The Crossings Blog

Co-missioners, Back in the 1970’s, the nascent libraries of America’s earnestly Lutheran seminarians were likely to include two books by the German theologian Edmund Schlink. One discussed the Lutheran confessions. The other focused on the doctrine of baptism. Both had been issued in translation by Concordia Publishing House which, for a time, had shown some interest ...

  Co-missioners, The Old Testament reading for next Sunday, Isaiah 35:1-10, will invite us to consider the world’s unfolding history from God’s point of view. This makes today’s offering especially apt. Our thanks to George Heider, Retired Professor of Theology at Valparaiso University, for blessing us with it. Peace and Joy, The Crossings Community __________________________________________________________________ Who’s Fooling Whom?: Reflections on David ...

Co-missioners, The Crossings Community meets at the end of next month to confer on the topic, “The Promising Community: Can I Have a Witness?” The second half of this title was supplied by our colleague, Bruce Modahl, who has heard the phrase used in predominantly Black churches as preachers call for an on-the-spot response to the ...

Co-missioners, A new church year starts on Sunday. Those who pay attention to such things will be drawn to think again about God’s unfolding operations in the world, and about the roles they’re given to play in this, whether as recipients or contributors. This makes it an apt time to pass along a gift from Jill Peláez ...

Co-missioners, We are pleased this week to send you the second half of Ed Schroeder’s 1984 essay on Baptism and Confession. See here for Part 1. As the essay continues, Ed touches on any number of theological issues that the church continues to grapple with forty years later. Don’t miss the challenge he lays down in his ...

Co-missioners, Suddenly we find ourselves in the final weeks of the current church year. A new one launches at the end of this month. The texts we hear in church between now and Christmas will crackle with news about the pending end of all things and the new beginning that God has already launched once and ...

Co-missioners, Gospel-minded preachers have had a tough go of it these past many weeks. So have people who drag themselves to church or sit through online services in the hope of hearing some good news from God to carry them through another week. As today’s writer will observe, the immediate culprit here is St. Luke. More ...

Co-missioners, Our writer this week is Chris Repp. That’s Chris as in the Rev. Dr., pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Champaign, Illinois; also a long-serving member of the Crossings board, convener of our biweekly Book Club (drop him a note if you’d like to join), and one of the writers who produce our weekly text studies. Chris ...

Co-missioners, Are you looking for ways to talk about the Gospel with people who can’t imagine needing it? If so, we send you notice of a book you’ll want to buy. It was published only last month. Peace and Joy, The Crossings Community __________________________________________________________________   A Review of David Zahl’s Low Anthropology by Bruce K. Modahl Bibliographic Details— Zahl, David Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to ...

Co-missioners, What, you may ask, is the best gift Christianity can bring to American public life, or to the mood of the world, for that matter? Marcus Felde has an intriguing response to that question today. He’ll draw on some deep cross-cultural experience as he makes the case for it. Along the way he’ll also show ...