If you've listened to that sermon, you know I reference this guy: Joseph Sittler
In the course of my career, I have learned much from reading his work. (I only met him twice in my life, towards the end of his, and his health was not good. But he was impressive even then.) I would say the three things I most appreciate about him are:
1) his connection between Jesus Christ and the environment. His work in this area has allowed me to stay a Christian because the environment is a huge issue for me. I cannot do his thought justice in this blog, but his linking of whatever God did with Jesus in the manger is related to what God did in making mountains and stars is quite possibly the most important move in contemporary American theology in the last 300 years.
2) My wife was his last student. She had him as a teacher who taught her the importance of language, theology, and how poetry is God's preferred way of speaking. As a teacher of English before I became a theologian, I always have appreciated that about his work. His Doctrine of the Word is my favorite work of Lutheran theology outside of Luther's own writings.
And he happened to wander into my class on my first day of seminary...does God really work this way? (I think so.) Thanks be to God!
May your tables be full and your conversations be true.
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