Reformation Day (or Sunday) has always been a big deal for me. I’m a Lutheran by birth, and carry with me high emotion about all the cultural trappings that come with this day’s observances. As I’ve grown older, though, something else has tugged at my heartstrings: This isn’t just an ecclesiastical celebration—it’s personal, too. I’ve inherited some of a reformer’s calling, certainly, butMORE...
Today’s entry might serve as a kind of prequel for your Reformation Day (Sunday) celebration. My spouse Chris’s observation: You can’t “re” anything that doesn’t already exist, so it makes sense that there must have been some kind of valuable formation before the Protestant Reformation. When Creation was nearing completion, Adam and Even came into existence as God-formed creatures. Unlike theMORE...
Months ago, many congregations turned off their metaphorical lights. Before those lights get turned back on, though, it would be good to answer this important question: What will it mean to be the church? In this and subsequent entries, I offer some observations and recommendations. Let’s start at the beginning: I’m not sure we can put our congregations back together like they were before. TooMORE...
BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.