📖 In Genesis 28, Jacob dreams of a ladder connecting heaven and earth. 🪜
Jesus picks up on this in John 1:51, saying angels will ascend and descend on him, showing how heaven and earth meet in him. ✨🌍
The concept isn’t about us building ladders to reach heaven ⬆️. Instead, heaven invades earth, with Jesus bringing heaven directly to us. ⬇️
As Christians, heaven isn’t just a distant paradise or escape.🌴 It’s God coming to us, through Jesus, who took on human flesh to connect heaven and earth. ✨➡️🌍
This connection doesn’t wait for us to seek it out; it’s delivered to us in real-time through Jesus's actions, teachings, and the promise of forgiveness. ✝️
Heaven, in essence, isn’t just a place “up there” — it’s anywhere God’s presence is, including in baptism and communion. 💧🍞🍷
Going to church, then, becomes less about an escape 🏃‍♂️💨 and more about finding strength and comfort in a world that often hurts.
When we gather at church, heaven meets earth, and forgiveness, grace, and salvation are offered right there. ✨🙏
It's about accessing the “ladder” 🪜 Jesus reveals to be himself. ✝️
Church can sometimes feel ordinary — no glowing lights or dramatic miracles, but every time you enter church, it's a small taste of heaven on earth, where you’re reminded that God’s for you and with you.⛪
Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.
Contributor Matt Richard is Pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot, ND.
#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus #heaven

🌟 If we go to church because Jesus is there, does that mean He’s not with us in our lives? 🌟

The answer lies in God's promise to be present in a specific and meaningful way in church—through His Word 📖 and Sacraments 🕊️.

✨ God's Omnipresence vs. God's Presence "For You" ✨

This brings up questions about God’s omnipresence. Rather than saying God is everywhere, the two words that bridge this gap are the little words — for you. 🙌

Psalm 139 says, “If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” (Psalm 139:8)

It's not just that God is anywhere. It's that He is wherever you happen to be. 💖

⛪ The Specific Promise in Church ⛪

In church, God promises to be present for you in a very specific way, offering forgiveness 🙏, grace 🌿, and comfort ❤️‍🩹 through His Word 📖, Baptism 🌊, communion 🍷, and absolution ☮️.

Jesus is certainly with you in your daily life, but in church, He is doing something unique: forgiving your sins.

His promise of forgiveness is tied to the baptismal font 🚰, the communion cup 🍞🍷, and the words of absolution you hear in church 🕊️. These are tangible, concrete ways you can know Jesus is for you.

💪 Carrying Church Into the World 💪

Going to church isn't about escaping the world 🌍; it's about receiving what you need to go back into it.

Church is a place to bring your struggles 😔 and receive comfort 💓. It's where Jesus offers you the strength 💪, forgiveness 🙏, and reassurance 🌟 that you can carry with you throughout your week.

As a baptized child of God, wherever you go, He goes with you ✨—but it’s in church where you receive the gifts 🎁 to face whatever lies ahead.

🔄 Not an Escape, but Preparation 🔄

Church isn't a monastery 🏰 or an escape from the world 🌎. It's where you receive the forgiveness ✝️ and consolation you need to tackle the real world.

In church, we get the forgiveness of sins to cover our past week 🗓️ and the promise that God will not forsake us in the week to come ▶️.

It's the foundation 🛠️ that allows us to live out our vocations and serve our neighbors ❤️.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #church

If I'm baptized, why do I need to go to the Lord's Supper? 🤔✝️

We face three constant enemies:

🦠 Our sinful flesh — the “old Adam.”

🌍 The world — with its passions, schemes, and temptations we must endure.

👹 The devil — relentlessly attacking our conscience.

As a result, we constantly need all the gifts that the Lord gives us. 🎁

So, why the Lord's Supper? Simply put, Jesus gave it to us 🙏

The catechism points to two reasons: it’s for you and for the forgiveness of sins.

❓What does baptism do?❓

> 🧼It forgives your sins, washes you clean daily, and gives you a new identity. ✨

> 🌱Baptism kills the old self and brings the new self to life.

> 💖It’s where God’s name is placed upon you.

❓What does the Lord’s Supper do?❓

> 🍞🍷Jesus says, “Receive this. This is my body,” given for your forgiveness.

> 🕊️ Where there’s forgiveness of sins, there’s also life and salvation.

> ✨This forgiveness frees us from guilt, shame, and dishonor.

The Lord’s Supper is the only place we receive Christ’s body and blood. ✝️

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper aren’t exclusive; they work together for you. 🤝

We also receive forgiveness from the preached word, Scripture, and confession and absolution. There’s a reason for so many sources of forgiveness. 📖🙏

So perhaps the real question is: Why would the Lord have us go to His Supper?

He tells us: for the forgiveness of your sins. ❤️

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Marsh Shamburger is Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Rocklin, CA.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran

❓Question: I know Jesus says not to be anxious, but I'm still anxious by the end of church. What am I supposed to do? 🤔
Here are some ways to tackle this . . .
1️⃣ Reflect on Jesus' Words: Jesus assures us that God cares for us, providing everything we need. Anxiety often stems from fear of what might happen, but remembering that while we are not in control, God is. Trusting in Him shifts the focus from our lack of control to His promise of provision.
📖 Matthew 6:25-34
2️⃣ Read your Bible: Find some passages in the Bible that are comforting to read and that you can return to in times of need. (Ask your pastor for ideas if you don’t know of any.) 📚🙏
3️⃣ Confession & Absolution: If your anxiety is tied to guilt, talk to your pastor. Confession and absolution remind us of God’s forgiveness and can ease our burdens. 💬✝️
4️⃣ Consider Christian Counseling: Sometimes, we need help working through struggles. A Christian counselor can provide guidance that aligns with your faith and addresses the root causes of anxiety. 💡🧠
Some things to keep in mind👇
💬 We need to care for the spiritual self, as well as the physical and mental self.
😟 If you are anxious, it’s not a sign that your religion isn’t working.
🙏 It’s good to pray, but prayer is for comfort… it may not take your anxiety away.
💊 Even if you get anti-anxiety medication, it’s important to solve the root of the anxiety.
✨ You need to learn how to imagine again. The devil will take the gift of imagination that God gave you and twist it into worry. To imagine again is to meditate on God's promises. Imagine if there was such a thing as a God who loved you enough to die for you, to conquer death, and to save you even in spite of yourself. 🌈✝️
🫂 You can’t do this alone. Seek help from your parents, pastor, and/or a counselor.
Anxiety turns us in on ourselves, and we need to find ways to focus on things that are external — such as God and his promises. They can help us refocus and give perspective. 🌟

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Chris Brademeyer is Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oakes, ND.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #anxiety

As Lutherans, Why Do We Practice Closed Communion? ✝️🍞🍷

It’s not a “no,” but a “not yet.” ⏳

Have you ever felt embarrassed 😳 when you brought a friend to church ⛪ and you had to explain that they weren’t able to commune?

Why don’t Lutherans just let anyone take communion? 🤔

It’s important to start with what we believe communion is.

We believe the bread and wine are the actual body and blood of Christ, offering forgiveness, life, and salvation. 🙏❤️

Not all Christians believe this. Many Christians believe that the bread and wine are mere symbols ⚠️ of the body and blood of Jesus.

While there are many wonderful gifts 🎁 we receive from the Lord’s Supper, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 that people have been hurt and harmed 😔 by communing improperly.

Since this is so powerful and real, it’s important that everyone understands what this gift 🎁 is before receiving it. (Just like you wouldn’t hand someone the keys 🔑 to your car 🚗 without knowing if they can drive.)

Closed communion is actually a gift! 🎁 We want all Christians to share in this foretaste of teh feast to come, but when they have a full understanding of what’s really happening. 💡

Closed communion isn’t about exclusion; it’s about bringing people deeper into the faith.

It’s an invitation 📜 to learn more and eventually take part in something amazing. Think of it as a way to ensure everyone receives the full joy and benefits of communion. 😊💫

(And the truth is that every church practices some form of closed communion, even if it's excluding young children. 👶💒)

✨ Closed communion = NOT a “no,” but a “not yet” ✨

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #communion #closedcommunion #lordssupper

As Christians in a hostile world, it’s easy to feel like we’re caught between offense and defense. ⚔️🛡️

On the one hand, we are called to defend our faith by confessing who Christ is and what he has done. ✝️

But our true hope is in Jesus, the roaring lion 🦁, who has conquered sin, death, and the devil, and who doesn’t really need us to defend him.

Whether or not the world looks safe, we have strength, safety, and shelter in Christ, our mighty fortress. 🏰

This world is passing, but we have the hope of the resurrection. 🌅

It’s helpful to put all things in perspective — everything's going to burn in the end, as Peter tells us. (2 Peter 3:10) 🔥

Yes, this life is the vale of tears 😢, but it’s just for a moment. We have hope of Christ — that he is coming again. 🙌

We already have one foot in the resurrection, which means we have certainty that we're with Christ and Christ is with us. ✨

The world may not be safe, but it is redeemed. 🌎✨

We don’t need safety to be secure because we are already secure in the resurrection. 🕊️

What should we do as we face a hostile world? 🌏

We should be busy among God's work and in our vocations, knowing we are cared for as we seek the kingdom of God, embrace His forgiveness, and receive the grace of Christ. 🙏

We will die, but even that's okay knowing we will be resurrected from the dead and given a brand new heaven and earth — this is a great comfort. 🌈

So even when life feels uncertain — at school, in politics, or just in everyday challenges — our answer stays the same — look to Jesus. 👀✝️

Like he said: “Abide in me.” 🌿

Contributor Matt Richard is Pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot, ND.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #christianlife #jesus

What do we get wrong when we talk about God’s omnipresence? 🤔

Is God everywhere? 🌎

If we say God exists in all things, we risk drifting into paganism. ⚠️

It’s true that there’s no place He cannot be, but that doesn’t mean God reveals himself in all places. ✨

If God is in the trees 🌳, the sunset 🌅, and the mountains 🏔️, the one place you're never going to see God is on the cross. ✝️

The Bible never says God is everywhere.

Psalm 139 says, “If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” 🙌

What’s awesome is not just that God can be anywhere, but that He would go anywhere FOR YOU. 🎯

Wherever you happen to be, that’s where God wants to be — even in the darkest, most chaotic moments. 🌑

After Jesus tells his disciples to baptize all nations, He says: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 🌍✝️

In baptism, you are bound to a God who goes with you everywhere — no place is off-limits to Him. 🌊✝️

God goes with you to shield and save you not only from the pains of this life, but from death itself — because you will rise again. 🌅💫

Yet, you’re never alone because God is with you and for you. 🤗

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #attributesofgod #omnipresence

It feels like the world’s longest road trip. 🚗 You’ve been there: Dad is losing his patience, the family dog 🐶 is antsy in already cramped quarters, and the kids keep asking, “Are we there, yet?”

You finally get to your destination, but you have to wait even longer before you can get out of the car. 🚙 Will this trip ever end?? 😩

No, this isn’t your summer vacation. 🌞 It’s only a year’s long trip on Noah’s ark . . . 🛳️ the trip that feels like it will go on forever.

While so much art 🎨 romanticizes Noah’s ark, it was most likely not a pleasant ride. Think about it — he's in this boat full of animals 🐘🦒🐍 that are smelly, loud, and crowded.

But then: “God remembered Noah.” 🌈

When God remembers, it's always tied to an action.

God remembers us even if we are on a boat surrounded by death itself. ⚰️

We see that in our baptism — each day the old Adam dies and the new man rises. 🌿 Just as God continued to be with Noah, so God continues to be with us in the ark of the church ⛪ (which exists in a world that smelly, hurtful, and awful). 🌎

To find out if it’s okay to leave, Noah sends out birds. 🕊️ A dove brings back the olive branch of peace that God’s wrath has receded.

Noah and the fam can FINALLY get off the boat! 🎉

He offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving. 🙏

God then repeats what he said at creation: “Be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 🌱

God sustains his creation through family. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Then, God makes a promise. Even though creation is still fallen, God promises that he will never destroy the earth in this way again. 🌏

And the order of creation will continue: “while the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.” 🌿❄️🌞🌙

God is being merciful to a world corrupted by our sin. ❤️

We have a God who sustains creation in the midst of death and he becomes death himself. ✝️

Because we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus, it lets us deal with the messy side of sin and death because we know that God has not forgotten us. 🙌

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Michelle Bauman is the Director of Y4Life.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #noah #genesis