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

Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
02/25/20

If God Would Just Choose Someone Else

The end of the pursuit isn't regeneration, but degeneration. We're fighting fire with bottles of gasoline.
Michael Berg
Michael Berg
02/24/20

Jesus' Transfiguration and Our Lenses of Glory

God says, “Cross,” and we say, “Glory!” Sometimes – a lot of times – he knocks the glory glasses off our faces.
Bob Hiller
Bob Hiller
02/20/20

Given God's Name: The First Petition of the Lord's Prayer

This article is the second installment in an eight-part series inspired by the Lenten themes of catechesis, prayer, and repentance found in the Lord’s Prayer as Luther taught it in his Small Catechism.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
02/18/20

Who Did It? What Happened? Who Is to Blame?

We're ALL sinners in need of a Savior. We're all saints whose Savior forgives ALL our sin. We're all the same in relation to Christ crucified for the sin of the world.
Daniel Emery Price
Daniel Emery Price
02/17/20

Overcoming Our Foolish Hearts

Faith is a gift from God. It’s not flashy or boast-worthy. It’s total dependency on the God who saves utter fools.
Kathy Morales
Kathy Morales
02/12/20

Thy Will Be Done

God’s will is not sparkly, flashy, exciting, extraordinary plans for your life—at least not in the Old Adam’s eyes. So, what is the will of God?
1517 Staff
1517 Staff
02/12/20

The Psychology of Crucifixion

The implications were clear: Jesus’ death destroyed the things that distinguished people as educated or uneducated, rich or poor, free or enslaved, black or white, pious or godless.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
02/11/20

Weaponizing Our Virtues

Virtue, like all good things, can easily be weaponized. And not only can, but constantly is. Indeed, I would argue that, for churchgoing, rule-following, tradition-honoring, morality-applauding people, virtue often becomes the cancer that we deem a badge of honor.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
02/10/20

The Baptism that Swallowed the Rocks

The Church gathers around the Word and Sacrament in order to receive Christ and each other.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
02/10/20

The God of Suicides and Evil People

His resurrection reveals that Jonah, and all of us, even the evilest people, are salvageable, even from suicide, in Jesus' death and resurrection.
Bob Hiller
Bob Hiller
02/07/20

The Patience of Job

The following is an excerpt from "Finding Christ in the Straw," written by Robert M. Hiller (1517 Publishing, 2020).
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
02/06/20

A Cloud Full of Grace

They were righteous, but they were righteous because God declared it so. Just like us.
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