Pastor Scott Nellis • Musings in Ministry

    I have had Anthropic’s ‘Claude AI’ commercial (and tune) in my head for several weeks. The ad’s premise is simple: “There’s never been a worse time to be a problem.” I love the way that Anthropic gives a metaphoric personality to the idea of a "problem." Their ad's premise is indeed a grand, bold statement … and, honestly, I think it might be true. Artificial Intelligence — while equally frightening and hope-filled — will solve more problems than we can conceive. And when used ethically, as Anthropic claims to, then yes, it may be the worst time, in all of history , to be a "problem."      But the linchpin to AI, as with any human-developed technology, is the ‘humans’ that develop it. Can it be used ethically and responsibly? Yes. Will it? The odds don’t look promising. And there's a religious connection to be made here. The season of Lent reminds me, acutely, of the deceitfulness of the human heart (or mind/spirit/conscience, if that language resonates ...

    Faith is a hard thing to comprehend. Even using the word "thing" in the previous sentence irks me. But what is faith if not a "thing"? And it's a complicated thing at that. Because faith can be hard to define. Of course there are many easily-accessible definitions for faith:  1. confidence or trust in a person or thing;  2. belief that is not based on proof;  3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion;  4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.;  5. a system of religious belief    But is faith solely belief ? Some people believe faith is akin to certainty . Is faith something we find and then possess , like knowledge? Is it simply a gift from God that we have nothing to do with, other than to have it bestowed upon us?    The more I try to understand God, or even fathom God, the more confused I become. Not always, but often. Perhaps this confusion comes because I have struggl...

Below are some samples of my illustration, logo, and graphic design work.    

   A friend recently gave me a fun challenge. He wanted me to take the text from Matthew 14:22 —the story of Peter walking out on the water toward Jesus —and then create dialogue to follow the famous "You of little faith, why did you doubt" line.     Here's my take on it, starting with the biblical text: Matthew 14:22-31 NRSV    Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." ...

    So what happened to Sunday?     As a Lutheran pastor, I often find myself in conversations revolving around this question. In essence, the question being asked is why there is a void of younger people in church on Sundays.     There's not an easy answer to this question, because young people are in churches on Sundays, though not often in the same kinds of churches as those asking this question.     A deeper, related question is this: Why are churches that have existed for more than 100 years closing their doors now (in the 2000s and 2010s)? This is the question I am wrestling with most these days.     Let me share a few observations I've come to conclude about this complex issue: We live in a much different world today than in decades past. While some things never seem to change, many things have. Our world, and societal values, have shifted significantly. Religious attitudes have also changed....

   It's always helpful, I think, to stop and reflect as often as possible. This is how we evaluate where we've been, what we've done, and who we've become because of it. My life has taken me many places, and today marks my first full year of ordination. That word, ordination , likely doesn't hold a lot of meaning for many people. At one time it didn't really mean anything to me. But four years of theological study, contextual-education sites, and a summer chaplaincy internship will change a person. This long, winding journey that I began almost 8 years ago has taken me from Indianapolis to Columbus, and now to New Philadelphia, Ohio. It's a journey that began with intimidating essays, evaluations, and interviews. It then took me through a seminary education, a year-long internship, and a regional placement with the Lutheran Church. Indeed, it's a journey that has forever changed me, as well as the way I view God and the world. A journey that...

   I've long been taught that the Church is not a building ... it's the people. However, I am currently pondering if that's truly accurate. Is the Church just a body of people who follow a set of beliefs in the Triune God?     Could it be that the Church really is the building?     Hear me out ...     If the Church is the people, then it's surely a flawed bunch of persons. And by flawed , I mean that the body of Christ is often not as welcoming and loving as it should be. The radical hospitality that Jesus displayed is hard to emulate. So if the Church is the people , then it might be a bit inefficient at conveying the love and acceptance of Jesus.     If, however, the Church is a building ... more specifically a sanctuary ... then it is a sacred and safe space where one is invited, accepted, and unconditionally loved by God. It is a place that does not depend on the congregation's ability, or inability ...

   I'm a seminarian who, somewhat ironically, is still trying to make sense of the sacraments that Lutherans (and most other Protestants) see as 'essential to worship'—those things that Christ commanded his followers to do in the pages of the New Testament.     I've always viewed the sacraments (communion and baptism) as more symbolic than anything. Well, I've learned that's pretty much dead wrong. I've gained a little more insight now, and wanted to write out my understandings in order to help dummies like me with all of this insider vernacular and its meaning.     Here's my crack at explaining the sacraments (promising I'll be brief):     Communion (The Eucharist / The Lord's Supper)     Communion is 'the meal' that Christians share in worship. It's not really a meal, but is intended to fill a person much like a meal would. It also involves bread and wine, and is a meal in that sense.     Commu...

Original Blog Post, Titled "Why Do You Believe": November 1, 2010 (Edited on January 8, 2025 and Re-posted)    I had a good conversation with a family member recently. They talked about taking a Bible class at church, and how difficult it was to understand the Old Testament. Rules. Exile. Punishment. Death. More rules. They were really struggling with the God of the Old Testament and how to make sense of their faith in light of what they were reading and studying. This family member came to three conclusions, and didn't really like any of those three: Take the Bible very literally , in which case they didn't want to follow a God like the one of the Old Testament God must have wrongly-predicted the actions of his creation , thus making God fallible Assume the Bible is written by imperfect humans , who—though inspired by God—misinterpreted many things that God said to them     These are some hard conclusions to arrive at. I have thought about these conclus...