#Lutheran pastor

[tmarshconnors]

"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a communist. Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak outBecause I was not a Jew. Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me."

Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller was a German theologian and Lutheran pastor. He is best known for his opposition to the Nazi regime during the late 1930s.

Born: 14 January 1892, Lippstadt, Germany

Died: 6 March 1984, Wiesbaden, Germany

[tilbageidanmark]

(All the other memes I’ve made..)

[sheilamurrey]

Jesus – Child of Rubble

“When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two…Jesus – Child of Rubble

[kiwibirb1]

Okay so according to my grandpa a priest is withh the Catholics and a pastor is with everyone else. In case you were wondering

[queerprayers]

I love the second Sunday of Easter because it means I get to hear great sentences during sermons. Today's gems included "he desires to touch the holes, as do we all" and multiple uses of the word "thrust."

[acid-onthefloor]

grwm to become the least favourite grandchild!

[many-sparrows]

Burn, burn, burn Zach Bryan

Scarlet hedgehog cactus

Sermon notes

La Carita (Charity) Carlo Dolci

John 1:5

"God's preference is to be heard and God's preference is to be understood."

Blessed Pentecost! God is a God who wants to speak to you and They don't prefer one language. They are so, so much bigger than a pulpit or the church or Sunday mornings. God will speak in whatever ways you can hear; let yourself listen to the tiny whispers and the little gestures and the tongues that sound foreign to those around you. Hear Them in everything, no matter where They're speaking from.

It's so special to me that Pentecost was the last Sunday before pride month this year. God called me back through the exploration of my own queerness; He spoke to me through the radical, transgressive love I saw. Letting that part of myself out taught me how to embrace God's creation, including myself, just as it is. My religion taught me how to love recklessly and without hesitation, my queerness taught me how to love even the people I am told not to.

The Holy Spirit is reaching for you, desperate to anoint you with Their light. Let yourself reach back.

[koko-mochi]

This may be United Church of Christ sacrilege or whatever but I really don't like The New Century Hymnal. I support inclusive language in church, certainly, and I understand why it's in there, but I think the NCH implementation of inclusive language is often really clunky and awkward to sing.

I also am super uncomfortable that the authors of the NCH felt it was okay to change the words to African-American spirituals. It feels gross, and at odds with this mostly-white denomination's effort to be more inclusive and diverse. Those are not our songs to change, that should be clear at this point.

Honestly, we can have meaningful and inclusive church musical experiences without appropriating the traditions and experiences of the black church. I've worked with UCC congregations who have done bluegrass, celtic music, plainsong chant, brass quartet, string quintet, folk guitar, Taize chant and more vibrant musical traditions that bring life and light to worship.

There are other inclusive hymnals available that do all this better. The Chalice Hymnal is a huge improvement, and the UMC hymnal supplement The Faith We Sing is a diverse and inclusive collection of hymns that fits into the rich musical tradition of the Methodist church. It's sad to me that for so many UCC churches The New Century Hymnal is the default because frankly, it ain't great.

[sadsongsandwaltzes]

one thing that’s odd to me in baptist/evangelical circles is that theology is *treated* like a customizable lunch tray

pick your soteriology: calvinist/Arminian

Now pick an eschatological side argument: premil/postmil

As a treat, we can argue about continuationism

For the record, I’m not saying the theology itself states all these can be true or that it doesn’t matter. I’m simply pointing out how it’s put in practice and the lack of grounding doctrine.

[theridgebeyond]

Jesus @ me when I haven’t had communion in a long time and it’s showing

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Today in Christian History

Today is Monday, March 6th, the 65th day of 2023. There are 300 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

1830: The New York Evangelist is founded with the assistance of Charles G. Finney for the express purpose of representing revival interests and will soon command a large circulation.

1883: Death in Oslo of Norwegian editor and hymnwriter, Elevine Heede. Altogether she had written or translated more than two hundred hymns.

1901: Amy Carmichael, serving as a missionary in India, shelters her first temple runaway, a young girl dedicated to the Hindu gods and forced into prostitution to earn money for the priests.

1916: Russians slaughter the Turkish 3rd Army, giving no quarter to the men held responsible for the recent massacre of Armenian Christians.

1919: Death in Peoria, Illinois, of hymnwriter Julia Harriette Johnston who had directed a Presbyterian Sunday school for forty years and written a book of missionary lives. Her best-known hymn was the popular “Grace Greater than Our Sin.”

1933: Death in Massachusetts of Christian educator and hymnwriter Amos R. Wells, editor of Peloubet’s Notes for the International Sunday School Lessons and editorial secretary for the United Society of Christian Endeavor.

1984: Death of Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller, a founder of Germany’s Confessing Church and an opponent of the Nazis, who imprisoned him for many years.

2015: Opening day of The Oromo Theologians’ Forum is held in Oslo, Norway, and seeks ways for displaced Ethiopians to effectively share the gospel in Europe.

[undeadlobster]

Republican Christians keep foaming at the mouth and screaming about trans kids and genital mutilation yet the vast majority of their sons are circumcised

[fiddler-sticks]

When you scroll through the tag for your exact religion and people are calling it a cult...

[betweenandbeloved]

Holy Land Take 2!

It’s been three years since I had the opportunity to travel out of the country and now I’m finally heading off: back to the Holy Land! I’m excited to be sharing this trip (and probably most of my future trips) with my new travel buddy, I mean husband, Jonathan.

Here’s a cute wedding photo because how can I not share one!

We’ve done some traveling together locally and down to Disney World but this will be his first appearance on the blog as its our first out of country excursion, and his first trip to the Holy Land!

As this trip is not for a class like last time, I likely won’t blog about it the same way I did in 2019. If you want to revisit those posts, check here. Since this is a continuing education trip for work, I will try to share as I am able to, just no guarantees for in-depth posts. Even though I’ve been before, I’m wait to go again because it’s going to be so different. The trip comprises of pastors and their spouses so we are going with our friends Zach, Ana, Dan, and Alina. It will also be different because I’m in my second year of pastoral ministry and have spent more time in the Bible for fun (not just for class) so I feel like I will experience the places differently. I’m also going into the trip eager to watch as Jonathan experiences it all for the first time.

The itinerary for the trip keeps changing but here’s a rough outline for where we will be going and what we will be doing.

January 3: Departing from Newark, NJ around 6:20 pm

January 4: Arrive in Tel Aviv and overnight in Tiberius

January 5: Cana of Galilee, Nazareth with the Basilica of the Annunciation (my favorite!!! Read about my 2019 fascination with Mary’s house here)

January 6: Capernaum, Mount of Beatitudes, boat ride on the Sea of Galilee

January 7: Jericho

January 8: Bethlehem!

January 9: Jerusalem: Mount of Olives

January 10: Jerusalem: Temple Mount & Old City

January 11: Travel Home :(

We are just about packed and I truly cannot think of what we are forgetting, but I’m sure (I hope) we will think of it between now and our flight. Until I post again, please pray for us and all those traveling with us on the trip, as well as all the people of Israel and Palestine.

[aaaaatillathenun]

Ok in the tags I think i mixed up a couple different incidents bc this is the church getting poisoned: https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=96750&page=1

and I think the people killing each other over being bishop was actually in Africa (Angola maybe?) and for a different denomination (thank u family member who worked for the international church)

None of them are gonna be physically violent

The Reddit users are going to judge you if you express any religious or “unscientific” sentiment

The Catholics run the gamut from “hardcore pro-lifer” to “Nun who invented communism”

The Protestants have brought lots of food but are going to proselytize the entire time you eat

The crystalists are split 60/40 on whether or not vaccines cause autism, and you don’t know who has the majority until you’ve been there an hour

The Anglophiles have good pastries, but 1/3 of them are in Sherlock cosplay

The girlbosses are all within 10° to the left of the center of the political spectrum and will try very hard to get you to invest in their MLM

The vegans brought food but will turn hostile if you let slip that you’ve used animal products in the last year

The reenactors have booze, but your phone is dead and they’re giving a very pro-America history lecture

The influencers have a pool, a jacuzzi, and lots of drugs, but they have a combined net worth that teaches seven digits and won’t let you forget it

The retirees have great weed but they’re gonna ask you a lot of invasive questions and give you a lot of unsolicited advice.

[many-sparrows]

The pastor's daughter to church worker pipeline still stands strong ✋🙄