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Voices of Faith

The continuing Reformation

Martin Luther was concerned about sin, death and the power of the devil. These forces mani­fested themselves in ways unique to his time and place. Luther’s genius was in recognizing…

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Voices of Faith

Matthew lectionary series: Crumbs from the table

In part three, we noted three of the five women listed in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus—Tamar, Rahab and Ruth. We’ll now consider Jesus’ interaction with the Canaanite woman in Matthew…

Sabbath nourishment
Voices of Faith

Sabbath nourishment

It was approaching midnight when we arrived at the Milk’s Camp community in Gregory County, S.D. We had pulled out of the church parking lot 17 hours earlier, and I…

I’m a Lutheran: Christopher Koetke
Voices of Faith

I’m a Lutheran: Christopher Koetke

“I’m a Lutheran” is a monthly profile featuring ELCA members around the country. The profiles showcase ELCA members in all their diversity, connecting one another through individual faith stories as…

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Voices of Faith

Matthew lectionary series: Three faithful foreign women

As is often noted, there are five women mentioned (if not all by name—sorry, Bathsheba) in the Matthew genealogy of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. I want to…

<em>The Big Sick</em>: Family, culture and complexity
Voices of Faith

The Big Sick: Family, culture and complexity

I went to see The Big Sick knowing very little about it except that it wasn’t a “normal” romantic comedy. At least, that was what everyone said: my friends posting…

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Voices of Faith

Matthew lectionary series: Soil swept up in movement

In part one, we explored how the four kinds of earth mentioned in the parable of the sower—rocky soil, thorny soil, the path and good soil—are created as a response…

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Voices of Faith

‘Free Gift: See Inside!’

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one…

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Voices of Faith

Matthew lectionary series: What is good soil?

We all come from different places. When we read the Bible, we use our own contexts to imagine the scenes in our heads. This can be helpful for personalizing the…

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Voices of Faith

Grace alone

This year we observe the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. We might do more justice to the goal of Martin Luther and others who worked with…

Quickly and cheerfully
Voices of Faith

Quickly and cheerfully

Editor’s note: This article is the fourth in a four-part series exploring the relevance of Martin Luther’s catechism for our lives today. Now that I am staring 50 in the…

Filled
Voices of Faith

Filled

I have a close friend, an atheist, who helps keep my faith life honest and searching. A very Christ-like person in many ways, his questions are always rather pointed. I’m…