The long-held tradition in my last congregation was to read the Word of God out of the bulletin, not the Bible. The reasoning seemed understandable. Congregants weren’t bringing their Bibles to church, church leaders wanted everyone reading the same translation and access to Scripture was easier. This was devastating to the small congregation. These believers […]
Spring/Summer 2009
The Bible Initiative Continues to Pass It On
My father began decades ago to give away Bibles as a Gideon, and now, about 50 years after I first saw him do it, here I am carrying on the tradition,” says David Hayes, member of the Luther Seminary Foundation Board of Trustees. Hayes and his wife, Andrea, notable donors to Luther Seminary for the […]
An Education Grounded in the Word: Faculty Teach Biblical Message in Multiple Ways
Sometimes God can accomplish new and wonderful things using God’s oldest material. Luther Seminary faculty take God’s Word and help students apply it to their lives in meaningful ways every day. By the end of their seminary educations, students have not only learned about Scripture, but also how to interpret it and pass it on […]
Book of Faith Initiative Inspires ELCA Congregations
Since the Book of Faith Initiative kicked off in August 2007, it has swept through congregations in theELCA, growing and evolving in unique ways. What is now a churchwide initiative came from one simple, compelling thought: “We really have to think about how Lutherans read the Bible.” That thought spawned a conversation among members of […]
What is Biblical Preaching?
What makes preaching “biblical?” Isn’t all preaching “biblical” preaching? What does a “non-biblical” sermon sound like and should it really matter? What is at stake when we claim the need for biblical preaching? What difference does biblical preaching make for our for the church in the world? Of course, the compelling issues are also: Why […]
Finding a Good Book
The Bible is a lot of things, but simple isn’t one of them. It wasn’t easy to write. It’s sometimes hardto fully comprehend. And finding the right Bible for you or a loved one can seem as daunting as partingthe Red Sea. “Selling Bibles is one of the most complicated things we do in the […]
Fine Arts Collection Brings New Depth to Biblical Stories
In Craig Koester’s Genesis to Revelation course, students come as close as possible to witnessing biblical stories in the year 2009. Koester accomplishes this feat by incorporating music, drama and visual art into the classroom. “We not only read about wandering in the Sinai desert with the Israelites or traveling to Philippi or Corinth with […]
Would Martin Luther Tweet?
If Martin Luther were alive today, would the father of Lutheranism use modern-day technologies to spread the Word? Would he blog about the 95 Theses? Change his Facebook status? Edit the “indulgences” page on Wikipedia? Tweet his philosophies on Twitter in 140 characters or less? From the Reformation to today Lutherans have taken advantage of […]