In April 1945, weeks before the fall of the third Reich, German Lutheran theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed in Flossenburg, a Nazi prison… Read More »Bonhoeffer Class Co-Taught by Rev. Ritsch and Richard Parr Starts Feb. 5
The Second “NEXT Church” Conference will be held at First Pres, Dallas, February 27-28. As the PCUSA experiences change generated both from within and… Read More »“NEXT” Church Con in Dallas Explores the Future of the PCUSA–You Should Go!
Our unofficial church historian, Cathy Corder, has unearthed some fascinating documents from the early days of St. Stephen. Most interesting are those that detail the process our predecessor church, Broadway Presbyterian, went through in deciding to move from its location across from present Broadway Baptist to this site.Read More »“The Lord is Trying to Do Something Grand Through Us…Therefore We, God’s Servants, Arise and Build”
By Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch
January 15, 2012
St. Stephen Presbyterian Church
Fort Worth, TX
The Saturday Evening Post recently ran a story that checked up on another story they published over 100 years ago: an article written in December of 1900 predicting what will happen in the 20th Century. The old article got a lot of predictions right. It predicted that the average American would be 1 to 2 inches taller. It predicted digital photography: “Photographs will be telegraphed from any distance. If there be a battle in China, a hundred years hence, snapshots of its most striking events will be published in the newspapers an hour later.” It even predicted wireless technology. All in all, pretty amazing.Read More »Calling–1 Samuel 3: 1-10; John 1: 43-57
http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/missionconnections/curry-sharon-2012-1/
and on http://the-journey-s-in-s.blogspot.com/
January 5, 2012
I just looked at the calendar on my computer in astonishment as I read the date. I wanted to ask the question that I have been asked on a regular basis since I arrived in South Sudan, “Is it really? Are you sure?” I can’t believe it has been only five days since this year began!
If the saying, “So starts the year, so goes the rest” is true, it is going to be one heck of a ride this year. Hang on tight! We are all in for the ride of our lives!Read More »A letter from Sharon Curry in South Sudan
Genesis 1: 1-5
January 8, 2012
St. Stephen Presbyterian Church
Fort Worth, TX
Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch, Preacher
What with the ongoing concerns about the end of the world so often dominating Christian conversation, we often forget that Christianity is not about endings. It’s about beginnings.
Even the so called “end times” are not about endings, per se, but beginnings. The “end times” also known in the Bible as “The Day of the Lord”—in other words, the day when God’s reign, which has always been reality even though we did not see it, is at last officially inaugurated. The “end times” are not the end of the world, as we are often taught—they are the beginning of the new, true world, the new heaven and the new earth.Read More »Beginnings: Baptism of the Lord, 2012
Matthew 1: 18-25
St. Stephen Presbyterian Church
Fort Worth, TX
By Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch
We spend a lot of time celebrating and remembering Mary’s role at Christmas. What about Joseph?
Joseph’s role was simple but powerful. He was supposed to accept responsibility for one of God’s children who was not his own child.Read More »Being Joseph: Christmas Eve, 2011
The Rev. Dr. Laura Mendenhall, Senior Philanthropy Advisor of the Texas Presbyterian Foundation and former President of Columbia Theological Seminary, will be guest preacher on January 22, 2012, when St. Stephen kicks off its three year capital campaign to replace the sanctuary roof and upgrade our HVAC and energy efficiency. There will only be one worship service on January 22nd, at 10:00 a.m., in the main sanctuary, followed by a luncheon in the Parish Hall, prepared by the Capital Campaign Committee.Read More »Mendenhall, Luncheon, Special Time and Special Music, Highlight Capital Campaign Kickoff January 22nd
For the fourth year in a row, St. Stephen celebrated Christmas on the Hill, this year with a Mexican theme. As always, there were food, crafts, people in First Century Palestinian costumes–and more. But what made it unusual was that for the first time, we were forced indoors, into the Parish Hall, because of the rain and cold.
But that didn’t spoil the fun. In fact, it made it more celebratory. There had to have been 300 people in that two hour span.
Who came? We had a lot who came for our first ever Las Posadas, a traditional Spanish and Mexican journey to celebrate Christmas. Read More »Rain Didn’t Spoil Christmas On The Hill!
By Rev. Fritz Ritsch
If you are, or have been, the parent of new baby, you’ve become intensely aware that in most social situations that baby in your arms is a ticking time bomb. Your little bundle of joy could go off at any moment: in the theater, in the supermarket, in the restaurant, even here in church—and people will turn and give you “that look”—the look that means, “What were you thinking, bringing that baby in here?”
When that happens, I’m often reminded of the words of the writer of Psalm 8: “Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.” To the psalmist apparently, this most mundane, even annoying sound is gifted by God with the spiritual power to stave off the danger of terrorists and assassins. The cry of a baby is the ultimate proof that life is more powerful than death. So cry away, babies, and thank you for the blessing you bestow upon us when you enter our doors!Read More »Miracle of the Mundane
