A SOCIAL GROUP IS A CONTAINER
Beloved, Just Lost
It dawned on me in my devotion time just the other day that we usually think the Prodigal Son was OUT and then back IN again; outside the Kingdom and then back inside, where the family belongs. That view of the Prodigal Son aligns with the Story of Salvation in 2 Acts, a common, biblical, and […]
I’m Not So Sure About Certainty
Certainty is kind of a tricky thing. I mean, there are some Bible passages that seem to make certainty something we all should not only strive for, but already have in spades. The flagship verse for certainty is probably Hebrews 11:1. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do […]
Look, Lift Up Your Eyes, And See
Warfare, Containers, Harvest, Living Water, and the LCMS Constitution and Bylaws By Justin Rossow One of my favorite moments in the Gospels comes in John, chapter 4, right after the Samaritan woman at the well leaves her empty jug behind to share what she has seen about this Jesus guy: So the woman left her […]
Does Synod Mean Walk Together??
By Justin Rossow I was recently presenting at a gathering of pastors when we went down a brief rabbit trail of a discussion regarding our English word “synod” (as in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod). I thought I was always taught that “synod” came from the Latin for “walking with,” while the other pastor pointed out […]
Outreach and Containers
Conceptual Metaphors in Speaking of Jesus, Part 2 In part 1 of this blog, we considered the conceptual metaphor ARGUMENT IS WAR in the book Speaking of Jesus: The Art of Not-Evangelism by Carl Medearis. This blog picks up where part 1 left off, with the discussion of a second conceptual metaphor that often guides our experience […]
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