Faith & Politics Reflections

 WHEN CONFUSION REIGNS – SUNDAY JUNE 8, 2025   Acts 2:1-21:  “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.  2  And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where (the disciples) were sitting.  3  Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.  4  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5  Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem.  6  And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.  7  Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?  8  And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?  9  Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and reside...

 THE END OF THE STORY – SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2025   Revelation 22:16-17, 20-21: 16  “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17  The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let everyone who hears say, “Come.” And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. 20  The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen. ➖ These are literally the last words of the Bible – the whole Bible. They are an invitation, a promise and a prayer. The invitation comes from our own mouths. It comes from the Spirit who makes us one. It comes from the Church, the “Bride” of Christ. Everyone who hears the invitation is invited to join the chorus. “Come!” “Come!”   Those who are thirsty for hope, and truth – for ...

 PAST THE PRESENT – SUNDAY MAY 25, 2025   Revelation 21:22-22:5: “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.  23  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  24  The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.  25  Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.  26  People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.  27  But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 22  1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb  2  through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve ...

 COIN OF THE REALM – SUNDAY MAY 18, 2025 THE NICENE CREED:  “. . . We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,  eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made . . .” ➖ This Tuesday, May 20, 2025, is the 1700 th anniversary of the Nicene Creed. Among all the things that might be said about this creed, we should acknowledge that it marked the first major DEI failure of the Christian Church. The Council of Nicaea may be the first time Christians allowed conformity to be forced upon them by a supreme, political leader. Okay, let me back up a little. I am a Lutheran Christian. Lutherans embrace the three “ecumenical creeds” of the Christian faith. (The Nicene Creed being one of them.) We understand them to be true and useful articulations of the faith. I understand that faith claims such as the "virgin birth," and "Lordship,"...

CREDO – SUNDAY MAY 11, 2025 John 10:22-30   “ At that time the Festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter,  23  and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.  24  So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”  25  Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me,  26  but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep.  27  My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.  28  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.  29  My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  30  The Father and I are one.” ➖ Knowing and believing are not the same thing. “Knowing” is bei...

 49 DAYS – SUNDAY MAY 4, 2025 John 21:1-19  “ After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way.  2  Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.  3  Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4  Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.  5  Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.”  6  He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.  7  That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” W...