A while back, I decided to do a preaching series on the Minor Prophets. My goal of course is to go through the whole Bible over several years. I thought these books would be a good place to start with an overview of the ones I have selected as well as looking at some specific […]
In the midst of life, ministry, ALS bucket challenges, beheadings, Israel & Palestine and the start of football season, there is something I just cannot get my mind off of: Ferguson. Ferguson is getting a lot of press, but not a lot of conversation. The dynamics of what has and continues to happen in Ferguson, […]
I have the privilege of teaching theology, ministry and other courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Many of these courses require learning, understanding and evaluating different theological perspectives and traditions. Many times students are asked to look at theology and practices that are different than their own. Many times this is enlightening, but […]
An article on Missions for Connections Magazine… The word mission gets a lot of buzz these days, and has enough meanings for a year’s worth of Connections magazine issues. Whether talking about mission trips, missionaries, mission statements, being missional, the mission of the church, the mission of spreading the Word or other definitions, it is […]
Lately I have found myself thinking about, discussing and arguing about Christian art. I put both words in separate quotes as a way to be both sarcastic and make a point that the two together are in fact rare, especially when quality is factored into the equation. Art, for the purposes of this rant, I […]
Why I love Lent I am an extrovert. I am also a verbal processor. I get my energy from being around people and I need to talk things out. I have more words than I (or others) even know what to do with. Lent, when fully embraced is a very reflective season. Lent is by […]
The issue of gay marriage continues to dominate the conversation in the church and culture. While I have my own thoughts on the issue, I have tried to stay away from it. While it matters, I think there are things we need to focus our energy on more and I sincerely believe we need to […]
Churches and Denominations as Theological Homes One thing that we have in abundance in the United States and beyond is choice. We often have more choices than we can absorb, whether the number of options for dining out, the number of items on a restaurants items, snacks in the grocery stores, flavors of beverages […]
Below is an article on Evangelism published in Connections Magazine… Family and the “E” Word… by Marcus J Carlson Nothing can strike fear in the hearts of Lutherans and Lutheran churches quite like the word evangelism. Let’s be honest: most Lutheran churches are not only failing when it comes to evangelism, we are […]
An article on Anticipation for Connections Magazine… Anticipate by Marcus J Carlson When I think about Advent, three key terms come to mind as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child: waiting, expectation and anticipation. It is certainly a season of preparation. As a church and a culture, we are distracted […]
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