Fritz a wonderful lesson – and esp. reading has a flow I found encompassing. If only …….. yes we can…
Weekly lessons in theology and public life • Since 2011
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Lesson 7: Way to Wisdom and God
Read MORE: Lesson 7: Way to Wisdom and GodIf asked to define friendship, most people say something about sharing. Few would include anything about friendship being a way to knowledge. We think of friends working or playing together, but seldom sharing ideas in order to educate themselves. Yet,…
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Lesson 6: Sharing
Read MORE: Lesson 6: SharingWhen I at first asked my face-to-face discussion groups to define friendship, I got the answers I expected. They seemed to say the same things as early Christian writers. For instance, they echoed what Ambrose wrote in 340 AD: “Friends…
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Lesson 5: Christian Friendship
Read MORE: Lesson 5: Christian FriendshipWhenever I spoke of the Church as a “family of families,” I heard from singles, couples without children, and same sex couples. They all said such language made them feel excluded. I understood what they meant, but could never come…
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Lesson 4: Legal Friendship
Read MORE: Lesson 4: Legal FriendshipMarriage is fast becoming another new form of friendship. It is quite common to hear someone speak of their spouse as their best friend, something that would have sounded quite strange when I was growing up. But today, our society…
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Lesson 3: Facebook Friends
Read MORE: Lesson 3: Facebook FriendsSupposedly, I have 48 Facebook friends. I can easily pick up more by accepting the invitations that daily arrive on my e-mail, often from people I have a hard time identifying. And, of course, I can unfriend any of the…
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Lesson 2: Professional Friends
Read MORE: Lesson 2: Professional FriendsLast summer, I participated in a conversation that illustrates the current situation of friendship. A man sat down beside me and revealed he worked at the Flamingo Casino in Las Vegas. When I asked what he did, he hesitated. “It…
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Lesson 1: Changes in Friendship
Read MORE: Lesson 1: Changes in FriendshipWhen I was growing up in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, people spoke of “family and friends.” I had all sorts of “family” throughout the small city. When we would gather for annual reunions, we would be joined by some of the few…
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Shout It From The Rooftops
Read MORE: Shout It From The RooftopsMatthew 10: 26-31 Have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what…
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Turn The Other Cheek
Read MORE: Turn The Other CheekThe temptation is to give a polished sermon that glosses over the meaning of all these basic but difficult texts. I am going to offer instead a rough Bible study that I hope will allow Jesus’ challenge to shine through.…
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Stop Fooling Around
Read MORE: Stop Fooling AroundFor several years I have been trying to lead one of my favorite people into the ministry. I have been extremely sensitive to his needs, letting him work as slowly as he needs through all the obstacles and questions. I…
Recent Comments
So forgiveness pre-requires understanding the mistakes of the past? here hear re this opposing this me-first, America-first, white-first, male-first approach>…
An extremely timely topic. Thanks, Fritz!