciger’s Hymn Revisited, A Preaching Course, A Birthday by Jerome Burce 1. Cruciger’s Hymn Revisited I got an altogether unexpected note from Timothy Wengert three Thursdays ago. For those not in the know, Dr. Wengert is one of America’s leading Reformation scholars, with particular expertise ...

Co-missioners, The folks who get Thursday Theology on its way to you these days spent much of last week at our 2023 Crossings conference. The days were full and ever so rich. When they were done some decompression time was of the essence. That’s why you didn’t get a post from us last Thursday. It’s also one ...

Co-missioners, This week’s offering comes from our editor. Peace and Joy, The Crossings Community __________________________________________________________________ “Kill Me, Jesus!” Notes on a Hymn and the Woman who Wrote It by  Jerome Burce I met Elisabeth Cruciger last week. I want you to meet her too. I think she merits our high regard as the first woman theologian of the Lutheran movement. My encounter with ...

Co-missioners, We have two items for you this week. The first, by Matt Metevelis, is a year-and-a-half old. We found it on his Facebook page at the end of July in 2021. Our thanks for his permission to share it with you. It’s one of the most succinct and bracing reflections on Word and Sacrament ministry that ...

Co-missioners, He has done it before. He does it again. Our editor passes along some lingering thoughts as a major season of the church year draws to a close. A dollop of Luther comes with it. A bit of Bach too, for that matter. On this Eleventh Day of Christmas— Peace and Joy, The Crossings Community __________________________________________________________________ Some Christmas Leftovers by Jerome ...

Co-missioners, Dare we call him a Crossings scholar? The church historian Kurt K. Hendel launched his teaching career in 1973 at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and joined Christ Seminary—Seminex in February, 1974. When that school dissolved in 1983, he was among the majority of faculty members who found a new teaching home at the Lutheran School of ...

Co-missioners, Today we’re on the cusp of celebrating the Birth of births. This may strike you as an odd time to be sending you an obituary, as some might call it. Then again, perhaps it’s the best of times for such a thing. How better to celebrate Christmas than by highlighting an example of what that ...