Pastor Prince's Ponderings

"The Parable of the Net"   I've been reading a book called "Kingdom, Grace, Judgment: Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication in the Parables of Jesus" by Rev. Robert Farrar Capon, and am learning some good insights on Jesus' parables, so I thought I'd share one with you. Jesus' Parable of the Net from Matthew 13:47-50 is this: {Jesus said,] “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The Greek word Jesus uses for "net" is "sagaynay," which is a seine or dragnet.  This is ONLY time such a net appears in the New Testament.  The usual fishing nets with large gap...

Social Media and Sharing the Gospel    Although I'm as tech-savvy as anyone, and more than most (since I've been building and maintaining computers for 25 years for churches and schools, and worked three years at Concordia Seminary's Tech Services), I've managed to mostly avoid social media for the most part, only checking my Facebook page once-per-month or so.  However, I don't think that's necessarily a good thing any more.  Especially after reading the newest report by our Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod's Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) about Social Media and Sharing the Gospel.  You can download it here(but remember to come back and finish this post!): Recommendation Letter with CTCR Report The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod has ALWAYS been at the forefront of utilizing newer technologies and media as tools for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  For example, when radio broadcasting was new in the USA (begun in 1920), the Lut...