The Hermit and the Blackbird
By Donavon Riley
03/27/26
11mins

The Hermit and the Blackbird

Lent exists because we are forgetful creatures. We forget how hungry we really are.
Getting Over Your Moral Superiority
Daniel Emery Price
Daniel Emery Price
03/26/26

Getting Over Your Moral Superiority

The Pharisee valued fasting and giving tithes, but could not find value in his fellow sinner.
The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew
Magnus Persson
Magnus Persson
03/25/26

The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew

God is not a tool in our hands. He does not exist to serve our goals, our metrics, or our platforms.

All Articles

Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
06/14/19

Christians in a Time of Pride and Shame

Shame is shameful. That may seem obvious but ponder this observation from the authors of Scenes of Shame: “Shame, indeed, covers shame itself—it is shameful to express shame.”
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
06/11/19

One of Those Days

I'm having one of those days. You know, the kind where you're filled with confusion, guilt, and fear? If you don't know what I'm talking about, just stop reading now.
Kelsi Klembara
Kelsi Klembara
06/07/19

Luther's Counsel for the Worried and Anxious

Today’s advice for the anxious and worried would have likely horrified Luther.
Cindy Koch
Cindy Koch
06/05/19

The Way of Wisdom

We might assume that all ways are equal to raising a child in wisdom, but they are not.
Bror Erickson
Bror Erickson
05/31/19

Luther's Counsel on Persecution

While most of his letters were written as semi-private counsel and consolation, some, like the “Letter to the Christians of Miltenburg” were written openly for public consumption.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
05/31/19

Our Biography in a Single Word

One of the sweetest gifts you can give humanity is to commit an infamous act. It doesn’t have to be a mind-boggling evil. We’ll settle for a run-of-the-mill variety of sin. It just needs to be documented, well-known, and simple. Think Monica Lewinski.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
05/28/19

Jesus is Our True Happiness

We hold fast to Christ Jesus where He’s most God, most Savior, for us: in His gifts of word, water, bread, and wine.
John W. Hoyum
John W. Hoyum
05/24/19

Luther's Counsel for the Bereaved

For Luther, Jesus does something much better for those who grieve than simply identify with them: He brings suffering and evil to an end in His own death.
Jessica Delgado
Jessica Delgado
05/21/19

Why We Die

Death is quite the undertaking. To die when one wants desperately to go on living is the most gruesome kind of labor any of us will ever know. It’s painful and bloody and empties our pockets of the fortune we think is ours. But we must do it.
Ken Sundet Jones
Ken Sundet Jones
05/17/19

Luther's Counsel for the Sick and Dying

As usual, Luther took what he received and turned it inside-out, so that it shifted from a series of demands and became a bestowal of God’s gracious promise.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
05/15/19

For the Baptized, this is How it Goes

We can take comfort in the knowledge that He kills the sinner so we can get a new shot at life and life eternal.
David Rufner
David Rufner
05/14/19

The American Story in Light of the Gospel

In these two stories - one ending and the other beginning just a day apart - we find many ingredients that are uniquely American. We find grit, determination, and conquest.
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