Latest news & updates

Semiquincentennial is sort of an unmusical word, isn’t it? Those seven syllables don’t exactly roll off the tongue. It’s probably the reason why for most of the advertising, merchandising, and conversation about it we have simply abbreviated it to America 250 or the 250th. But we truthfully are marking a really profound event this weekend.

There is a quiet tension that many congregations feel. On the one hand, we confess with confidence that the Holy Spirit “works faith, when and where it pleases God” (Augsburg Confession, Article V). On the other hand, we look around our sanctuaries, see the shrinking attendance, and wonder: Are we doing enough? Are we reaching anyone beyond ourselves? Should we be trying something different?

The sight of blood makes many people squeamish. It’s not an everyday sight for most. If you live on the farm, are a butcher, or a hunter, you are accustomed to it more than most. But blood is central to God’s plan of redemption. It’s there throughout the Old Testament and there in the New Testament, especially in the book of Hebrews.