Yahweh: Theme-Weaver
Scripture is a beautiful tapestry whereby Yahweh reveals the story of salvation in Christ. While the first few stories in Genesis might appear like a random introduction, it is here that Yahweh, like an expert artisan, begins on the loom with several themes that like threads He will weave throughout the seemingly simple depiction. Throughout the week, we will explore a handful of these themes that show up in Genesis and see how they play out throughout all of Scripture and hold together in Christ. I promise that once you see these themes, you’ll never read Scripture the same and you’ll marvel at just how stunning the tapestry is.
Sarah Salzberg serves as an Old Testament Theology Teacher at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, CA. She earned my Masters in Theology from Concordia University in Irvine, but her pride and joy will always be Concordia Seward where she earned her Bachelor’s.
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Seeing the Unseeable in Parables
The mysteries of God can be baffling. With spiritual songs and by opening the Scriptures, Monique and John will lead our conversation toward real-life applications of this consideration: What might the Spirit be teaching us in the various parables of Jesus?
John Arthur Nunes is a Lutheran pastor, author, and the president of Concordia College New York. Monique Nunes is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coach for Concordia University Irvine, CA. The Nuneses have six children and an expanding entourage of eleven grandchildren. John’s new book, Meant For More, In, With, and Under the Ordinary was released in October, 2020 and is available.
Rev. John Nunes, Ph.D, is the President of Concordia College New York
Monique C. Nunes, MA, is the First Lady of Concordia College, New York
Sculptor Spirit
Lutherans are often known in Christendom for their teaching on justification by grace through faith in Christ as the central doctrine of the church. But at times they are criticized, formally or informally, for their supposed lack of a robust teaching on sanctification or holiness. Is it true that, as Lutheran historian Carter Lindberg once put it, Lutherans shout justification but whisper sanctification? It turns out that a deeper look at sources reveals that Lutherans can offer a rich variety of ways to think about and practice the Christian life. Come and receive tools to teach and apply models of sanctification for everyday living.
The week will delve into Leo Sánchez’s book Sculptor Spirit (IVP 2019) and its five models of sanctification (renewal, dramatic, sacrificial, hospitality, and devotional). Through teaching, images, and stories, Dr. Leo will explore the main idea of his book, namely, that the Holy Spirit sculpts, forms, or shapes human persons into the likeness of Christ. How do we discern the Spirit in our lives? What does life in the Spirit look like? What are the Christlike patterns of such life? What difference does sanctification make when it comes to our lives in the world today? Books will be available for purchase at a discounted practice and a book signing event will take place. Come and join us for this Spirit-ual journey!
Dr. Leo Sanchez is the Werner R.H. and Elizabeth R. Krause Professor of Hispanic Ministries at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. A Concordia faculty member since 2004, he is professor of systematic theology and director of the Center for Hispanic Studies.
Born in Chile and raised in Panama, Sánchez completed his post-secondary education in the U.S. Dr. Sánchez’s research interests are in the theology of the Holy Spirit (pneumatology), sanctification, Spirit Christology, Trinitarian theology, and issues related to the intersection of theology and Global South cultures, such as immigration, poverty and marginality, and Hispanic/Latino cultural identity. Sánchez’s latest book in English is Sculptor Spirit: Models of Sanctification from Spirit Christology (IVP Academic, 2019).
In the community, Dr. Sánchez is Principal Double-Bass player with the St. Louis Civic Orchestra. He also enjoys writing poetry, swimming, international cooking, and travel. Sánchez and his wife, Tracy Lynn, have two children.
Quiet Rebellion // Church as an Alternative Polis
In the noise of our hyper-polarized socio-political environment it’s both easy and tempting to define ourselves by who and what we are against. There is certainly a place for the Christian to “take a stand” and yet, Christian identity is not based on what we are against, but on who we are in Christ. Rooted in this identity, how might the church embody an alternative polis to the reductionistic tribes of our day? In 1 Timothy, St. Paul invites us to, “lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” This seemingly simple invitation, when followed, inspires a quiet rebellion amidst the noise of our age. Join us as we explore how to put this into practice in our lives.
Rev. Gabe Kasper is Lead Pastor at University Lutheran Chapel at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Prior to his current role, he spent 5 years as a church planter in Austin, Texas. His passion for preaching and teaching has led him to speak at camps, churches, youth events, universities, and conferences. He is currently pursuing an MA in Philosophy at Eastern Michigan University. His writing has appeared in Lutheran Mission Matters and Sword and Swan Media House. In his spare time, Gabe enjoys soccer, reading books, listening to punk rock and co-hosting the Pint Glass Preachers Podcast. He and his wife Melissa have 3 great kids.
Bob Unger, Director of Worship and Music Ministry at Resurrection Lutheran Church and Schools will be our music leader for this week.
My Big, Fat, Greek Worldview: Exploring the Hebraic and Eastern Aspect of Jesus
Jesus was born in Israel, which means that Jesus was Jewish, but it also means that Jesus was Asian. The Hebrew culture and language reflect an Eastern mindset. Martin Luther once said, “Without this language of Hebrew there can be no understanding of Scripture, for the New Testament, though written in Greek, is full of Hebraisms.” With a rabbinical background, Dr. Chad Yeshayahu Foster, presents the teachings of Jesus and the Gospels in their natural Hebraic eastern culture and context. Have fun learning the Jewish background of our Christian faith, maybe even pick up a little Hebrew, and see some of the most familiar stories of the Bible in an entirely different light.
Rev. Dr. Chad Yeshayahu Foster is both an ordained LCMS pastor and an ordained rabbi. He has studied at Christian seminaries and Jewish yeshivas in England, France, and Israel. Currently, he serves as Teaching Pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Columbus, IN. Dr. Chad’s unique background which is complemented by diverse theological training across denominations and religions. The combination of being both Christian and Jewish; of being both a pastor and a rabbi; of being both trained in Christian seminaries and by Orthodox Jewish rabbis; has produced a unique worldview and an ability to have conversations and build bridges. Dr. Chad’s true joy is simply sharing what he has received from his teachers, particularly in matters of Torah and Messiah.
Bob Unger, Director of Worship and Music Ministry at Resurrection Lutheran Church and Schools will be our music leader for this week.
Questions for Jesus from the Next Generation
The next generation is anxious. They are deeply concerned about a number of cultural and social issues—issues that the Christian faith, in their estimation, has no answer for. But what if they brought their most processing concerns to Christ? What would he say to those worried about mental health, political polarization, the role of science and so much more?
Matt Popovits surveyed hundreds of youth and young adults to discover the issues that matter most to them. In these lectures he’ll offer honest, Biblical responses to their top 5 concerns, equipping you to do the same, all the while demonstrating that their fears matter, God’s Word has answers, and this faith is essential for the flourishing of all.
Rev. Matt Popovits serves as Sr. Pastor of St. Mark Houston, a creative and growing ministry located in America’s most diverse city. Matt is also the founder of VoxCon, a conference for communicators. Matt serves as the host of What Matters Most, a daily radio show, and is the co-host of Engaging Truth Radio. He’s also a frequent presenter at conferences and events, sharing the message of Jesus in ways that engage the heart and connect to everyday life.
Topic still to come.
Rev. Dr. Paul Maier is a bestselling author of fiction & nonfiction and retired Professor of History at Western Michigan University.
Bob Unger, Director of Worship and Music Ministry at Resurrection Lutheran Church and Schools will be our music leader for this week.
Antifragile Faith
Suffering is inevitable in this life, and especially so as Christians. The Scriptures make clear, though, that trials and tribulations aren’t to be feared; our faith isn’t fragile. To the contrary, faith flourishes under fire; it is (to use a word coined by philosopher Nassim Taleb) antifragile. In our week together we’ll explore this concept of antifragility through a biblical lens, and then consider how we as Christians can cultivate a more antifragile faith.
Rev. Dr. Ryan Tinetti is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Arcadia, author of the book Preaching by Heart, and co-host with Chip May of the podcast “Campfire Conversations.”
Low Anthropology: Translating the Doctrine of Sin into Contemporary Language and Experience
There was an infamous bit of graffiti in my hometown that read simply “Jesus is the Answer.” Above it, some mischievous hand had scrawled “But what is the question?” The addendum, while cheeky, was perceptive. So often our witness gets bogged down by the cultural baggage associated with certain terms, leading us to retreat into comfortable enclaves where we don’t have to explain ourselves. Nowhere is this trend more pronounced than when it comes to “sin”–a truth without which the Christian faith loses much of its coherence and nearly all of its urgency. Together we’ll spend a week looking at how we might connect the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a world very much struggling under the burden of something it has lost the ability (or willingness) to name. Think of it as a crash course in translation for the sake of loving our neighbors.
David Zahl is the founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries, editor-in-chief of the Mockingbird website (www.mbird.com), and co-host of The Mockingcast. He and his family live in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he also serves on the staff of Christ Episcopal Church, supervising their adult education and ministry to college students. Zahl is the author of A Mess of Help: From the Crucified Soul of Rock N’ Roll and coauthor of Law and Gospel: A Theology for Sinners (and Saints). His most recent book, Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What To Do About It, appeared in 2019 from Fortress Press. His writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and The Guardian, among other venues.
The Christ Key: Unlocking the Mystery of Jesus in the Old Testament
We might picture the Old Testament as a vast mansion with many rooms: the creation room; the exodus room; the tabernacle, angel, and war rooms. The key to unlock each of these, and fully to understand what God is showing us in them, is Jesus the Messiah. We will take a tour of this Hebrew mansion and see how, in various ways, Jesus is mysteriously present in the life of ancient Israel. We will see him appearing under the guise of “the angel of the Lord.” He will give us pencil sketches of himself in men such as Melchizedek and David. He will reveal his mission of sacrifice in the architecture of the temple. The Christ key is God’s chosen means of unlocking the Old Testament for us.
Chad Bird is a Scholar in Residence at 1517. He has served as a pastor, professor, and guest lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew. He holds master’s degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College. He has contributed articles to Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Modern Reformation, The Federalist, Lutheran Forum, and other journals and websites. He is also the author of several books, including Night Driving and Unveiling Mercy: 365 Daily Devotions Based on Insights from Old Testament Hebrew. He and his wife, Stacy, have four children and three grandchildren.
