SA国际传媒

The people you serve are blessed by your ministry! In these days of Lent, your duties heavy, I pray upon your own personal devotion an abundant measure of God鈥檚 Spirit for your continuing growth in sanctification and joy in service.

Let me share with you some readings I鈥檓 finding helpful. Like many of you, our busy schedules make it difficult to devote large amounts of time to reading. Most of the following can be read wholly or in part in short sittings.

Digitized: Spiritual Implications of Technology by Bernard Bull of Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon (Concordia Publishing House, CPH). I鈥檓 thoroughly enjoying this book. Three chapter titles are typical of the insights Dr. Bull offers: 鈥淚nformation Overload and Information Addiction,鈥� 鈥溾�楥at鈥檚 in the Cradle鈥� Goes Digital鈥� and 鈥淲e Build the Tools and then They Build Us.鈥�

CPH also has published Myth of the Millennial by our alum Ted Doering (2014) and his wife, Chelsea. Their work carries weight with me because they are millennials; it鈥檚 not baby boomers writing and fretting over the ways of millennials. Like Digitized, it鈥檚 full of ideas for ministry and both could easily be used in small groups.

Lest we stop with millennials, Barna鈥檚 new Gen Z: The Culture, Beliefs and Motivations Shaping the Next Generation presents more challenges/opportunities. For example, 鈥淗alf say happiness is their ultimate goal in life.鈥� 鈥淢ore than half of teens use screen media four or more hours per day.鈥� 鈥淥ut of 69 million children and teens in Gen Z, just 4% have a biblical worldview.鈥� Wow! Let鈥檚 raise up the next generation of pastors, church workers and laity who personally know and can witness in their context.

Last summer鈥檚 issue of Concordia Journal with articles on faith and science has drawn many reactions. Posts on offer informed reading. Underlying faith/science issues is also our Lutheran understanding of Scripture. See Tim Saleska鈥檚 recent article in which he looks at Gospel reductionism, biblicism and our Lutheran approach. That also is posted on . Two Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) publications can help us reflect on the content and our conduct as we talk about issues of science and faith: In Christ All Things Hold Together and Public Rebuke for Public Sin. They are available from CPH.

Back to where we started. May your Lenten labors enrich you as you give of yourself to others. God bless your works of ministry and your devotion. Jesus is our confidence!

Blessings,

Dale
Dr. Dale A. Meyer, President
SA国际传媒, St. Louis