Answering those who have lost their faith

I've had a long-standing interest in answering those who have doubts or questions about their faith. My main focuses are generally Jesus' resurrection, the general integrity of the New Testament gospel accounts, and the problem of evil. But today I have in mind a woman I met who had left the faith for a different kind of reason: two leaders in her church, married to each other, were each having affairs on the side. Of course that doesn't have a direct bearing on whether God exists, or whether Jesus loves her. Even the best of us mere mortals has both good and bad mixed together in us.

But that doesn't really let us off the hook. Not many should be teachers; teachers are held to a higher standard. Their failings will affect people in that way. It's a variation of the problem of evil: how can a 'good' institution allow things like that? How can 'good' people do things like that? For some, it's a short step from taking God's forgiveness for granted to becoming hardened sinners. And if those hardened sinners are teachers, other people find it's a short step out the door, especially if their faith is new and fragile.

Church leaders aren't the only ones in responsible positions. I know people who were turned away from their faith by their parents' mistreatment or hypocrisy.

Here's the thing: If we count ourselves as witnesses for Christ, we're all responsible. I'm not saying that each of us is obligated to become the next great saint (though I suspect that one person the caliber of Saint Francis or Mother Theresa outweighs a dozen of the snide attackers). I'm saying that simply refraining from evil is far more important than we've given it credit for. If we consider ourselves witnesses for Christ -- or if we're the only Christian that someone knows -- we cannot be the one with the temper, the one with the hatred, the one with the arrogance, the one bearing false witness or slandering our neighbor, the one trying to dominate or put down the other person, or the one cheating or stealing or committing adultery.

Because honestly, some of the atheists that I've met have arguments that don't fully make sense or aren't particularly persuasive, and once an objection is answered they simply produce another objection. That's the sign of someone whose real reason is held in reserve or kept protected. May we not be the reason that they have left the faith.

Create in me a clean heart: Digging into David's prayer

I return to King David's prayer of repentance time and again: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:!0). He captures the human desire so well as we long for a purity and holiness beyond our ability to attain. So I want to consider what a clean heart might look like. 

• A clean heart will be joyful: "Restore unto me the joy of your salvation" (Psalm 51:12)
• A clean heart has rid itself of things that make it unclean: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31)
• A clean heart holds fast to and desires the Spirit of God: "Take not your Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11)
• A clean heart desires to be presentable to God: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)
• A clean heart is a treasury, carefully filled with treasures: "Therefore every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old." (Matthew 13:52)

So the faithful are careful about repentance, about reading Scripture, studying together, and pursuing wisdom. These are some of the ways we build the treasures in our hearts. 

Seeing the Invisible God: The Holy Spirit in symbols

The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us of himself. This is similar to Christ, as Immanuel. As we cannot see the Spirit, the Bible provides some other symbols to help us understand the Spirit: 

• Wind symbolizes the Holy Spirit: a breath that gives life. 
• A dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit: a creature of the air and relatively untouched by earthly problems, it is gentle, an emblem of peace and hope. Doves were also at times used as a sacrifice. 
• Water symbolizes the Holy Spirit: washing, cleansing, and renewal. We see the Holy Spirit descend on Christ at his baptism with water, and speaking to his disciples about a baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. 
• Fire symbolizes the Holy Spirit: light for wisdom and understanding, counsel and knowledge. While the Psalmist praised the Word of God as "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path," the image used for that light and guidance is that of fire. Fire was associated with courage, empowerment, and freedom from fear. Fire was also used to purify and refine.

Build-A-Bear Deity Kit: Modern Idols

When I was first forming my understanding of the contemporary world, idols were rare in the U.S., at least in the literal sense of the word "idols". Sure, it was easy enough for people to commit idolatry of a certain kind, putting something else in the place of God. But the kind where people constructed something and called it a god and worshipped it, that was rare. 

Again, it has long been a quip -- a barb, a joke -- that people make gods in their own images. Honestly, given how "understanding" works as we fit things into our minds, we could hardly make any other kind of deity than one that is in our own images. The characteristics must be brought from our own minds and our own understanding, and obviously reflect us. But often that had been meant as a critique of limiting our ideas to the ones already found in our own minds. 

What I have seen recently is the idea -- which some people I know take seriously -- that it is desirable to create a god in our own image based on what we wish that god would be. I have a friend who was  invited to create her own idea of God based on her own needs and preferences, who thought it was exhilarating to be free from all constraints and have a god about whom she had no doubts or reservations. There was even a paper-and-pencil exercise where she decided the traits and characteristics she desired her god to have, based on some reflective journaling. It didn't even seem strange to her. The awareness that she just made it up wasn't seen as a problem. It does not bother her that she prays to a god that she drafted in a journaling exercise. That this deity would never be able to have any insight for her, beyond what she had given it, would be a problem for another day (if ever). I can hope that her understanding of God retains some roots, though there is no guarantee of it. 

We all have misunderstandings of God. When the infinite God meets our finite minds, our mental images are all incomplete. But usually not intentionally so, or with disregard for the best common experiences of humanity through the ages. 

Our culture's relationship to truth and objectivity has changed much in recent years. As BK was posting over at CADRE Comments, there are new challenges calling us forward. 

Genealogies (in Scripture and elsewhere)

When I was a child, my grandparents would try to interest me in the family tree. They would tell me the names of generations who had died before I was born. And at the time I had no interest, much to my regret now. Because time has changed my perspective on that, and more strongly as I have recently sorted through old family photos trying to identify who was who, and how to view old 35mm slides, and how to figure who was the photographer of various scenes. 

As I child I used to see that kind of thing as belonging to an irrelevant past, what I now think of as lost treasure. My grandparents weren't telling me of irrelevancies, they were telling me about their own parents and grandparents and before. I began to feel it more strongly when my father died: that he had become one of the names on a list, memories that lived only in certain people. And it grew on me that all those names from before were my people, my family that I had never met. They are a missing piece of my puzzle. And I am a vital link in their future, as they were for the generations before them. 

The cultures that value genealogy -- such as the Hebrews -- may resonate more strongly than I do with seeing the endless lists of people. And as the years go by, the lists of names even in Scripture become more meaningful to me. The lives, the eras, the stories of how they managed, are a treasure. 

When we forget or devalue the past, we lose part of ourselves. But it can be found again. 

Love hopes all things

When I was a child I spoke as a child. I understood as a child. I reasoned as a child. When I was grown, I put away childish things. Now we see as through a glass darkly, but then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I am known. And faith, hope, and love remain, these three. But the greatest of these is love. (Paul, 1 Cor 13:11-13)

In Paul's much-quoted passage about spiritual gifts and spiritual maturity, I do not always credit that faith, hope, and love are seen as having the most potential for maturity in our spirituality. When it comes to hope, it's easy for me to get caught up in what I see: it's not necessarily cause for hope. But "we see as through a glass, darkly." I don't see everything there is to see, and what I do see isn't always seen clearly. And I get caught up in what I know. "I know in part," and tend to forget how much can be missed. 

Earlier, Paul had mentioned some characteristics of love. It included: "Love hopes all things." I can become resigned or even cynical, in a distrust of hope. I can tell myself that the lack of hope is realism. If so, it's a kind of "realism" which overlooks the reality that a situation might be transformed. I can assume that "what we see now" and "what we know now" is the final word, forgetting the limits of what we see and what we know. If "love hopes all things", then it is right that I allow myself to hope the best for all people, even if hope seems like a longshot. 

Forgiveness and Restored Fellowship

Lately I have heard more than one person proudly announce forgiveness by saying something along these lines: "I'll forgive so that I am not burdened," without any plans to reconcile. They may also mention that harboring a grudge is like drinking a poison and hoping the other person dies, and so they stop drinking the poison. (From the tone of voice, they may still wish the other person dies.) 

And yet forgiveness, as we know it from God, is a forgiveness that does not write off the relationship. God's forgiveness always hoped we would not die ("takes no pleasure in the death of the sinner"). God's forgiveness is not for personal peace-of-mind, to get away from the uncomfortable feeling of being mindful of a wrong toward him. God's forgiveness is not a detachment but a reconciliation. So forgiveness from God is not merely the end of resentment, but the renewal of the relationship. 

Of course it takes two to reconcile. That said: a mere detachment cannot lead to reconciliation; it never sought it in the first place. In that way, detachment can resemble condemnation more than it resembles forgiveness in the Christian sense. 

With detachment alone, the natural outcome is that people become more and more disconnected, more isolated. To build fellowship and community, it's necessary to reconnect. It's harder work, but it is how God forgives us. 

Whatever is worthy of praise, think on these things

In this world, there is an element of wonder and awe, the sense of possibility, an invitation to playfulness. One of my most-cherished artists is a street artist named David Zinn. For the most part, he's a street artist / chalk artist who specializes in adding a touch of fun to public spaces. Here is a piece he did that is part street art and part homage to M.C. Escher: 

If anyone could use a moment of delight in the goodness of the world, thinking on things that are worthy of praise, I find David Zinn's art to be worthy of consideration. 

James 3: how different section headings would lead to a different understanding

In many Bibles, there are section headings which are not in the original text. They are added by the publisher as an aid to study and understanding. I find those headings helpful when I am scanning a hardcopy for a particular passage. But the section headings can hide connections. (Chapter breaks, likewise added after the original text was written, share the same risk.)  

While studying the book of James, in Chapter 3 in my hardcopy there are 2 sections: "Taming the Tongue" (3:1-3:12), and "Two Kinds of Wisdom" (3:13-3:18). And yet, there is a chance that the chapter is meant as single unit. Consider that 3:1 may set forward the topic for the whole chapter: Cautions for teachers. That first verse says plainly, "Not many should be teachers, knowing that we shall be judged more strictly." From that point of view, "taming the tongue" and "two kinds of wisdom" can be understood as topics specially applicable to teachers, who spend so much time speaking, striving for wisdom, and hoping to communicate something useful. In "taming the tongue" there are warnings against speech that is incendiary or inflammatory, against speech that curses others. In "two kinds of wisdom" there is a contrast between worldly wisdom -- where someone might boast or use their smarts in service of selfish ambition -- and wisdom from above which is more focused on peace and, through peace, cultivating a harvest of righteousness. The wisdom from above employs the teacher's humility to help the learners and beyond. 

And so when we open our mouths to teach, all of those warnings and instructions may have been meant for just that moment. 

Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed. Alleluia! 

Blessing to all on your celebrations of Jesus' resurrection: God's promise to us that our own lives are not in vain. 

Grappling with Christ's sacrifice

The ancient sacrificial system makes little sense to me. I cannot relate to the idea of bringing goats or pigeons as an act of atonement. 

But I can relate to the idea of being in deep regret or shame, and wanting to bargain my way out of it, make some kind of substitution, any kind of substitution. What about one of those moments in life that I'd give anything to take it back? I can imagine myself bargaining ... "Anything, I see how wrong it is but there's no way to take it back. Just don't let that ruin everything!" Some people say that bargaining like that is futile, but is it? What if God said "Okay"? What if God took the deal with one condition: He would pay the price instead. 

In some ways, the question of "How could a good God allow evil?" is the question how a good God could allow agency to people who are so flawed. I've heard skeptics and scoffers list their reasons to disbelieve in God, and they are often lists of things that humans do to each other. Even on that level, God bears the shame of any wrong I've done. 

May I consider, in those moments where I feel that urge to bargain away my regrets, that God accepted. 

The Stone The Builders Rejected

During the season of Lent, we remember the events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus proclaimed himself as the fulfillment of the prophecy of the stone that was rejected by the builders, the one that still becomes the cornerstone. All of us are builders in some way. So I'd like to consider how that warning would apply across the years to us today. 

• When Jesus proclaimed forgiveness, the leaders' reaction stemmed from not knowing who Jesus was: No one can forgive sins but God alone. Or is it that on some level, leaders -- or anyone else -- can gain power by not forgiving others? When we find fault with others, our human desire is not always the good, but the desire to elevate ourselves or put down someone else. Forgiveness can rob us of a weapon. 
• When Jesus cleansed the Temple of merchants to restore it as a house of prayer, the leaders' reaction revealed that they had lost sight of the holiness of the Temple. In the aftermath, the verbal sparring showed that these particular leaders had stopped seeking truth about certain things, and had begun using knowledge (and strategic ignorance) as pawns. It had become more important to them to maintain power, prestige, and legitimacy. Those are necessary, aren't they? But it becomes part of that human picture that we are willing to gain our own prestige at others' expense. If Jesus is the cornerstone, then we are not. Our efforts -- along with our demands for prestige -- are not as vital as we would like to think. Very human to resist. 

The temptations that led his accusers astray were temptations common to us all. 

The Lost Sheep and the Prodigal Son: Different approaches for different absences

I've heard the parable of the Prodigal Son preached roughly every 3 years, and so I expect I've heard at least a dozen sermons on the text. Today I heard a new insight I had never heard before. 

The parable of the Lost Sheep -- shortly before the Prodigal Son, and part of the same conversation -- describes a shepherd who has 100 sheep until one wanders off and becomes lost. The shepherd seeks the lost sheep tirelessly until he finds it and safely returns the sheep to the flock. 

The parable of the Prodigal Son describes a young man who demands his inheritance from his still-living father, leaves home, and squanders his inheritance. After losing everything and nearly starving, he comes back home humbly. While he was still a way off, his father sees him and runs to him and welcomes him. 

The sheep who went astray was clueless and foolish. He may not have left intentionally. His separation may have been as simple as not knowing how to find his way back. The shepherd went out looking for him. 

The son who went astray acted in coldness, possibly even malice in demanding an inheritance while his father was still alive. The father did not leave everything and go looking for him. Instead, the father waited until the son came back home, and went out to meet him after he had turned back the right direction and was ready to head home. 

Those parables show the constancy of God's love and the constancy of the rejoicing in heaven over everyone who returns home safely. They also show different approaches to those who left cluelessly and those who turned away spitefully. The desire to have the lost one back is the same. But for someone who left intentionally, there may be no gain in seeking their return until they want to return. The thing that moves the prodigal son to come back is partly his hardship and his hunger. It's also partly knowing that his father loves him very much, having no doubt his father would welcome him back. The groundwork for the prodigal son's return happened before he left. 

"Purple Heart" in life

"Bear each others' burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)

Each Lent, it's useful to me to take up a spiritual reflection. This year I have been trying to become more aware of the burdens that other people carry. It helps me be more loving to them, more considerate, less likely to be impatient or critical. And how can we "bear each others' burdens" without knowing them? 

When a soldier has been wounded, they may be considered for a Purple Heart -- a medal that recognizes an injury received, and in general injuries are not forgotten. Life in general has no Purple Heart -- at least not officially. And yet life is full of "walking wounded" who may not get recognition, honor, or respect for what they have endured. When I find myself tending toward critical thoughts of someone, it's helpful to run through the Purple Hearts they have earned in life, whether struggles with illness, disability, loss, or any other hardship. 

May I slow down my critical thoughts, and respect and honor people for the hardships they have faced. That is one help in bearing each others' burdens. 

Forgiveness versus Excuses

I've begun to think we may not always "forgive" when we think we have forgiven someone. Speaking for myself, I'm more likely to have excused them -- that is, I have found an excuse that I found acceptable and so what was done was not really wrong, all things considered. Or I've evaluated a hurt as too small to worry about, and given it a pass. "It's not wrong enough to worry about." And it may be true, but it's also not forgiveness. 

When I'm the one in the wrong, my first try is usually for a pass (not wrong enough to worry about) or an excuse (there was a good enough reason or a greater good, so not really wrong). It's when there is no excuse that I need to squarely face the idea of forgiveness. The distinction is important because if all my thoughts of forgiveness are tangled in with thoughts of "accepting an excuse", then any talk of forgiveness can seem like excusing the inexcusable.  If my thoughts of forgiveness are tangled in with thoughts of "give it a pass" then any talk of forgiveness seems like claiming the problem isn't worth worrying about. And so forgiveness itself can look offensive or immoral, if it's considered to be no different than giving a pass or making excuses. 

Forgiveness -- as opposed to accepting excuses -- only comes into the picture when there is no way to give something a pass, no excuse that can be accepted. Forgiveness comes into the picture when there are human beings in that situation, who have done things that cannot be excused. Forgiveness comes into the picture when I realize I am one of those people too. When I sing "Amazing Grace" I sing it for me. I have real faults, not just resume faults. 

With that in mind, if someone is trying for redemption, let me not be the undertow dragging them back. If someone has gotten to the point of acknowledging they do not deserve a pass, and they do not have an excuse, then there might be redemption. 

"Even the demons believe in God" (James 2:19)

The new pastor of my congregation asked an interesting thought-question recently: If the demons believe in God, what exactly do they believe about him? 

• They believe that God exists (James 2:19)
• They believe that Jesus is the Holy One of God (Luke 4:34)
• They believe that God will bring an end to their evil reign (Luke 4:34)
• But they do not work for mercy; they are "the accuser" (Revelation 12:10)

When we accuse each other -- even with cause -- we often do the work of the opposition. 

Wisdom's truest treasure

There was a song sung by my Christian college group, "Lord, you are ... ". I always liked that song and have kept it as part of my devotions over the years. I've added a new verse, privately, and thought I might put it here: 

Lord, you are wisdom's truest treasure

Seeking you rekindles our hope

Loving you refills our hearts full measure

Our hearts are restless til they rest in you

For those familiar: Yes, that last line is based on St Augustine. 

Salt and light: Being countercultural in a good way

"You are the salt of the earth ... you are the light of the world." -- Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us plenty of ways to be salt and light in the world: from reconciling with our neighbors, to not insulting them, to blessing those who curse us and praying for those who persecute us, to greeting people regardless of whether there is an expectation of return. 

In our current culture, reverence and respect are also counter-cultural. When someone calls humor "irreverent", it is meant as a compliment. There is an entire genre of comedy devoted to insults and put-downs. Public dialog is often mean-spirited and rude. There are some easy opportunities for us to be light in a dark time by simply not participating in the casual cruelty of our age. 

"Do not judge, lest you be judged" - We are often rushed to approve or condemn based on slim amounts of questionable information. May I not take the bait. 

"Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us" - Our current culture seems to delight in finding fault. I would have so few friends if people treated me in the same way. 

These are just some private ponderings on how to follow through on what we have been taught. Thanks for your patience in reading!

The Sabbath - beyond "should I or shouldn't I?"

When we Christians discuss the Sabbath, the conversations usually follow predictable paths. Does it apply to Gentiles? Does it apply to Christians? Does it apply under the New Covenant? Does our observance (or non-observance) come from faith and from honest conviction? Are we fully persuaded in our own minds, with a clean conscience? Those are all good and useful questions. They also share a certain focus: Are we doing what God requires? Again, no objection to the question whether we're doing what God requires. There's just more to the picture that tends not to be considered in the conversation. 

A good command is not arbitrary. It is part of a bigger picture. There is a spirit of the law in addition to the letter of the law. This post is not written with the intent to persuade anyone to change their mind on whether or not to keep the letter of the law. It is to expand the focus, to re-introduce the spirit of the law. 

For instance, there are laws such as "You shall not steal" and "You shall not murder" and "You shall not commit adultery" and "You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor." The spirit of these laws can be summed up as "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," or "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The spirit of the law is higher and deeper and more resonant than the letter of the law, and is the motivating force that shapes the letter of the law. The spirit of the law of course includes the specific ways we do not take advantage of our neighbor; rightly done it also moves us to love our neighbor. 

The Sabbath holds a unique place among the commandments given at Sinai. It is the only one of the ten commandments given about how we use our time. It is the only one of the ten commandments given about ensuring that workers and even working animals are not over-worked. Jesus taught that "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." The book of Exodus refers to the time of creation, that on the seventh day God rested: it is the day in which God is said to have delighted in the world, remarking that all of creation is very good in every way. It is made for us as a blessing and a gift. 

Consider too how often the Old Testament uses numbers symbolically. In that symbolism the number 7 is associated with an appointed time for blessing, rest, and celebration. Each week the seventh day is blessed with rest and holiness. Each year, the seventh month is blessed with the Day of Atonement,. As time continues, the seventh year is a sabbath rest for the land which is not cultivated during the year. Further, after the 7 x 7th year, the next year is a Jubilee year associated with forgiveness of debts and with restoration of property that has been lost to the larger family over the years: whether the family loss was through misfortune or mismanagement, the loss is restored in God's appointed time. In the book of Daniel, 70 x 7 years is the designated time of waiting for the Messiah, with days of restoration. 

When we remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy, we often think in terms of refraining from mundane work. And sometimes I'll see a bumper sticker that tells us, if we like weekends, to thank labor unions. If we like weekends, I'd rather thank organized religion. Yet the non-work that generally fills weekends isn't necessarily remembering the Sabbath or keeping it holy. Holiness, in Scripture, is more than mere separation. It has to do with what is designated for the beauty and holiness of God, for the presence of God which is accompanied by blessing and restoration and renewal. 

How could a loving God ... ?

Today in Bible class someone was discussing a child who had died in a plane crash; those following current events this week will be familiar with it. While we may grieve less over the loss of someone who is old, the death of a child is always seen as a tragedy. And someone in class had been faced with the question, "How can God let that happen?" 

To be clear, the questioner was not directly affected by the loss of the unknown child, but was affected by the fact that we live in a broken world. I don't think we go wrong there to express confidence in God's goodness, in God's love. God raises the dead. 

When we speak to those directly affected: we mourn with those who mourn. When we speak to those not directly affected but who are troubled by the tragedy -- and when we too are naturally troubled by tragedy -- the time may come sooner to remember God's faithfulness to the world he made. 

Making all things new

In this new year, I wanted to ponder the Scriptures that talk about new things. While the book of Ecclesiastes may mention "There is nothing new under the sun," the Bible's overarching theme is about renewal, as the Bible's finale is the promise of a new beginning with a new heaven, a new earth, and God making all things new. Here is a quick look at the main "new" things that are discussed in scripture: 

• a new house is dedicated to God
• with the new moon there would be feasts
• new wine was a cause for rejoicing, and needed special handling
• a new covenant, with a new heart and a new commandment
• singing to the Lord a new song
• a new heaven and a new earth
• in which we are given a new name

Here is a word cloud of verses discussing "new": 

appointed (7) away (9) behold (12) blood (6) bring (6) burnt (11) burst (5) cart (6) commandment (9) covenant (9) create (5) days (5) declares (5) destroyed (5) drink (9) earth (9) feasts (15) flesh (6) forth (6) garment (6) gate (5) give (11) god (20) grain (15) heart (7) heaven (9) holy (5) house (22) israel (10) king (6) lord (35) man (8) moon (28) name (8) offerings (37) opened (6) pass (5) people (6) regular (5) sabbath (16) saying (7) sing (8) skins (5) son (5) song (11) spirit (8) things (9) wine (20) wineskins (8) writing (5)

created at TagCrowd.com

Forgiveness in the sacraments: How it relates to Christ's ministry

One thing that happens often in controversies is that people of different views don't understand each others' positions. There are a certain number of Protestants who become angry at any mention of sacraments, and particularly at the mention of being forgiven at the Lord's table or that baptism now saves us. If someone believes that sacraments are human works, the reaction is understandable. But here is what they look like from a Lutheran point-of-view: 

We are saved by grace -- that is, God's forgiving love toward us through Christ. We know that Christ cleanses us and sends us the Spirit by which we call God our Father. So non-sacramental types are surprised to hear that's exactly what we believe happens in baptism. In baptism, the Spirit came on Christ like a dove, and the Father acknowledged Christ as a dear son. In baptism, God sends his Spirit to us too. Scripture calls it a "baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." And here in baptism we are joined to Christ's death and resurrection. So baptism is not "another way besides Christ" that we receive forgiveness and new life. It is exactly through Christ that we receive forgiveness and new life in baptism. Baptism is the good news of Christ in a form we can touch and see. 

We know that Christ's death and resurrection save us. His sacrifice was for us, his blood a new covenant for the forgiveness of sins. Again, the Lord's Supper is not "another way besides Christ" that we receive forgiveness through his death and resurrection. It is exactly in Christ's death and resurrection that we receive new life at the Lord's Supper, in the new covenant in his blood shed for us for the forgiveness of sins. Again, the Lord's Supper is the good news of Christ in a form we can touch and see. 

There are people who honestly, earnestly believe that when we speak of "the means of grace" (Word and Sacrament, to a Lutheran), that we mean grace comes outside of Christ. In fact, we mean more simply that Christ himself, and the good news of our forgiveness, is received when we are baptized and when we receive the Lord's Supper. 

Best of the Blogroll 2024

Each year on this blog, I like to welcome the New Year by recognizing blog neighbors whose work enriched my spiritual life during the year. Here are the best-loved posts of 2024:  

• Common Denominator - Ken Schenck is a prolific blogger and YouTuber, and that's just in his spare time. For a sample, see his 2024 year in review. 
• Conciliar Post is on my reading list because of its work in Christian reconciliation, a longstanding interest of mine. This year they reached their 10-year anniversary and announced the publication of selected conversations from the first 10 years of their blog.  
• Dr Claude Mariottini has gone to a lighter posting schedule this year. He posted about Moses and YHWH's interaction face-to-face. 
• Forward Progress - Michael Kelley is a prolific poster of edifying content. Hiss post about The Surest Way to Resist the Devil was both insightful and humbling. I was blessed by his fellowship-centric post on Three Reasons Why 2 Are Better Than 1. I was grateful for his Biblical faithfulness and clarity about temptation when focusing on the original temptation, "has God really said?" His post on "Three Promises You Woke Up To This Morning" are a welcome breath of good news in a sometimes dark world. 
• Glory To God For All Things - Father Freeman's post showed me unexplored depths on the view of sin as "missing the mark" with his ponderings on purpose, direction, the identity of the target as God, and the identity of the arrow as ourselves. 
• Hyperekperissou keeps up a steady and faithful stream of book reviews, such as a recent book about contemporary monasticism. 
• Meta's Blog - Joe Hinman contributes to the field of answering atheist objections. One persistent area of focus is explaining atonement, in which he advocates for understanding atonement as God's solidarity with humanity.  
• The Pocket Scroll - One of his posts that I loved best this year was on spiritual self-control and tools in the post Join the battle, for you are already in it. In another particularly edifying one, he explored how knowing God informs preaching, and included the gem "Theology is good because it helps us know and love God more."
• Reading Acts often posts on current academic literature in the field of Biblical Studies, and takes it in turn to host the Biblical Studies Carnival such as this recent one (November 2024). 
• Roger Pearse is a standout in the field of ancient manuscripts and related fields. I actually had a chatbot use his site as a reference within the last month, and for an area I hadn't realized he'd covered. Some of his thought-provoking posts this year include The Megiddo Mosaic, and a book review of Saints of Ethiopia, which touches on an interest of mine in the under-remembered heritage of Christianity in many places in the world. 
• Sun and Shield - Martin LaBar posted an intriguing collection of hymns and spiritual songs with imagery of rocks and stones, and a related post on rocks and stones in Biblical imagery. There is a lot of depth in Scripture which God reveals through imagery, and it needs someone who follows the deeper themes and motifs of Scripture and God's self-revelation. There lies some of the "treasure hidden in a field" for those who take the time to look for it. 
• Thinking Christian - Tom Gilson contributes a reality-check about serving in the mission field right here at home. 
• Undivided Looking - Aron Wall continued his in-depth series on comparative religion with a piece on the moral depth of religions. 

Thank you to all Christian bloggers in 2024 for posting informative, uplifting, and edifying content, both the ones I'm aware of and the ones I'm not. Best wishes and blessings for 2025!