I love this new ad put together by the folks at Concordia Publishing House. It's well done, theologically sound, and brings something often see as disjointed from everyday life and makes it relevant:

That being said, the video also stirs up an interesting question. Is there really such thing as a Lutheran Bible? To answer this question, I'm going to revisit the content of an old post (by the way, somewhere along the line, I lost a bunch of the comments so, that's why they're disjointed). I would say that the existence of a Lutheran Bible depends on how you grammatically understand the word, "Lutheran". If Lutheran is something that is, as the dictionary categorizes it, in and of itself (aka a noun), then I'd say the answer is resoundingly, "No!" After all, the Bible is the Bible and it doesn't come in Lutheran, Calvinist, or non-denominational versions. The Bible is something in and of itself. The Bible is the noun.

However, if you allow the word Lutheran to serve as an adjective, that is, something that describes a noun, then I'd say the answer is, just as resoundingly, "Yes!" You see, while there aren't different Bible's for Lutherans, Calvinists, and non-denominational folks, people in each of those traditions do read the Bible differently. Some believe it's inerrant and largely literal, while others tend not to trust it and think we need to read between the lines to find the true meaning. Some think God has one agenda with the Jewish nation and a second with Christians, while others think the whole thing is about Jesus. Some think the Bible is our guide to go to God, while others thing the Bible is a story about God coming to us. It's on how we read the Bible that the adjective Lutheran matters, because that adjective, describes, from a historical and theological perspective, how we read the Bible ... and the notes that come in something like this study Bible, encourage us to read it from a Lutheran perspective.

Here's another great video that makes this very point:

By the way, I have two on order ... one for at home, and one for work.

Thoughts?

For a number of years now, I've had a certain level of angst as I approach the 4th of July. I always loved it as a kid ... after all, what's not to love about BBQ, fireworks, and getting to stay up late? But then, as I grew older and the things that really mattered to me developed, my love of the festivities waned. But why? Here's a few thoughts:

• Most of what I see on the 4th of July is a patriotism akin to an adolescent sentimentality. It's one of those here today and gone tomorrow kind of loves that's dependent on all the festivities for its vitality. For me, somebody who has a deeply rooted love for my country that brings me to tears when I take time to reflect on it, the 4th, in many ways, seems like something once beautiful that's become a joke.

• At the other end of the spectrum, you have those radical patriot types who, in every way, embrace McCain's, "Country First" slogan. These folks truly do love America year round and tomorrow is the highlight of their year. Yet, while we have a love for this nation in common, the way we love our country in light of our global community is completely different. From my perspective, they're arrogant towards other nations, insisting that everyone should be just like us, and that all other nations are lesser. There's a disregard for others as they approach options with the singular focus of, "Is this what's best for America?", rather than asking how we can use our blessings and gifts to benefit the world at large. All too often, this voice leaves me struggling to join with others in the celebration.

• Then you have the whole "Christian nation" thing. For me, the closer the 4th of July is to a Sunday, the worse it gets, because the whole, "restore America to it's Christian roots voice", gets louder and more obnoxious. Never mind that Thomas Jefferson was a deist who cut the resurrection out of his Bible because he didn't believe in it (although he was a strong proponent of a Judeo-Christian ethic), if you actually read the New Testament, it's rather clear that the State was established as something different from the Church ... they have two entirely different, God-mandated purposes. I want grace from my Church and order from my State, when the two get blended together, it's the gospel that gets lost, and that's something I can never agree with.

So, how does someone who love his country and sees it as one of many viable ways that God uses to bring order to society celebrate the birth of the United States? How can this be done in a way that is both thankful for the blessing of living here, but faithful to my core beliefs? Any suggestions?