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There really is good news! God is still eager to save. Prepare yourself for his coming into your life. He is already present. It is all here; the secret to the good and happy life is already manifest and present.
-- from the sermon "We Must Be Blind!"
The 21 sermons in this book are based on gospel texts, primarily from Matthew and John. Sermons follow the Revised Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic lectionaries.
In his messages, Mark Ellingsen connects preparation through penitence and the new life given in baptism. "The gospel lessons assigned for the season provide excellent occasions to practice such liturgical proclamation," writes Ellingsen. "Penitence and preparation happen in the presence of Christ and the new life he gives. Thus they are Gods work."
Mark Ellingsen is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Asheboro, North Carolina. He is a graduate of Gettysburg College and holds a master of divinity and a doctorate from Yale.
About the author
Mark Ellingsen is a recently retired professor at the largest historic Black seminary in the nation, the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. With a Yale Ph.D., he has taught there for over 3 decades after extensive international experience as a theological and social-ethical researcher and as a liaison for interdenominational relations. The son of Norwegian immigrants, Ellingsen is the author of 28 books and hundreds of articles, many dealing with political and social issues on topics like how the Christian view of Original Sin is crucial to our Constitutional system, how the various religious bodies address social issues, and how white Christianity came to be associated with Republican politics. He has also written on abortion as well as gay rights and faith. Most recently, he co-authored a book on racism with a young Civil Rights leader who knows the political ropes (a former student) titled "Wired For Racism? How Evolution and Faith Move Us to Challenge Racial Idolatry," showing us how the combination of faith, insights drawn from the Theory of Evolution, and best practices in dealing with racism advocated by the leading Civil Rights organizations might challenge white hegemony. This book establishes his expertise in dealing with Civil Rights issues. With his rich background, radio and TV channels have called on Ellingsen often over the years to comment on topics related to this book and other subjects. In view of his background and years of study and teaching on the subjects of this book along with his immersion in Black realities, who else but a scholar of Ellingsen's breadth and rich inter-cultural experience could write an effective volume like this one to clarify for the public a lot of the myths about Critical Race Theory? Ellingsen recently relocated to South Carolina in retirement, but during his years in Metro Atlanta he resided in Cobb County, the district served by Newt Gingrich and the bastion of the State's resistance to Critical Race Theory, he lives and works with both sides on this explosive issue, knows how to communicate and be fair to both Right and Left.
