Lutherans are trained to hear the scriptures as proclaiming either law or gospel. By "law" they mean not passages from the Old Testament but all of the Bible's bad news: the sins we commit, the misery we experience, the sorrows we inflict on one another, the death we anticipate, the distance from God that diminishes our lives. By "gospel" they mean not the final reading on Sunday morning but the good news of the mercy given by a loving God, wherever in the Bible it is proclaimed.
Easter | Day of Pentecost (Year C)
Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17, (25-27)
Those who heard the disciples preach on Pentecost comprehended the message in their own language. But that was only the beginning.
May 4, 2016
In Acts comes Luke’s imaginative way to build upon ancient stories. The tongues of fire are no longer seen from afar on top of God’s mountain. And the multiplicity of languages becomes God’s vehicle for bringing salvation to the entire world.
by Gail Ramshaw
April 26, 2016
Pentecost offers a vision for Europe: not one megastate or one system for everything, but a model of diversity as peace.
by Samuel Wells
April 22, 2016
Learning a language requires us to focus our attention on something outside ourselves. It's a lot like learning to pray.
January 14, 2016