Centering Prayer

Dear Friends in Christ, “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him…”  (Psalm 37:7a) It is good to be back in Ohio, after time away in Houston, Texas, for the National Youth Gathering. I will write more about the Gathering in the weeks to...

Augsburg Confession

Dear Friends in Christ, “but all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40) On June 25, 1530, the Augsburg Confession was presented to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, at an Imperial Diet, in the city of Augsburg. Emperor Charles...

The Jesus Prayer

“When he [Bartimaeus] heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47). In one of my past e-mail blasts, I mentioned praying the “Jesus Prayer” during my...

Lifelong Learning

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). One of the guiding principles that we pursue as a staff in the Northwestern Ohio Synod is the principle of lifelong learning. As a learning community devoted to...

Practicing Prayer

Dear Friends in Christ, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2) In Luke chapter 11, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, “When you pray, say, Father, hallowed by your name…” In the Book of...