Faith, Grace, and Hope

Yesterday was the feast day for the Apostle James. James, and his brother John, abandoned their father's fishing boat and went with Jesus to fish for men. These sons of Zebedee are also referred to as the "Sons of Thunder". They had a tendency to speak before they thought and seemed to continually miss the point of Jesus' ministry. They wanted to sit next to Christ on the throne, they were present at the Transfiguration and were there throughout the Passion week events. James is considered the first martyr of the early Church. He was executed by Herod Agrippa I about 15 years after Jesus died. References to James are found in: Matthew 10:2, 17:1-13 Mark 1:16-20, 3:17, 10:35-41, 14:32-42 Luke 5:1-10; 6:14, 8:51, 9:28, 54 Acts 1:13, 12:2 James is a role model for us because he reminds us that Christ's work and love is never about the "end" or what glory we can have for ourselves. The saving work of Christ in us spurs us to love our neighbors in the wor...

My favorite children's book is Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are . If you are not familiar with the tale, it's about a little boy whose mother sends him to his room one evening. His imagination runs away with him and he ends up in the land of the wild things. Once he convinces the wild things of his powers, they make him king. Though he loves it, he misses home and he wants to be where someone loves him best of all. So he ends up back in his own room. "There he finds his dinner waiting for him. And it was still hot." I always think this is a very grace-filled ending. Ultimately, we all want to be where we are loved best of all. The location of that love is always and only within the heart of God. We can feel that in our life experiences that create that sharp gasp of surprise at the awesomeness of the moment. No matter how far we wander or what we think we deserve, God is always with us. And God's grace, when we are able to recognize it, is always hot...

Many people were surprised, or maybe not, last week when Pope Benedict XVI declared that non-Roman Catholic Churches are outside the true faith. This affirmation of older, more traditional RCC teaching has not been reaffirmed in church-wide commentary really since Vatican II in the 1960s. In addition, many church bodies, including the Lutheran World Federation, had felt progress was being made in ecumenical relationships with Rome. The document is an attempt to clarify some matters of RCC faith that may have seemed murky to some for the past forty years. Some highlights include: Why do the texts of the Council and those of the Magisterium since the Council not use the title of "Church" with regard to those Christian Communities born out of the Reformation of the sixteenth century? Response: According to Catholic doctrine, these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. ...

It's the middle of my second week of internship. The first week was a little disjointed (no pun intended) due to my broken thumb and the Independence Day holiday. My first Sunday went well and I felt very welcomed into the Gloria Dei family. The second week is busier, but that's good because it helps me feel more settled in and attached to the church. I have started this blog as a way to make public some of my feelings and experiences along this journey and to share with you some of my meditations. I may not be able to post daily, but I will generally try to share a poem, hymn, inspirational writing or Scripture verse that I have been contemplating. My Hope is Built on Nothing Less My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean on Jesus' name (Chorus) On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. This hymn has become very significant to me i...