This is an excerpt from Chapter 6 in Sinner Saint: A Surprising Primer to the Christian Life (1517 Publishing, 2025). Sinner Saint is available today from 1517 Publishing.
On its journey from Byzantium to Constantinople to Istanbul, this special place helps us understand the broader arc of Christian history, which goes on until Christ's return.
We needn’t fear statistics and studies as palm readings into a certain future. God is God, and his Spirit is alive through his Word.

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Praying the Word of God back to God carries didactic import. It teaches us.
Just like for Mordecai and Esther, our lives are also sustained by the hand of God in the ordinary, in events begging to be seen as the work of Christ in our lives.
When we forget that we live by promise, that's when the danger tends to creep in. Because failing to embrace promise means we usually fall back into notions of luck, or even worse--into works.
God is the end of living, the destination, the point of it all.
God wants his word of promise to be the only thing we bank on, the only thing we have confidence in.
This hymn is not for people who feel strong, but those who are weak.
Sunday morning is about receiving, not giving.
Christ's words of exclusive salvation are not just a warning but a sure promise for you.
In the sacrament, we receive an earnest of that future promise here and now in the body and blood of Jesus given and shed for us.
What greater legacy could you claim than that of Mark? Listen to the Word. Learn from Jesus.
Although Jesus bodily ascended and is hidden from our earthly eyes, he is not far off.
Only by accurately and honestly reporting the views of those with whom we disagree can we then properly address and refute them. This is the approach Solberg has taken.