Indagatio Veri

                 “The God-relationship is the mark whereby love towards men is recognized as genuine love. As soon as a love-relationship does not lead me to God, and as soon as I in a love-relationship do not lead another person to God, this love, even if it were the most blissful and joyous attachment, even if it were the highest good in the lover's earthly life, nevertheless is not true love. The world can never get through its head that God in this way not only becomes the third party in every relationship of love but essentially becomes the only loved object, so that it is not the husband who is the wife's beloved, but it is ... God, and it is the wife who is helped by the husband to love God, and conversely, and so on. The purely human conception of love can never go further than mutuality: that the lover is the beloved and the beloved is the lover. Christianity teaches that such a love has not yet found i...

    Today I had the opportunity to play violin at First Lutheran in Fargo with a small chamber orchestra.  At the beginning of the service I was confronted with a very interesting phenomenon.  The pastor greeted the congregation and then told them to greet each other with the JOY that has been given us.  People turned in their pews, shook hands, and mumbled a soft 'goodmorning', or 'peace be with you'.  This is very similar to what happens in many services but it leads me to ask one question.....where is the JOY???        Jesus died for us! He saved us! We live in freedom for the Kingdom of God!  When we come together to worship Him we ought to be ecstatic. "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be ...

        In the following passage, Bonhoeffer writes about the Christian community in relation to the world?  How should we view the world, and how should we interact within it?  For we are no longer of this world, we live in it but are not of it.  The kingdom we are apart of is from another place.        "The Christians live in the world.  they make use of the world, for they are creatures of flesh and blood, and it was for the sake of their flesh that Christ came into the world.  They indulge in worldly activities.  they get married, but their marriage will look quite different form marriage as the world understands it.  Christan marriage will be undertaken 'in the lord' (1 Cor. 7:39).  It will be sanctified in the service of the Body of Christ and in the discipline of prayer and self-control (1 Cor. 7:5). It will be a parable of the self-sacrificing love of Christ for his Church....

         I have just started reading this book, and already I can tell it will be very challenging and convicting.  Here is a few paragraphs about grace, and the differentiation between what Bonhoeffer calls cheap grace and costly grace.  Generally we utilize the grace of God to justify our lifestyle... but this is not the gospel message.  Rather grace allows for us to follow after Christ, denying ourselves and following him which will include suffering and persecution.  It is costly because as a christian our whole life is given for the purpose of His kingdom.  But it is grace because we are allowed to follow Jesus Christ.         "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without Church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace...

A friend and I have embarked on a literary adventure this semester.  Together we are hoping to read a book a week and an author a month.  January was Augustine, we read the Confessions, On Free Choice of the Will, and On Christian Doctrine.  February is Kierkegaard and we are currently tackling his book "Works of Love."  I am beyond fascinated and convicted by his writings; and although difficult I would highly recommend this particular text.  He truly derive s what it mea ns to love God, and it lies in stark contrast to the socially constructed definition of love.  I am going to try and post excerpts of the books I am reading, highlighting some of points that stick out most to me.            "Woe to the men by whom the temptation comes we confidently say: woe to him who first thought of preaching Christianity without the possibility of offence. Woe to the person who ingratiatingly, flirtatiously, com...

This is an interesting 'poem' that my uncle shared with me.   Do you believe that what you believe is really real?  And what would happen if you did believe what you claimed to? Totally like whatever, you know? By Taylor Mali www.taylormali.com In case you hadn't noticed, it has somehow become uncool to sound like you know what you're talking about? Or believe strongly in what you're saying? Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know?)'s have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences? Even when those sentences aren't, like, questions? You know? Declarative sentences - so-called because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true as opposed to other things which were, like, not - have been infected by a totally hip and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know? Like, don't think I'm uncool just because I've noticed this; this is just like the word on the street, you know? It's like what I...

      There is another transition occurring within the church; and at a time like this it is important to look at scripture to try and understand God's intended purpose for it.  This understanding has become very important for me.  Here at Concordia College I witness a strange dichotomy when it comes to ministries on campus.  The campus ministry itself, led by the pastors on campus, has become very bland.  Sermons and teachings revolve around us instead of around God.  This 'church' seems to be more influenced by the World then it does  God, and it is reflected in where they search to find truth and how this changes the interworkings of the community.          On the other hand there is an 'emergent' church on campus as well.  These student led bible studies and worship services, have a different character then the more common 'Campus Ministry.'  Here it seems the students are more...