Small Catechisms

On this episode Dr. Aaron Davis interviews Prof. Mel Bringle (Brevard College) about her work in church music. They talk about things like the differences between writing hymn texts and composing, how Mel got into the former, the potential benefits of singing together in church, and more. Links Nativity's website -  Link Mel's faculty page - Link Mel's hymn text book In Wind and Wonder - Link   Qu...

Pastor Sean Barrett preaches from Luke 17:11-19. You can find all the readings for this Sunday here .  To learn more about Lutheran Church of the Nativity, visit our website at  NativityArden.org .

Pastor Sean Barrett answers a question about the sermon from 10-5-25: In yesterday's sermon you mentioned that the mustard seed is the smallest seed Jesus's followers would've known about. But in Matthew's version of this story Jesus says the seed "is the smalled of all seeds." Is this difference significant? Was Jesus wrong in Matthew, but not in Luke?

Pastor Sean Barrett preaches from Amos 6:1a, 4-7, 1 Timothy 6:6-19, and Luke 16:19-31. You can find all the readings for this Sunday here .  To learn more about Lutheran Church of the Nativity, visit our website at  NativityArden.org .

In this episode Dr. Aaron Davis hosts a conversation with Nativity's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Sean Barrett, about Christian parenting in the age of TikTok. We discuss things like what TikTok is and whether/how we use it, general advice for approaching technology with kids of various ages, and more.  Questions or comments about the episode? Send a message to  aarondavis@nativityarden.org . Links Nativi...

Pastor Sean Barrett answers this week's question about yesterday's readings: Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Psalm 146; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; and Luke 16:19-31.

On this episode Dr. Aaron Davis interviews Prof. Mike Austin (Eastern Kentucky University) about his book, American Christian Nationalism: Neither American Nor Christian . They talk about what Christian nationalism is, how it relates to American political history, how it defies Christian ethical norms, and more. Links Nativity's website -  Link Austin's Ameriacn Christian Nationalism (Eerdmans, 20...

Carolyn Anderson preaches from Deuteronomy 26:1-11, 2 Cotinthians 9:6-15, and Matthew 13:24-43. To learn more about Lutheran Church of the Nativity, visit our website at  NativityArden.org .

In this episode Dr. Aaron Davis hosts a conversation with Nativity's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Sean Barrett, about pneumatology. We discuss things like what pneumatology is, where we see the Holy Spirit described in Scripture, and more. Questions or comments about the episode? Send a message to  aarondavis@nativityarden.org . Links Nativity's website -  Link St Andrews Encyclopedia article, "The Spirit...

Dr. Aaron Davis preaches from Exodus 32:7-14, 1 Timothy 1:12-17, and Luke 15:1-10. You can find all the readings for this Sunday here .  To learn more about Lutheran Church of the Nativity, visit our website at  NativityArden.org .

This week, Dr. Aaron Davis answers the following question that came in from a listener: "You talked about the "coward's comma" yesterday in your sermon. Have there been times when you went ahead and included the part of the reading that was omitted? Do you remember which text and why you did it?"

In this episode Dr. Aaron Davis continues our series of resource reviews looking at some pieces he's published that might be of interest to folks. This time he discusses and reads his forthcoming article from the Christian Century titled "Disability and Visions of Our Selves." Questions or comments about the episode? Send a message to  aarondavis@nativityarden.org . Links Nativity's website -  Lin...

Pastor Sean Barrett preaches from Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Philemon 1:1-21, and Luke 14:25-33. You can find all the readings for this Sunday here .  To learn more about Lutheran Church of the Nativity, visit our website at  NativityArden.org .

Pastor Sean Barrett responds to a question that came in this week: "Asking for a friend, Why don't we sacrifice animals? I understand Jesus covered us but how do we know he covered us and not just the first couple guys. Also why don't we celebrate Passover?"

In this episode Dr. Aaron Davis hosts a conversation with Nativity's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Sean Barrett, about Christology. We discuss things like what "Christology" is, why this subject is so debated in Christian history, and more. Questions or comments about the episode? Send a message to  aarondavis@nativityarden.org . Links Nativity's website -  Link Conciliar Christology encyclopedia article -...

Pastor Sean Barrett preaches from Jeremiah 2:4-13, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16, and Luke 14:1, 7-14. You can find all the readings for this Sunday  here .  To learn more about Lutheran Church of the Nativity, visit our website at  NativityArden.org .

In today's episode the Rev. Dr. Sean Barrett interviews Nativity's own Dr. Aaron Davis (St Andrews) about his work as a disability theologian. They talk about what disability theology is, what disability theologians do with the healing stories in the Gospels, what Jesus's resurrection body might indicate about our notions of bodily perfection, and more. Links Nativity's website -  Link Aaron's web...

Pastor Sean Barrett preaches from Jeremiah 1:4-10, Hebrews 12:18-29, and Luke 13:10-17. You can find all the readings for this Sunday here .  To learn more about Lutheran Church of the Nativity, visit our website at  NativityArden.org .

In this episode Dr. Aaron Davis hosts a conversation with Nativity's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Sean Barrett, about the doctrine of God. We discuss things like what "the doctrine of God" is, why we see God so frequently gendered masculine in Scripture, and more. Questions or comments about the episode? Send a message to  aarondavis@nativityarden.org . Links Nativity's website -  Link

Dr. Aaron Davis answer this question based on his recent sermon: "You mentioned that God keeps tending the garden and doesn't give up on us. What does this mean for people outside of the faith when they die? Will everyone ultimately be saved?"   Want to learn more about Nativity? Check out our website here .

Dr. Aaron Davis preaches from Isaiah 5:1-7, Hebrews 11:29-12:2, Luke 12:49-56. You can find all the readings for this Sunday here . To learn more about Lutheran Church of the Nativity, visit our website at  NativityArden.org .

Pastor Sean Barrett preaches from Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, Luke 12:32-40. You can find all the readings for this Sunday here . To learn more about Lutheran Church of the Nativity, visit our website at  NativityArden.org .

In this episode Dr. Aaron Davis starts a mini-series of resources reviews looking at some pieces he's published that might be of interest to folks. This first episode looks at an article from Earth & Altar Magazine  titled "Lewis Meets Thile: Imagining Salvation Through Art." Questions or comments about the episode? Send a message to  aarondavis@nativityarden.org . Links Nativity's website -  Link...

In this episode Dr. Aaron Davis hosts a conversation with Nativity's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Sean Barrett, about full communion partnerships. We discuss things like what full communion partnerships are, what the biblical/theological rational for pursuing them is in the ELCA, what full communion looks like in other Christian traditions, and more. Questions or comments about the episode? Send a message...

Pastor Sean Barrett preaches from Hosea 11:1-11, Colossians 3:1-11, and Luke 12:13-21. You can find all the readings for this Sunday here .  To learn more about Lutheran Church of the Nativity, visit our website at NativityArden.org .