“Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). This blog is the first of a series based on topics which Rev. Dr. Alfonso Espinosa treats in his book series on faith and culture.

After five years of infertility, I was finally pregnant. Six weeks later, I had a miscarriage. It was devastating. Why had God let me down this way? I had unknowingly fallen into thinking that if I was a “good Christian,” God would give me what I wanted. And when it didn’t happen, I sank into grief and bitterness. Holding on to faith seemed more painful than letting it go.

In our day and age, does the church really matter? Several years ago, there was a video making the rounds on social media that claimed Jesus is greater than religion. The whole premise of the popular video was that believing in Jesus was something higher than the church: a personal faith that exists in and unto itself. Though the video didn’t quite phrase it that way, this was the message it conveyed. The video resonated well with many people because it made them think that in the end, the church doesn’t matter. What matters is simply what you believe and that you are in the driver’s seat in this whole Christianity thing because after all, Jesus is greater than religion. 

We’re surrounded by symbols in our modern world, from the red octagon that commands us to stop to the golden arches that signal our next meal. Symbols have a powerful way of conveying meaning without using words, and the Christian Church has long used symbols to communicate biblical truths and point to Jesus’ salvation. Read on to discover how symbols can still be used in Lutheran schools, churches, and homes as reminders and teaching tools in the faith.  

“I believe; help my unbelief!”

My church friend Liza^* and her husband moved into a retirement community over the summer. One of the biggest challenges, of course, has been downsizing. But it has also been difficult to leave their longtime neighbors. One neighbor now lives alone and uses a walker. She does everything she can to remain independent and stay in her home as she ages. Sometimes, though, she needs help, and that’s when she calls Liza.

When our Lord breathed His last and died on the cross, the curtain in the temple of Jerusalem tore in two from top to bottom. This event signified that the barrier of sin that separated sinners from God was now open. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, had succeeded in redeeming the entire world through His shedding of blood and death on the cross. Now God’s children could pray directly to their Heavenly Father through faith in the Son. Jesus expresses this as He meets with His disciples before going to His passion. “In that day you will ask nothing of Me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you” (John 16: 23).

When I was a teenager and knew it all, I got bored with Sunday mornings. I already knew that Jesus died for our sins and rose on the third day. Why did we need to keep talking about it? In some ways, I believed in Jesus and the cross like I believed in George Washington crossing the Delaware River: both were real events that shaped history but had little impact on my day-to-day life.

Pastors have many roles: preacher, teacher, visitor, worship leader, administrator. The Lord’s undershepherds are also constant learners and normally voracious readers. Yet, with so much on a pastor’s plate, how can he wade through the myriad of titles to make the most of his reading time? Below are eight recommended books to captivate, educate, and enhance your ministry. Happy reading!

When questions arise about what we believe, God calls us to confess Him. We do so as people known personally by God and who confess Him in a very personal way. When we confess Jesus and what he has done, we do so as a people who belong to Him. This forms not only how we confess Jesus but what we say about Him.

This blog is excerpted from Faithfully Formed: The Lutheran Confessions in Daily Life by Andy Wright.