Have you ever felt a dissonance between the joy-filled Sunday school messages and the difficult sayings attributed to Jesus in the scriptures? There is a movement in American churches today that separates the Gospel into two parts: attractive and repulsive. It is probably surprising for many to know that there is more in the latter category than in the former. Church leaders know that preaching about suffering and demanding personal sacrifice for the sake of discipleship is not going to win over many converts. In fact, people tend to leave and seek out worship centers that portray Christ in kinder, gentler ways. After all, how many of the most applauded preachers of the present generation focus on Jesus teaching of self-sacrifice? More likely, sermons emerge from a prosperity gospel where God will reward the faithful and give bountifully to those who believe. The problem with this movement is that it makes Christianity one-dimensional and shallow. When hardship becomes an unwelcome visitor in our lives, the gospel of rewards doesnt hold up or provide the slightest degree of comfort. Crossroads of Agony is an anti-thesis to the current trends in American Christianity by revealing the call to suffering that Jesus gives to all who wish to follow him. True discipleship must contend with all sides of the faith, not just the ones that make us smile or feel warm and fuzzy inside. Jesus came not to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34)! As believers, we need to embrace suffering and see the value that comes with hardship undertaken for the sake of the Gospel. This book launches its readership into an investigation of the early church through a survey of scripture, historical events, and emerging literature. Without studying the foundations of the church, contemporary communities of faith are adrift without a dependable point of reference. As Woodrow Wilson said, Those who do not know their past are doomed to repeat it. Our heritage is rich with tradition and reveals the highs and lows of human achievement. Our past is the key to unlocking a future that is keeping with Gods will. Crossroads of Agony exposes readers to a side of Christianity few opt to know about it, let alone use to guide their faith. Those with an adventurous spirit and a thirst for knowledge will discover that suffering is recast in a different light through Jesus message. What most of us have been trying to run away from is in fact something Christ is calling us towards: a life of suffering for the sake Gods message of salvation. We run because we do not find any value in hardship, but instead see it as something life-draining. Jesus, on the other hand, finds immense value in suffering and even life-producing when undertaken with a spiritual purpose. Jesus puts his life on the line for this truth: Suffering yields lifelife that is everlasting. Crossroads of Agony is a look into the darker side of the faith, one meant for advanced Christians. The deepest truths of the faith are not attractive to the world (1 Corinthians 1:18-19), but are quite repulsive. Only when we find ourselves in the pitch black darkness of our faith heritage are we able to emerge into the light of the Gospel that shatters illusions and unites our souls with the divine. If we run from suffering, the best we can achieve is a superficial relationship with God because it means we still value our life above the Gospel. Jesus demands the opposite: the saving Word of God above all else. This level of faith development requires a new understanding of suffering, one where this world is seen as a testing ground, not the end. Reverend Troy Ehlke writes this text in the hopes that people will read it in small groups, devote time to discuss the questions at each chapters end, and develop a renewed sense of call to labor for the kingdom of God. While we experience distress in this lifetime, it is not without reward. In this world, we have the satisfaction that results from spreading the Wor
Have you ever felt a dissonance between the joy-filled Sunday school messages and the difficult sayings attributed to Jesus in the scriptures? There is a movement in American churches today that separates the Gospel into two parts: attractive and repulsive. It is probably surprising for many to know that there is more in the latter category than in the former. Church leaders know that preaching about suffering and demanding personal sacrifice for the sake of discipleship is not going to win over many converts. In fact, people tend to leave and seek out worship centers that portray Christ in kinder, gentler ways. After all, how many of the most applauded preachers of the present generation focus on Jesus teaching of self-sacrifice? More likely, sermons emerge from a prosperity gospel where God will reward the faithful and give bountifully to those who believe. The problem with this movement is that it makes Christianity one-dimensional and shallow. When hardship becomes an unwelcome visitor in our lives, the gospel of rewards doesnt hold up or provide the slightest degree of comfort. Crossroads of Agony is an anti-thesis to the current trends in American Christianity by revealing the call to suffering that Jesus gives to all who wish to follow him. True discipleship must contend with all sides of the faith, not just the ones that make us smile or feel warm and fuzzy inside. Jesus came not to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34)! As believers, we need to embrace suffering and see the value that comes with hardship undertaken for the sake of the Gospel. This book launches its readership into an investigation of the early church through a survey of scripture, historical events, and emerging literature. Without studying the foundations of the church, contemporary communities of faith are adrift without a dependable point of reference. As Woodrow Wilson said, Those who do not know their past are doomed to repeat it. Our heritage is rich with tradition and reveals the highs and lows of human achievement. Our past is the key to unlocking a future that is keeping with Gods will. Crossroads of Agony exposes readers to a side of Christianity few opt to know about it, let alone use to guide their faith. Those with an adventurous spirit and a thirst for knowledge will discover that suffering is recast in a different light through Jesus message. What most of us have been trying to run away from is in fact something Christ is calling us towards: a life of suffering for the sake Gods message of salvation. We run because we do not find any value in hardship, but instead see it as something life-draining. Jesus, on the other hand, finds immense value in suffering and even life-producing when undertaken with a spiritual purpose. Jesus puts his life on the line for this truth: Suffering yields lifelife that is everlasting. Crossroads of Agony is a look into the darker side of the faith, one meant for advanced Christians. The deepest truths of the faith are not attractive to the world (1 Corinthians 1:18-19), but are quite repulsive. Only when we find ourselves in the pitch black darkness of our faith heritage are we able to emerge into the light of the Gospel that shatters illusions and unites our souls with the divine. If we run from suffering, the best we can achieve is a superficial relationship with God because it means we still value our life above the Gospel. Jesus demands the opposite: the saving Word of God above all else. This level of faith development requires a new understanding of suffering, one where this world is seen as a testing ground, not the end. Reverend Troy Ehlke writes this text in the hopes that people will read it in small groups, devote time to discuss the questions at each chapters end, and develop a renewed sense of call to labor for the kingdom of God. While we experience distress in this lifetime, it is not without reward. In this world, we have the satisfaction that results from spreading the Wor
A Tale of Two Churches examines the complexities of resurrecting a congregation postmortem. While conflict is a natural occurrence in all communities, it can lead to organizational implosion. The warning signs become blaring sirens when mistrust goes viral, rumors escalate uncontrolled, and the people discontinue their participation. Pastor Ehlke attempts to generate new life in the corpse of a dying church through means of spiritual transformation. Using the Scripture as a guidepost for reform, the pastor starts a small group designed for the sole purpose of loving the people. Trusting this will spark a revolution of compassion, the leadership embarks on breathing new life into a community declared all but dead by many in observance. Having worked at St. John Lutheran Church in Winter Park, perhaps this paradigm will breathe life into other faith communities who are staring into the darkness of death.
Miracles can take up to 40 weeks to occur. It is amazing to behold that with Gods blessing and breath, new life is formed in merely 280 days. Regardless of what we have seen before, there is nothing so powerful as witnessing the birth of a child. A world bellowing with destruction and chaos cannot detract from the wonder of a newborns cry nor can the radiance of earthly gems outshine the brilliance emanating from youthful eyes. Yet, in a matter of moments, the joy of fatherhood is trespassed. Fear creeps into our stream of conscious thought. What can I possibly offer this incarnation of love? If we are fortunate, we know our shortcomings and have taken inventory of our failures, because the strength of fatherhood lies not within the realm of self-proclaimed virtues or gifted abilities, but in our willingness to be present with our own vulnerabilities. We hear this truth from our heavenly Father who tells us to Consider your own call: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But I chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; I chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; I chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in my presence. The source of your life is Christ Jesus, who became wisdom for the world (adapted reading of 1 Corinthians 1:26-30). This book chronicles the journey of one mans quest to explore his past alongside the wisdom of scripture, so that his son, Julian, might pursue pathways of wholeness which his father failed to follow. Through personal trials and encounters with the world, this father forges an understanding that he wishes to pass on to his son, hoping it blesses his life. With prayer, wisdom, and a relationship rooted in love, a father embarks on an inner exploration, in an effort that the errors of today need not be repeated tomorrow. Righteous living is not an accidental phenomenon but rather an intentional choice shaped by loving forces within ones life. In the end, no one knows the ways of man or his son, save one; and he generously affords his creation the space to choose as their will desires. If you are a father raising a child or are simply searching for a voice of practical wisdom in a world filled with illusions, read these letters. Insight has a way of not only transforming the heart, but also redirecting the soul towards that which is life-giving and not life-consuming. But whatever you do from this moment on, know that there are few truths in the world; and when you find them, embrace them, because they have the power to steer you in the right direction. You are holding on to a book that contains such wisdom. Continue your quest within.
Muddy Mentors and Scaly Scholars is a primer for the exploration of animal ethics through the lenses of the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Secular writings, and Native American mythology. The purpose of the text is to challenge the pervading belief that humans, by nature, have a greater degree of intrinsic worth. Animals have a great deal to teach us and may offer insight into areas that we have overlooked for some time. This text raises four key arenas for inspection: morality, respect, friendship, and ritual remembrance. If we look to the animals and how they interact with some humans, we may see the emergence of a more sophisticated ethical standard that appreciates all of life, rather than one that exists from a point of species-specific bias. The text is designed to facilitate a spiritual journey between the reader and creation. As one progresses through the pages, the reader is challenged to respond to the belief that we have dominion over the animals. The assertion that animals share much of lifes concerns with us is articulated clearly. As the Philosopher-King from Ecclesiastes says, I said in my heart that God is testing them to show that they are but animals. For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other (Ecclesiastes 3:18-19). By seeing animals as teachers and pilgrims on the same journey of life, perhaps a new world can emerge: one where unity is celebrated above the divisiveness of difference.
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