Month: June 2015

PWTE Episode 003: Doomed to Repeat?

Post author By Douglas Brauner
Post date June 15, 2015

In this episode of the Praying With The Eyes podcast I’m joined by Ben Nickodemus as we ask the question, what lessons can we Christians learn from the early church? Edmond Burke stated, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” Is this true when it comes to the church? Do we understand the first and second century church and the challenges they faced? We have often heard that the early church face persecution. How did that persecution affect the early Christians and the world that surrounded them? These questions are a few that Ben and I explore as we think about the present state of the Christian community in the 21st century.

Ben Nickodemus as an adjunct professor at Concordia University, Portland, Oregon. He earned a master’s degree in early church history at the University of Washington and is entering a PhD program at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO.

Blog: Where Are the People? http://goo.gl/UN5q0U

Scripture:

Acts 2:42-47 https://goo.gl/j8FXrO
Acts 20:7 https://goo.gl/D6T7Wm
1 Corinthians 11:17-37 https://goo.gl/QnUvE3
Hebrews 10:25 https://goo.gl/VuaOsA
Hebrews 13:8 https://goo.gl/5UHeQs

Books:

“Christians as the Romans Saw Them” Robert Louis Wilken http://goo.gl/foUb1G
“Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers” Christopher Hall http://goo.gl/H057m1

PWTE Daily Devotion

The Gift of Humility

Post author By Douglas Brauner
Post date June 14, 2015

By clicking on this SoundCloud link you can listen to today’s PWTE devotion

I’ve never climbed Mt. Hood in Oregon, but I’ve been on peaks that are higher. When we first moved to Colorado back in 1999 there was a different sign here. The sign read, “Elevation 12,005 feet. Higher than Oregon’s famed Mt. Hood.” I have a feeling someone from Oregon stole it.

Sometimes our Christian walk is characterized by trying to be better than other Christians. As a pastor, I have tendency to compare myself to other pastors and so I sing the old Christian song, “Chief of sinners though I be, Pastor So-and-so is worse than me.”

“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.” 1 Peter 3:8 New Living Translation

Humility is not about saying how bad I am or that I don’t do anything important. Humility is the recognition that in the body of Christ I don’t possess all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Humility recognizes that I am important in the body of Christ, and, as a result of my baptism into Christ, that I have received gifts of grace to be used in the community of saints and in the world.

Humility also recognizes that I don’t possess all the gifts of God and therefore I am dependent on the gifting of others in the body of Christ.

The result of such humility is not bragging or self ridicule. Instead this kind of humility celebrates the organic unity of Christ’s body.

Godly humility has the ability to lift us higher than we’ve ever experienced.

Tags community, gifts, humility

PWTE Daily Devotion

“Batter Up!”

Post author By Douglas Brauner
Post date June 13, 2015

By clicking on this SoundCloud link you can listen to today’s PWTE devotion

Before the National Anthem is sung, the first pitch tossed and the umpire yells, “Play ball!” there is a crew of people who have worked hard to prepare the field for the players. The infield is dragged, the lines laid and the baseballs prepped. We never see many of the people who carry out these tasks before the game, but they make the day more enjoyable for everyone..

Imagine the problems that might arise if there were no game balls, the lines were not marked from the previous game or the infield was roughed up and rocks littered the infield. The preparation taken for each game is critical not only for the enjoyment of the fans but for the safety of the players.

In the Christian community there are many people who use their gifts in the background, and whose work is critical to the proclamation of the gospel.

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” 1 Peter 4:10 New Living Translation

I could not do my job of pastoring if it were not for the many people at Holy Cross who use their God given gifts. As I prepare for a Bible class, people are visiting the sick in the hospital. As I write my sermon, people are helping the hungry in our food pantry. As I meet with staff, people are gathering and training their team for Vacation Bible School.

When the umpire says, “Batter up!” most of the work has been done. Before a staff meeting begins, a Bible study conducted, or a sermon preached, God’s people have been doing his work.

Thank God for the grounds crew!

Tags gifts, humility, service