We believe that it is our faith in Jesus Christ that saves us, not anything that we do.  That does not mean that our actions are not important, they are to our neighbors and those in need.  As Christians who happen to be Lutheran, we believe that when talking about how we are saved, the… Read More »

R.  The best way to learn about the Bible is to read it. The Gospels are a good place to start. As narratives of Jesus’ life and ministry they tend to be more engaging. You can also use the Psalms as a daily devotional, just read one a day. There are also a number of… Read More »

R. Is love real? I think most of us would say, “Yes”, but we cannot see it, touch it, feel it in our hands. Except, we can do all those things because we do see it in the couple, married for fifty plus years, who still hold hands. We touch love when we hug our… Read More »

R.  The short answer to this is, we don’t know.  There is not any clear biblical witness to whether animals go to heaven or not. What we know, is that God cares for all creation, including animals.  God provides for the rescue of animals during the flood (Genesis 6).  God calls creation and all that… Read More »

R.  It can be difficult to try and raise children in the faith. Not because what is required is difficult, but because there is so much competition for time.  Things like football, baseball, show choir are more valued by society and the pressure to have children participate in them is strong. However, the answer to… Read More »

R. Both Mary and Joseph were ethnically Jewish and there is every indication they were practicing Jews as well. We have evidence of this particularly in the Gospel of Luke chapter 2.  Here we see Joseph and Mary bringing Jesus to the temple on the 8th day after his birth to be circumcised and there… Read More »

R. A creed is a basic statement of faith. There are two main creeds that are accepted by most Christian churches. The first is the Apostles’ Creed and the other is the Nicene Creed. The Apostles’ Creed is thought to be one of the earliest of the Christian Creeds and probably came from early Christian… Read More »

R. I’m glad you asked. As Christians who happen to be Lutheran, we believe that we are all called to ministry. The ministry we are called to happens primarily within the relationships in which we live. So, I have a calling to ministry as a husband. I have a calling to ministry as a son.… Read More »

Our questions often begin with “I wonder…” so it seemed appropriate to have that as the name for this ongoing conversation.  On Sunday, April 23 of 2017 (Doubting Thomas Sunday) the members of St. John were asked to share their questions, their wonderings and doubts about their faith.  This blog, and the attendant column in… Read More »