The Crossings Blog

Thursday Theology -full listing Crossings Film Series
  • Thursday Theology: The Crossings-Seminex Connection
    Co-missioners, Today’s post is largely a reprint of an item buried in the corner of our Crossings website where old newsletters get lodged. The date on this one is Advent, 2006. It was published a month or two before our first-ever Crossings conference and devotes some space to touting the event. It was an ambitious conference, ...
  • Thursday Theology: Remembering Seminex in 2024. An Introduction
    Co-missioners, We are nine days shy of the fiftieth anniversary of a momentous event in the recent history of U.S. Lutheranism—or even, one might argue, of American Christianity. The year was 1974. On the evening of January 20, bells began tolling on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, the premier theological institution of the Lutheran Church—Missouri ...
  • Thursday Theology: Eleventh Day Observations
    Co-missioners, Once again our editor weighs in. Peace and Joy, The Crossings Community __________________________________________________________________ Eleventh Day Observations by Jerome Burce   Here with a few reflections on this Eleventh Day of Christmas, one eye looking back at things completed and the other forward to matters pending— +  +  + Well, They Tried… “The church was packed, the music grand, the preaching so very disappointing.” Thus the ...
  • Thursday Theology: Pre-Christmas Notes
    Co-missioners, With three days left before Christmas dawns, we send another batch of observations from our editor. Our thanks to God for all who read this, and for everyone who makes our work at Crossings possible. And a note that Crossings will not send out a Thursday Theology next week as the editor and team will be ...
  • Thursday Theology: Ed Schroeder on “The Futures Market for Advent”
    Co-missioners, Today you’re getting a piece by the late Ed Schroeder that hasn’t been generally available until now. You won’t find it in our library. We understand that it surfaced from the files of the Rev. Ron Neustadt, one of Ed’s dear friends. Three days ago it landed in our editor’s lap. He promptly dropped what ...
  • Thursday Theology: In Thanksgiving for Art Simon
    Co-missioners, Today Steve Hitchcock helps us remember our late brother, the Rev. Art Simon, an LCMS pastor who founded Bread for the World. In doing so, he led innumerable Christians, including many at Crossings, to think more broadly and vigorously about their vocation as baptized people. Steve, who knew Art well, will discuss this. He’ll also ...
  • Thursday Theology: In-Between-Time Thoughts about Christ as King
    Co-missioners, Our editor chips in again this week. Two reminders before he lets the chips fly: First, registration is open for the Crossings seminar at the end of January. Scholarship help is available if needed. Don’t hesitate to ask. The topic: “Delivering God’s Goods.” Speakers include Fred Niedner, Robin Lutjohann, Nathan Hall, Chris Repp; Ruth Hanusa preaching ...
  • Thursday Theology: “The Ultimate Turkey” and other Thanksgiving Reflections
    Co-missioners, Today is the fourth Thursday in November. For readers who aren’t American, we mention that this is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. It was established as a national observance in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War was raging at the time; bodies were still being buried at Gettysburg. Lincoln issued his thanksgiving proclamation ...
  • Thursday Theology: On Reading Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Part 2
    Co-missioners, We’re not surprised that last week’s post prompted a couple of quick rejoinders from readers steeped in Lutheran confessional theology. The post’s author, Ron Roschke, is steeped in this theology too. You’ll discover this in today’s second part of his reflection on Romans Disarmed, the book he invites us to consider. We thank him heartily ...
  • Thursday Theology: On Reading Paul’s Letter to the Romans. A Review of Romans Disarmed
    Co-missioners, We are “justified by faith.” What does this mean? The classic Lutheran answer to this Luther-style question is up for grabs these days in mainline Protestant circles. This includes much of the ELCA, where the term “justice” is replacing “justification” as the focus of teaching and proclamation. This shift is due in part to New Testament ...