Sometime after Jesus' resurrection. Peter.and several disciples were together. Suddenly Peter said, "I am going fishing" (John 21:3). Why? Some speculate that the disciples thought this "Jesus thing" was over, or that Peter was simply bored and had to get back to something familiar. I wonder whether Peter just had to slow down and thing about all that had happened. I do that. When events have moved so swiftly that I haven't had time to put them into perspective, it helps to take a walk in the woods or to work in the yard while I think them through.
Read more: Has Easter faded?
One question I get almost yearly is why do the confirmation students have to do the questions and answers? There are a whole host of answers to this. One answer, which is by no means least, is I had to do it and I imagine if you grew up Lutheran, you did too. The power of tradition, the idea of a rite of passage, is a powerful identity idea. Where would we be as a people if we had none of these identity markers? And our hope is that when these confirmation students grow up they will demand the same rite of passage for their children.
Read more: Pastor Joshua Ponders - May Newsletter...