Lesson 1: History
Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment introduces a new stage in the ongoing conversation between Church and Society.
Pastor Fritz Foltz
Pastor Foltz is Pastor Emeritus of Saint James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg, PA and author of the the Frontline Study content.
Lesson 15: Make a Real, Contemporary Christian Community Your Reference Point
Boy, this one has some catchy adjectives. We are not to join just any church, but a “real” one that is relevant to the “contemporary” situation. In fact, it replaces “church” with “community,” implying it should not simply be a place where people go to worship but a gathering of persons who interact with one […]
Lesson 14: Choose Productive Nonviolent Vocations
As I write this lesson, politicians are debating whether they would have invaded Iraq, if they knew what we know now. The discussion began as a question from the press to see if they could connect Jeb Bush with his brother. When his answer was controversial, they began asking many candidates the same question. As […]
Lesson 13: Do Nothing from Prestige Alone
I was amused when I looked up the origin of “prestige.” Apparently it goes back to a French word for a conjuror’s tricks or illusions. And in some sense, all prestige has an element of deception about it. None of us is all that different from another. This became evident when I found myself dining […]
Lesson 12: Pay Attention to Beauty
Too often, paying attention to beauty is regarded as a luxury in our society. People think only the affluent have time to appreciate the beautiful. Every one else has to spend all their time earning a living in order to feed their families. This kind of thinking denies the ancient wisdom that a satisfying human […]
Lesson 11: Live as Tenants of a Small Planet
When I was growing up, I would never have thought to include this in a Christian lifestyle. People were starting to limit the size of their families, but not because of the world’s limitations. But by the time I was called to my second parish, we were discussing world hunger, overpopulation, and pollution. Even then […]
Lesson 10: Live Below Your Economic Peers
Why would anyone choose to “live below your economic peers?” I can think of two reasons. The first is simply to make a Christian witness that you can do it and still live a satisfying, happy life. The second is that, for most of us, it is far healthier than always working for more, more, […]
Lesson 9: A Modern Sabbath Lifestyle
As I was writing these lessons, my thoughts continually returned to the Company of Kirkridge. This small, mostly lay Christian community gathered people from across the Northeast twice a year to support one another. At one of those meetings, we broke into small groups to update our discipline. Gathering as one, we compiled the following. […]
Lesson 8: Promise
As I noted in the sixth lesson, most of us believe a primary element in a modern Sabbath life style would be worship in a Christian community once a week. At that time, I focused on “remembering” the stories from our tradition. However, the Christian life involves promise as well as memory, hope as well […]
Lesson 7: Justice
I am writing after a night of rioting in Baltimore. The television is playing in the background, so that I hear pundit after pundit speaking of justice. Each has a different take on what that means in this situation, largely depending on her perspective. Two of the best recent pieces on the Sabbath see it […]
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