How to be a Liberal, Confessional Christian (and Lutheran)

1. Remember the centrality of the Word of God. This should go without saying, but if you don't remember this fundamental fact about Christianity, there's not much point in continuing, is there? And what is the Word of God? Fundamentally, it is not the Bible--it is the on about whom it was written. The core belief of … Continue reading How to be a Liberal, Confessional Christian (and Lutheran)

Visitors to the Table

I sat down at a small round table in the fellowship hall where two visitors munched on coffee cake and sipped Kool-Aid. I had met them earlier in the hallway; their friend, a member of the congregation and the one who had invited them to our church in the first place needed help answering a … Continue reading Visitors to the Table

Announcing ELN!

Ecumenical Life News has been launched! The site is a simple hub that gathers together in one place links to news headlines from organizations and churches relevant to an ELCA seminarian trying to live an ecumenical life. News headlines are drawn from: Anglican Communion World Council of Churches World Communion of Reformed Churches Ecumenical News … Continue reading Announcing ELN!

What Makes a True Believer?

I had a conversation with an older gentleman after church today. He told me about his experiences with other denominations while looking for a church. Hearing his story, I invited him to Pub Theology next week because the topic is “Christian Unity and How to Deal with 'Those' People” (we needed a catchy tag-line that … Continue reading What Makes a True Believer?

Lessons in Civil Discourse

To counter the previous "downer" post, I thought today I would share a more hopeful story. Trinity Lutheran Seminary has a unique ecumenical relationship. While it is joined with the Methodist Theological School ("Methesco"), the Pontifical College Josephinum, and Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary in the Theological Consortium of Greater Columbus, it is its relationship with … Continue reading Lessons in Civil Discourse