From [Jesus Christ's] fullness we have all received grace upon grace. John 1.16I love this verse...especially on days when I have a hard time seeing any grace at all. Even though Lutherans talk about grace all the time, I'm not sure we understand it. "We are saved by grace through faith." It is most certainly true. Yet sometimes I think we just pretend we know what grace is … [Read more...] about Grace upon grace
Archives for September 2009
The Missing Piece
(Continued from last post. Read John 10.12) So in Jesus' story, what was the hired hand missing? What does the shepherd have that the hired hand doesn't? Faithfulness. According to Jesus' story, the hired hand sees the wolf and leaves the sheep vulnerable, while the shepherd with courage and faithfulness stays with the sheep when the wolf approaches. The hired hand runs … [Read more...] about The Missing Piece
Where’s the wolf and what’s missing?
Jesus told this story: The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. John 10.12Who's the wolf? Jesus doesn’t identify who the wolf is, but, given the conversation in John 10, it is fair to assume that it is anyone or anything that harms the well-being of God’s … [Read more...] about Where’s the wolf and what’s missing?
The least favorite verses in John 10
So, in keeping with last week's post on an unfavorite verse in John 10, this week I was awakened in the middle of the night with another least favorite verse ringing in my ears. Now why in heck would anyone wake up with a Bible verse on their minds? Good question! This all happened last Saturday night/Sunday morning. This past year every Sunday morning in worship I tell for … [Read more...] about The least favorite verses in John 10
Turning over a new chapter
We're in John 10, an old favorite about sheep. But today I got stuck on this verse: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."So today I had a lot going on. Some of it was not pleasant. I could feel my stomach churning. I called my husband at one point to let off steam. My mind got hooked into replaying a … [Read more...] about Turning over a new chapter