Archive

This is the listing of all Fish Hooks published so far, arranged by the date each was published at Emmanuel (oldest at the bottom).  Click the link to view the Fish Hooks article.  (Click here to see a list organized by category & topic.)
(* Dates marked by an asterisk indicate  a rerun from an earlier date.)

• What was Jesus’ Last Name ? – * November 5, 2015 – Hint: it isn’t ‘Christ’
• Smalcald  – *October 29, 2023 – A strange word with an interesting place in Lutheran lore
• Melchizedek – *October 22, 2023 – An obscure OT figure with a big NT significance
• Holy Things – *October 15, 2023 – Do Lutherans believe in them?
• Top Knot Come Down ! – *October 8, 2023 – How to read (and NOT read) the Bible
• Two Hymn Books – *September 30, 2023  – The Bible’s ancient hymnal
• No Rules? – *September 23, 2023 – How Lutherans traditionally understand God’s Law
• Sanctuary – *September 17, 2023 – How this word got its modern meaning
• How Wet do You Have to Be? – *September 10, 2023 – It’s not how we do it
• Does God Have a Gender? – *September 3, 2023 – Divine pronouns aren’t arbitrary
• How Do You Raise an Ebenezer? – *August 27, 2023 – How indeed!
• ‘Word’ vs. ‘words’ – *August 20, 2023 – An important distinction about the Bible
• That Damn(ing) Virus – *August 13,2023 – It makes you want to swear!
• Bread & Wine or Body & Blood? – *August 6, 2023 – Discerning Christ’s real presence
• Are Lutherans catholic ? – *July 30, 2023 – A ‘capital’ distinction
• How the Bible got ‘Versified’ – *July 23, 2023 – How chapters and verses came to be
• You Did It To Me – *July 16, 2023 – The unmistakable mark of the true disciple
• Fishing With Pickles – *July 9, 2023 – It’s not as crazy as it sounds
• Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead ? – *July 2, 2023 – The historical challenge
• Judas – *June 4, 2023 – So you think you know Judas?  Take the quiz!
• Why Do Lutherans ‘Apologize’ ? – *May 28, 2023 – Perhaps we should ‘confess’?
• REJECTED – *May 21, 2023 – The pain and the promise
• Starting the Day Right – *May 14, 2023 – The Breakfast of Christians
• The Pastor and ‘Ewe’ – *May 7, 2023 – It’s all about tending the flock
• The Mighty Mite and the Trusting Bite – *April 30, 2023 – The joy of stewardship
• Monkeys in the Minster – *April 23, 2023 – Critters in church
• A Saint for the Sometimes Somnolent – *April 16, 2023 – Just like us?
• How Did Jesus Descend Into Hell ? – *April 9, 2023 – Puzzling phrase in the Creed
• Hanging Out with Jesus – *April 2, 2023 – Not what many folks expect
• In the Boat – *March 26, 2023 – Sailing together in the nave
• The Elementary of Elements – *March 19, 2023 – What makes it communion?
• The Importance of ‘U’ – *March 12, 2023 – What your chrch needs
• The Gift of Appreciation – *March 5, 2023 – Perhaps the finest gift of all
• Do I Have the Holy Spirit? – *February 26, 2023 – If you’re concerned, it’s Yes!
• The Lord’s Prayer – *February 19, 2023 – Why our Catholic brethren say it differently
• A Diet of Worms ? – *February 12, 2023 – Not as gross as it sounds
• Confession Confusion – *February 5, 2023 – Same word but two meanings
• Are Lutherans ‘Organic’ ? – *January 29, 2023 – Yes, we do love our organ music!
• God’s Rhymes – *January 22, 2023 – Seeing God’s patterns
• The Cornerstone – *January 15, 2023 – The only sure foundation
• Fish Hooks: Looking Back and Ahead — January 8, 2023 –How this began & time for a change.
• Body Parts – *December 25, 2022 – Membership in His Body matters!
• Stairway to Heaven – *December 18, 2022 – The universal longing to rise above it all
• Wait for the Lord! – *December 11, 2022 – The true spirit of Advent
• Can a Believer Fall Away? – *December 4, 2022 – A point of disagreement between Christians
• The Invisibility Paradox – *November 27, 2022 – Why doesn’t God make Himself obvious?
• What We Can Do – *November 20, 2022 – When the sky seems to be falling!
• Selah – *November 13, 2022 – What does this obscure word mean?
• Numinous & Ineffable – *November 6, 2022 – A pair of unusual but useful words
• Concordia – *October 30, 2022 – A very important book/name for Lutherans
• The Bible’s Longest Chapter – *October 23, 2022 – A remarkable composition
• Predestined ?? (!!) – *October 16, 2022 – Embracing the paradox
• Plausible Deniability? – *October 9, 2022 – The paradox of God’s deniability
• Forgiveness – *October 2, 2022 – A good one-word answer
• Baptism: Why we DO it – *September 25, 2022 – It’s a simple answer with deep impact
• ‘Dispensations’? – *September 18, 2022 – A Bible theory popular among fundamentalists
• Why is Jesus ‘the’ Christ? – *September 11, 2022 – The only one who can wear the title
• The Offertory – *September 4,2022 – A small ritual that tells a rich story
• Word AND Sacrament – *August 28, 2022 – Why we emphasize both Means of Grace
• Sadducees and Pharisees and Scribes (Oh my!) – *August 21, 2022 – Who were these guys?
• You Did It To Me – *August 14, 2022 – The unmistakable mark of the true disciple
• Turn Around ! – *August 7, 2022 – What God commands (and enables) us to do
• Why Believe? – *July 31. 2022 – What our own hearts tell us
• The Filioque – *July 24, 2022 – An obscure clause in the Nicene Creed
• A Window of Grace – *July 17, 2022 – When God redeems our tragedies
• Gospel – *July 10, 2022 – A familiar word that replaced the real meaning
• The Can’t-Miss Prayer – *July 3, 2022 – It’s what God always wants to give you!
• Why ‘Eucharist’? – *June 26, 2022 – An odd name that describes perfectly!
• Moderately Christian? – *June 19, 2022 – The danger of complacency
• Why Do They Rage? – *June 12, 2022 – This cannot end well!
• Tale of Two Consciences – *June 5, 2022 – Very different paths taken
• A Little Knowledge … – *May 29, 2022 – Understanding the truth about the Bible
• Deism/Theism/Meism – *May 22, 2022 – Three (plus) philosophies about god
• Fatal Distraction – *May 15, 2022 – When we forget what’s important
• Can Babies Believe? – *April 24, 2022 – Why do we baptize infants?
• O Sacred Head … – *April 17, 2022 – A favorite hymn with a unique back-story
• Where in the World are the Lutherans? – *April 10, 2022 – By the numbers
• No Wiggle Room – *April 3, 2022 – The reality that may make us squirm
• WANTED DEAD AND ALIVE – *March 27,2022 – Death and life through Baptism
• Paschal – *March 20, 2022 – An unusual word with great significance
• Covenant vs. Contract – *March 13, 2022 – Not the same thing!
• Playing Church ? – *March 6, 2022 – It’s not ‘cute’ when grownups do it
• Chosen! – *February 27, 2022 – How we experience the truth of God’s commitment
• Amazing! – *February 20, 2022 – The relentless pursuit of our loving God
• Only Sinners Need Apply – *February 13, 2022 – The truth about church members
• Lead Us Not – *February 6, 2022 – Why did Jesus teach us to pray those words?
• When Morning Dawns – *January 30, 2022 – The wonderful assurance of God’s new day
• More ‘Birds in the Hair’ – *January 23, 2022 – When we are sources of temptation
• What About Cremation? – *January 16, 2022 – What is the position of the church?
• Data – Theory – Application – *January 9, 2022 – The danger in trusting our theories
• A Woman’s Place? –  *January 2, 2022 – The role of women in the Church
• ‘Churchy’ Words – *December 26, 2021 – Some obscure terminology that your pastor may use
• God’s M.O. – *December 19, 2021 – God’s distinctive way of accomplishing His ends
• The Trinity – *December 12, 2021 – The perplexing mystery of God’s nature
• Earning a Pass? – *December 5, 2021 – A misplaced sense of confidence
• Just a Speck?  – *November 28, 2021 – The incredible improbability of God’s interest in us!
• Eyes Fixed on the Way – *November 21, 2021 – The recipe for avoiding disaster
• Gourmet Jesus ? – *November 14, 2021 – Sticking to the ‘original recipe’
• The Big Split –  *November 7, 2021 – The one 500 years before the Reformation
• Cotton Candy – *October 31, 2021 – There’s no substitute for real nourishment
• Saints AND Sinners – *October 24, 2021 – The true state of things for Christians
• The Divine ‘And’ – *October 17, 2021 – When ‘either/or’ isn’t the answer
• Two and a Half Martyrs – *October 10, 2021 – A burning commitment to God’s Word
• Trust or Sink! – *October 3, 2021 – Floating on God’s grace
• At the Right Time – *September 26, 2021 – When God’s plan came together
• Adversity and Glory – *September 19, 2021 –  Bearing the ‘cross’ of others
• “Sin Boldly” – *September 12, 2019 – Did Luther REALLY Say this?
• Choosing the Books – *September 5, 2021 – How did the early church do it?
• Pastors or Priests? – *August 29, 2021 – Does the name matter?
• Illumination – *August 22, 2021 – The light that gives confidence and meaning
• Righteous! – *August 15, 2021 – When it all comes together!
• Emptyhanded – *August 8, 2021 – How we approach God’s salvation
• Was Jesus Born in a Stable? – *August 1, 2021 – Rethinking the traditional story
• Flaming Letters in the Sky – *July 25, 2021 – The tragedy of hardened hearts
• Did Jesus Go To Church? – *July 18, 2021 – Countering a mistaken impression
• Is Hell a Real Place?  – *July 11, 2021 – Confronting an awful reality for some
• He Got This One Right! – *July 4, 2021 – A notorious atheist hits it on the head!
• The Ninety-five Theses – *June 27, 2021 – The list that changed history
• The ‘Christian Litmus Test’ – *June 20, 2021 – A basic test of ‘Christian’ belief
• The Readings – *June 13, 2021 – There’s a plan!
• Agony and Victory – *June 6, 2021 – When a cry of despair is fulfillment
• The LXX Bridge – *May 30, 2021 – The ancient translation that connects the Testaments
• Broken – *May 23, 2021 – The painful reality of the human condition
• The Multiverse? – *May 16, 2021 – Why some want to believe in this idea
• Vacuuming? – *May 9, 2021 – Preparing for Jesus to visit?
• Pay It Forward – *May 2, 2021 – God’s own practice of generosity
• The LXX – *April 25, 2021 – The ‘Bible’ that the earliest Christians read
• Tipsy in the Saddle? – *April 18, 2021 – The problem with human reason
• Changing the Wor(l)d – *April 11, 2021 – How Christianity influenced writing
• Confession Confusion – *April 4, 2021 – Same word but two meanings
• Monograms of Jesus – *March 28, 2021 – Some logos explained
• The Right Fuel – *March 21, 2021  – What goes into your tank matters!
• Adiaphora – *March 14, 2021 – An unusual word with important application
• Many Names – One Meal – *March 7, 2021 – It’s what God makes it, not what we call it
• Birds in the Hair – *February 28, 2021 – Living with all those pesky temptations
• Apostolic – *February 21, 2021 – What does this term in the Creeds mean?
• The Date of Easter – *February 14, 2021 – Why does it move so oddly on our calendar?
• Sola – *February 7, 2021 – Luther’s legacy expressed in one word
• What’s With All the Greek? – *January 31, 2021 – Readers wonder about this!
• Responsivle Living – *January 24, 2021 –  Being a true disciple of Jesus
• What’s in a Name? – *January 17, 2021 – ‘Christian’ wasn’t the first choice
• Two Wolves? – *January 10, 2021 – The battle that rages within
• Prayer Partners (#2) – *January 3, 2021 – A second aspect of effective prayer
• Prayer Partners (#1) – *December 27, 2020 – An important aspect of praying
• Mystery of the Trinity – *December 20, 2020 – How did this belief come to be?
• Big Guns? – *December 13, 2020 – Let’s talk about canon
• Gift Wrap – *December 6, 2020 – Wrapping and unwrapping God’s good gifts
• Do Jews Read the Same Bible as Christians? – *November 29, 2020 – Are they the same?
• God’s Plan to Save the World in Five Minutes – *November 22, 2020 – A bit compressed!
• Those Herods – *November 15, 2020 – The notorious dynasty spanning the New Testament
• Holy Cow! (Again) – *November 8, 2020 – More About the Four Evangelist’s Symbols
• Holy Cow! – *November 1, 2020 – Why would a church hang an ox over the altar?
• A Father’s Love – *October 25, 2020 – Why does God give us the option of failing?
• Do God’s Laws Ever Become Obsolete? – *October 18, 2020 – Some have wondered
• Tradition! – *October 11, 2020 – Apostolic tradition is different from the ordinary kind
• Law and Gospel – *October 4, 2020 – One of Luther’s most distinctive teachings
• Out of Tune – *September 27, 2020 – The fatal discordance of the human condition
• Are You Born Again? – *September 20, 2020 – A question sometimes asked
• Mobile Homes – *September 13, 2020 – One of God’s favorite inventions
• Sand in the Gas Tank – *September 6, 2020 – When a little is too much
• The Altar – *August 30, 2020 – Why do some object to the presence of an altar?
• Regret vs. Repentance – *August 23, 2020 – Being “sorry” isn’t enough
• Fighting for Jesus? – *August 16, 2020 – Christianity’s sorriest spectacle
• Incarnate – *August 9, 2020 – Perhaps Christianity’s most shocking belief
• Salt and Light – *August 2, 2020 – Living “in” the world, but not “of ” it
• Comfort and Affliction – *July 26, 2020 – Keeping us on course
• Old Testament/New Testament – *July 19, 2020 – Sorting out those terms
• Ten Things the Bible Doesn’t Say – *July 12, 2020 – Common non-Biblical ideas
• Should Only the Baptized Commune? – *July 5, 2020 – Is this a good rule?
• Liturgy – *June 28, 2020 – Thinking about ‘the work of the people’
• The Languages of the Bible – *June 21,2020 – Hebrew , Greek & more
• I-dolatry – *June 14, 2020 – Fabricating a false god
• What’s An Epistle ? – *June 7, 2020 – Take the quiz!
• Was Jesus Mistaken? – *May 31, 2020 – People have wondered about this.
• To ‘Cap’ or Not to ‘Cap’ – *May 24, 2020 – It really doesn’t matter
• “The Devil Made Me Do It” – *May 17, 2020 – Not a joking matter
• Does God Have a Gender? – *May 10, 2020 – Divine pronouns aren’t arbitrary
• The Same Ten Commandments? – *May 3, 2020 – Same content, different numbering
• The Left and the Right – *April 26, 2020 – God’s Two Kingdoms
• The Benediction – *April 19, 2020 – The most ancient part of our worship service
• Connecting the Dots  – *April 12, 2020 – Seeing the Messiah in OT prophecy
• Refuge – *April 5, 2020 – Should Christians try to escape from the world?
• Elijah’s Return – *March 29, 2020 – Why were people expecting Elijah to come back?
• Conversation and Consolation – *March 22, 2020 – Building each other up in faith
• What was Jesus’ Last Name ? – *March 15, 2020 – Hint: it isn’t ‘Christ’
• How Wet do You Have to Be? – *March 8, 2020 – It’s not how we do it
• Melchizedek – *March 1, 2020 – An obscure OT figure with a big NT significance
• Two Hymn Books – *February 23, 2020  – The Bible’s ancient hymnal
• The Invisibility Paradox – February 16, 2020 – Why doesn’t God make Himself obvious?
• Smalcald  – *February 9, 2020  – A strange word with an interesting place in Lutheran lore
• ‘Word’ vs. ‘words’ – *February 2, 2020 – An important distinction about the Bible
• How the Bible got ‘Versified’ – *January 26, 2020 – How chapters and verses came to be
• Stairway to Heaven – January 19, 2020 – The universal longing to rise above it all
• The Elementary of Elements – *January 12, 2020 – What makes it communion?
• Selah – January 5, 2020 – What does this obscure word mean?
• All About ‘Beth’ – *December 29, 2019 – Deciphering some common place names
• Christmas vs. Culture – *December 22, 2019 – Not a new clash of values
• REJECTED – *December 15, 2019 – The pain and the promise
• Sanctuary – *December 8, 2019 – How this word got its modern meaning
• Monkeys in the Minster – *December 1, 2019 – Critters in church
• Can a Believer Fall Away? – November 24, 2019 – A point of disagreement between Christians
• The Third Day – *November 17, 2019 – An assertion of Jesus that’s perplexed many
• No Rules? – *November 10, 2019 – How Lutherans traditionally understand God’s Law
• Do I Have the Holy Spirit? – *November 3, 2019 – If you’re concerned , it’s Yes!
• What We Can Do – October 27, 2019 – When the sky seems to be falling!
• Numinous & Ineffable – October 20, 2019 – A pair of unusual but useful words
• That Damn(ing) Virus – *October 13, 2019 – It makes you want to swear!
• ‘The Church’ vs. ‘a church’ – *October 6, 2019 – Not the same thing!
• The Cornerstone – *September 29, 2019 – The only sure foundation
• Concordia – September 22, 2019 – A very important book/name for Lutherans
• Judas – *September 15, 2019 – So you think you know Judas?  Take the quiz!
• The Bible’s Longest Chapter – September 8, 2019 – A remarkable composition
• Why Do Lutherans ‘Apologize’ ? – *September 1, 2019 – Perhaps we should ‘confess’?
• Plausible Deniability? – August 25, 2019 – The paradox of God’s deniability
• How Do You Raise an Ebenezer? – *August 18, 2019 – How indeed!
• Forgiveness – August 11, 2019 – A good one-word answer
• Baptism: Why we DO it – August 4, 2019 – It’s a simple answer with deep impact
• How Did Jesus Descend Into Hell ? – *July 28, 2019 – Puzzling phrase in the Creed
• Are Lutherans catholic ? – *July 21, 2019 – A ‘capital’ distinction
• Bread & Wine or Body & Blood? – *July 14, 2019 – Discerning Christ’s real presence
• Sadducees and Pharisees and Scribes (Oh my!) – July 7, 2019 – Who were these guys?
• Top Knot Come Down ! – *June 30, 2019 – How to read (and NOT read) the Bible
• Why is Jesus ‘the’ Christ? – June 23, 2019 – The only one who can wear the title
• You Did It To Me – June 16, 2019 – The unmistakable mark of the true disciple
• ‘Dispensations’? – June 9, 2019 – A Bible theory popular among fundamentalists
• Are Lutherans ‘Organic’ ? – *June 2, 2019 – Yes, we do love our organ music!
• The Lord’s Prayer – *May 26, 2019 – Why our Catholic brethren say it differently
• Turn Around ! – May 19, 2019 – What God commands (and enables) us to do
• Fishing With Pickles – *May 12, 2019 – It’s not as crazy as it sounds
• Why Believe? – May 5, 2019 – What our own hearts tell us
• A Window of Grace – April 28, 2019 – When God redeems our tragedies
• Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead ? – *April 21, 2019 – The historical challenge
• O Sacred Head … – April 14, 2019 – A favorite hymn with a unique back-story
• Gospel – April 7, 2019 – A familiar word that replaced the real meaning
• Starting the Day Right – *March 31,2019 – The Breakfast of Christians
• Why ‘Eucharist’? – March 24, 2019 – An odd name that describes perfectly!
• A Saint for the Sometimes Somnolent – *March 17,2019 – Just like us?
• A Little Knowledge … – March 10, 2019 – Understanding the truth about the Bible
• The Elementary of Elements – *March 3, 2019 – What makes it Communion?
• The Can’t-Miss Prayer – February 24, 2019 – It’s what God always wants to give you!
• Moderately Christian? – February 17, 2019 – The danger of complacency
• The Filioque – February 10, 2019 – An obscure clause in the Nicene Creed
• The Pastor and ‘Ewe’ – *February 3, 2019 – It’s all about tending the flock
• Deism/Theism/Meism – January 27, 2019 – Three (plus) philosophies about god
• Fatal Distraction – January 20, 2019 – When we forget what’s important
• Why Do They Rage? – January 13, 2019 – This cannot end well!
• In the Boat – *January 6, 2019 – Sailing together in the nave
• Building it Right  – *December 30, 2018 – How you build it dictates how it lasts
• Wait for the Lord! – December 23, 2018 – The true spirit of Advent
• Holy Things – *December 16, 2018 – Do Lutherans believe in them?
• Can Babies Believe? – December 9, 2018 – Why do we baptize infants?
• No Wiggle Room – December 2, 2018 – The reality that may make us squirm
• The Gift of Appreciation – *November 25, 2018 – Perhaps the finest gift of all
• WANTED DEAD AND ALIVE – November 18, 2018 – Death and life through Baptism
• Predestined ?? (!!) – November 11, 2018 – Embracing the paradox
• The Mighty Mite and the Trusting Bite – *November 4, 2018 – The joy of stewardship
• Covenant vs. Contract – October 28, 2018 – Not the same thing!
• The Importance of ‘U’ – *October 21, 2018 – What your chrch needs
• Body Parts – October 14, 2018 – Membership in His Body matters!
• Playing Church ? – October 7, 2018 – It’s not ‘cute’ when grownups do it
• Chosen! – September 30, 2018 – How we experience the truth of God’s commitment
• Amazing! – September 23,2018 – The relentless pursuit of our loving God
• Only Sinners Need Apply – September 16, 2018 – The truth about church members
• Participation Optional? – September 9, 2018 – Examining church membership
• Hanging Out with Jesus – *September 2, 2018 – It’s not what many people expect
• Gourmet Jesus ? – August 26, 2018 – Sticking to the ‘original recipe’
• God’s Rhymes – *August 19, 2018 – Seeing God’s patterns
• A Diet of Worms ? – *August 12, 2018 – Not as gross as it sounds
• The Bible’s ‘Backstories’ – *August 5, 2018 – Things we’d love to know
• Lead Us Not – July 29, 2018 – Why did Jesus teach us to pray those words?
• The Big Split – July 22, 2018 – The one 500 years before the Reformation
• Paschal – July 15, 2018 – An unusual word with great significance
• Cotton Candy – July 8, 2018 – There’s no substitute for real nourishment
• ‘Churchy’ Words – July 1, 2018 – Some obscure terminology that your pastor may use
• When Morning Dawns – June 24, 2018 – The wonderful assurance of God’s new day
• Data – Theory – Application – June 17, 2018 – The danger in trusting our theories
• Word AND Sacrament – June 10, 2018 – Why we emphasize both Means of Grace
• Just a Speck?  – June 3, 2018 – The incredible improbability of God’s interest in us!
• God’s M.O. – May 27, 2018 – God’s distinctive way of accomplishing His ends
• Mercy and Grace – May 20, 2018 – The two sides of God’s gift of salvation
• The Trinity – May 13, 2018 – The perplexing mystery of God’s nature
• A Woman’s Place? – May 6, 2018 – The role of women in the Church
• At the Right Time – April 29, 2018 – When God’s plan came together
• Eyes Fixed on the Way – April 22, 2018 – The recipe for avoiding disaster
• Saints AND Sinners – April 15, 2018 – The true state of things for Christians
• Two and a Half Martyrs – April 8, 2018 – A burning commitment to God’s Word
• Trust or Sink! – April 1, 2018 – Floating on God’s grace
• The Divine ‘And’ – March 25, 2018 – When ‘either/or’ isn’t the answer
• Earning a Pass? – March 18, 2018 – A misplaced sense of confidence
• More ‘Birds in the Hair’ – March 11, 2018 – When we are sources of temptation
• What About Cremation? – March 4, 2018 – What is the position of the church?
• Adversity and Glory – February 25, 2018 –  Bearing the ‘cross’ of others
• Pastors or Priests? – February 18, 2018 – Does the name matter?
• Choosing the Books – February 11, 2018 – How did the early church do it?
• “Sin Boldly” – February 4, 2018 – Did Luther REALLY Say this?
• Where in the World are the Lutherans? – January 28, 2018 – By the numbers
• Emptyhanded – January 21, 2018 – How we approach God’s salvation
• Illumination – January 14, 2018 – The light that gives confidence and meaning
• Righteous! – January 7, 2018 – When it all comes together!
• Flaming Letters in the Sky – December 31, 2017 – The tragedy of hardened hearts
• Did Jesus Go To Church? – December 24, 2017 – Countering a mistaken impression
• He Got This One Right! – December 17, 2017 – A notorious atheist hits it on the head!
• Was Jesus Born in a Stable? – December 10, 2017 – Rethinking the traditional story
• Is Hell a Real Place?  – December 3, 2017 – Confronting an awful reality for some
• Agony and Victory – November 26, 2017 – When a cry of despair is fulfillment
• The ‘Christian Litmus Test’ – November 19, 2017 – A basic test of ‘Christian’ belief
• The LXX Bridge – November 12, 2017 – The ancient translation that connects the Testaments
• Broken – November 5, 2017 –  (An accidental repeat of October 22, 2017)
• The Ninety-five Theses – October 29, 2017 – The list that changed history
• Broken – October 22, 2017 – The painful reality of the human condition
• The Multiverse? – October 15, 2017 – Why some want to believe in this idea
• Vacuuming? – October 8, 2017 – Preparing for Jesus to visit?
• The LXX – October 1, 2017 – The ‘Bible’ that the earliest Christians read
• Tale of Two Consciences – September 24, 2017 – Very different paths taken
• Pay It Forward – September 17, 2017 – God’s own practice of generosity
• Monograms of Jesus – September 10, 2017 – Some logos explained
• The Right Fuel – September 3, 2017  – What goes into your tank matters!
• What’s With All the Greek? – August 27, 2017 – Readers wonder about this!
• Tipsy in the Saddle? – August 20, 2017 – The problem with human reason
• Changing the Wor(l)d – August 13, 2017 – How Christianity influenced writing
• Birds in the Hair – August 6, 2017 – Living with all those pesky temptations
• Many Names – One Meal – July 30, 2017 – It’s what God makes it, not what we call it
• The Offertory – July 23, 2017 – A small ritual that tells a rich story
• What’s in a Name? – July 16, 2017 – ‘Christian’ wasn’t the first choice
• Two Wolves? – July 9, 2017 – The battle that rages within
• Apostolic – July 2, 2017 – What does this term in the Creeds mean?
• Sola – June 25, 2017 – Luther’s legacy expressed in one word
• Adiaphora – June 18, 2017 – An unusual word with important application
• Gift Wrap – June 11, 2017 – Wrapping and unwrapping God’s good gifts
• Big Guns? – June 4, 2017 – Let’s talk about canon
• Those Herods – May 28, 2017 – The notorious dynasty spanning the New Testament
• Mystery of the Trinity – May 21, 2017 – How did this belief come to be?
• Do Jews Read the Same Bible as Christians? – May 14, 2017 – Are they the same?
• The Priest’s Underpants – May 7, 2017 – Precedent for propriety in worship
• God’s Plan to Save the World in Five Minutes – April 30, 2017 – A bit compressed!
• Responsivle Living – April 23, 2017 –  Being a true disciple of Jesus
• Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead ? – April 16, 2017 – The historical challenge
• The Date of Easter – April 9, 2017 – Why does it move so oddly on our calendar?
• Tradition! – April 2, 2017 – Apostolic tradition is different from the ordinary kind
• Out of Tune – March 26, 2017 – The fatal discordance of the human condition
• Do God’s Laws Ever Become Obsolete? – March 19, 2017 – Some have wondered
• Law and Gospel – March 12, 2017 – One of Luther’s most distinctive teachings
• Prayer Partners (#2) – March 5, 2017 – A second aspect of effective prayer
• Prayer Partners (#1) – February 26, 2017 – An important aspect of praying
• Mobile Homes – February 19, 2017 – One of God’s favorite inventions
• Are You Born Again? – February 12, 2017 – A question sometimes asked
• The Altar – February 5, 2017 – Why do some object to the presence of an altar?
• Regret vs. Repentance – January 29, 2017 – Being “sorry” isn’t enough
• Holy Cow! (Again) – January 22, 2017 – More About the Four Evangelist’s Symbols
• Sand in the Gas Tank – January 15, 2017 – When a little is too much
• Fighting for Jesus? – January 8, 2017 – Christianity’s sorriest spectacle
• Incarnate – January 1, 2017 – Perhaps Christianity’s most shocking belief
• Comfort and Affliction – December 25, 2016 – Keeping us on course
• Ten Things the Bible Doesn’t Say – December 18, 2016 – Common non-Biblical ideas
• Salt and Light – December 11, 2016 – Living “in” the world, but not “of ” it
• The Languages of the Bible – December 4, 2016 – Hebrew , Greek & more
• Christmas vs. Culture – November 27, 2016 – Not a new clash of values
• The Left and the Right – November 20, 2016 – God’s Two Kingdoms
• The Meaning of ‘Means’ – November 13, 2016 – How we receive God’s grace
• Old Testament/New Testament – November 6, 2016 – Sorting out those terms
• Should Only the Baptized Commune? – October 30, 2016 – Is this a good rule?
• A Father’s Love – October 23, 2016 – Why does God give us the option of failing?
• I-dolatry – October 16, 2016 – Fabricating a false god
• To ‘Cap’ or Not to ‘Cap’ – October 9, 2016 – It really doesn’t matter
• “The Devil Made Me Do It” – October 2, 2016 – Not a joking matter
• The Readings – September 25, 2016 – There’s a plan!
• Refuge – September 18, 2016 – Should Christians try to escape from the world?
• Was Jesus Mistaken? – September 11, 2016 – People have wondered about this.
• Liturgy – September 4, 2016 – Thinking about ‘the work of the people’
• Connecting the Dots  – August 28, 2016 – Seeing the Messiah in OT prophecy
• The Benediction – August 21, 2016 – The most ancient part of our worship service
• Conversation and Consolation – August 14, 2016 – Building each other up in faith
• Elijah’s Return – August 7, 2016 – Why were people expecting Elijah to come back?
• All About ‘Beth’ – July 31, 2016 – Deciphering some common place names
• The Third Day – July 24, 2016 – An assertion of Jesus that’s perplexed many
• The Same Ten Commandments? – July 17, 2016 – Same content, different numbering
• Holy Things – July 10, 2016 – Do Lutherans believe in “holy objects”?
• Melchizedek – July 3, 2016 – An obscure OT figure with a big NT significance
• Top Knot Come Down ! – June 26, 2016 – How to read (and NOT read) the Bible
• Holy Cow! – June 19, 2016 – Why would a church hang an ox over the altar?
• What’s An Epistle ? – June 12, 2016 – Take the quiz!
• What was Jesus’ Last Name ? – June 5, 2016 – Hint: it isn’t ‘Christ’
• Smalcald  – May 29, 2016  – A strange word with an interesting place in Lutheran lore
• Building it Right  – May 22, 2016 – How you build it dictates how it lasts
• Two Hymn Books – May 15, 2016  – The Bible’s ancient hymnal
• ‘Word’ vs. ‘words’ – May 8, 2016 – An important distinction about the Bible
• No Rules? – May 1, 2016 – How Lutherans traditionally understand God’s Law
• Sanctuary – April 24, 2016 – How this word got its modern meaning
• How Wet do You Have to Be? – April 17, 2016 – It’s not how we do it
• How the Bible got ‘Versified’ – April 10, 2016 – How chapters and verses came to be
• How Do You Raise an Ebenezer? – April 3, 2016 – How indeed!
• The Bible’s ‘Backstories’ – March 27, 2016 – Things we’d love to know!
• That Damn(ing) Virus – March 20, 2016 – It makes you want to swear!
• Does God Have a Gender? – March 13, 2016 – Divine pronouns aren’t arbitrary
• Bread & Wine or Body & Blood? – March 6, 2016 – Discerning Christ’s real presence
• ‘The Church’ vs. ‘a church’ – February 28, 2016 – Not the same thing!
• Judas – February 21, 2016 – So you think you know Judas?  Take the quiz!
• Fishing With Pickles – February 14, 2016 – It’s not as crazy as it sounds
• Are Lutherans catholic ? – February 7, 2016 – A ‘capital’ distinction
• Why Do Lutherans ‘Apologize’ ? – January 31, 2016 – Perhaps we should ‘confess’?
• The Pastor and ‘Ewe’ – January 24, 2016 – It’s all about tending the flock
• REJECTED – January 17, 2016 – The pain and the promise
• A Saint for the Sometimes Somnolent – January 10, 2016 – Just like us?
• Starting the Day Right – January 3, 2016 – The Breakfast of Christians
• Hanging Out with Jesus – December 27, 2015 – Not what many folks expect
• The Mighty Mite and the Trusting Bite – December 20, 2015 – The joy of stewardship
• The Elementary of Elements – December 13, 2015 – What makes it communion?
• The Gift of Appreciation – December 6. 2015 – Perhaps the finest gift of all
• In the Boat – November 29, 2015 – Sailing together in the nave
• Modern Martyrs – November 22, 2015 – The sobering fact of Christian persecution
• The Importance of ‘U’ – November 15, 2015 – What your chrch needs
• Do I Have the Holy Spirit? – November 8, 2015 – If you’re concerned , it’s Yes!
• How Did Jesus Descend Into Hell ? – November 1, 2015 – Puzzling phrase in the Creed
• A Diet of Worms ? – October 25, 2015 – Not as gross as it sounds
• Confession Confusion – October 18, 2015 – Same word but two meanings
• God’s Rhymes – October 11, 2015 – Seeing God’s patterns
• Monkeys in the Minster – October 4, 2015 – Critters in church
• The Lord’s Prayer – September 27, 2015 – Why our Catholic brethren say it differently
• Are Lutherans ‘Organic’ ? – September 20, 2015 – Yes, we do love our organ music!
• The Cornerstone – September 13, 2015 – The only sure foundation