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What Does it Mean to be a Christian? Part 5
Pastor Julianne D. SmithAssistant to the Bishop for Congregational Vitality Director for Evangelical MissionNortheastern Ohio Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Time flies — this was supposed to be a bi-weekly blog and somehow it’s almost bi-monthly! I’m back with my fifth installment of my questions about being a Christian. To review, I’m looking at…
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What does it mean to be a Christian? part 4
As I write this, it’s Maundy Thursday. It seems a particularly good day to think about our third baptismal promise: to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed. Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet Painting by Tintoretto When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples he said, “I give you a…
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What does it mean? Part 3
The second baptismal promise and faith practice is “to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper.” This is near and dear to my heart because I am an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament. In my tradition, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), this means that I am set apart…
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What does it mean to be a Christian? part 2
What does it mean to live among God’s Faithful People? Recently, I was asked this question: “What does it mean to be a Christian?” As I think about it I consider the promises we make in our baptisms. These five promises are often called Faith Practices. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has created…
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What does it mean to be a Christian? part 1
Our Northeastern Ohio Synod has a training program for discipleship that we call The Dandelion Project. We are concluding our first cohort’s two year event and just beginning our second cohort, cleverly entitled, The Dandelion Project, Too! We chose the image of a dandelion because each part of a dandelion has uses. The taproot goes…
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And the Sign Said…
Remember that song, “Signs?” It’s from 1971 by Five-Man Electrical Band. I remember it because my father was a high school teacher and principal who did not like long hair on guys. Male students were always looking for ways to get around the rules the schools set to prevent long hair. My husband tells me…
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Churchwide Assemblies are blessings.
I will admit to being an “assembly geek” (for non-Lutherans, our synod assemblies are our annual business meetings). I love attending our synod assemblies: following the discussions, voting, hearing speakers, and seeing colleagues and laypeople I haven’t seen in a year. I’ve also attended three Evangelical Lutheran Church in America assemblies (CWA) as a voting…
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Hospitality
Over the years, almost every congregation I’ve visited, or served, declared that they are a welcoming congregation. I only know it’s true if newer members tell me they returned after their first visit because they felt welcomed. It’s good to be welcoming — we greet newcomers as they enter, or maybe after they are seated.…
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How Random (…or Never Say ‘Never’)!
When I was a freshman at Wittenberg University our University Pastor was The Rev. Dr. H. Frederick Reisz, Jr., aka Fred, as he was known to those of us who hung around Weaver Chapel. Fred’s column in our chapel newsletter was entitled: Random Thoughts from a Random Mind. Fred would mention all sorts of random…
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Random Thoughts from a Random Mind 