Marc Alan Schelske
@marcalanschelske.bsky.social
Life at the intersection of grace & growth. Learning to be a better human. Writer, thinker, pastor (but not like that). Be welcome. he/him
Good morning!
"For those invested in the world system or whose religion is a comforting blanket of self-justification, Jesus’ behavior is disturbing, even threatening . . .
1/6
#GoodTheologySavesLives
"For those invested in the world system or whose religion is a comforting blanket of self-justification, Jesus’ behavior is disturbing, even threatening . . .
1/6
#GoodTheologySavesLives
December 20, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Good morning!
"For those invested in the world system or whose religion is a comforting blanket of self-justification, Jesus’ behavior is disturbing, even threatening . . .
1/6
#GoodTheologySavesLives
"For those invested in the world system or whose religion is a comforting blanket of self-justification, Jesus’ behavior is disturbing, even threatening . . .
1/6
#GoodTheologySavesLives
Good morning.
This morning, I am grateful for Jenai Auman's clear language and wish more of my extended Christian community would understand this implication of their baptism:
1/3
This morning, I am grateful for Jenai Auman's clear language and wish more of my extended Christian community would understand this implication of their baptism:
1/3
December 19, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Good morning.
This morning, I am grateful for Jenai Auman's clear language and wish more of my extended Christian community would understand this implication of their baptism:
1/3
This morning, I am grateful for Jenai Auman's clear language and wish more of my extended Christian community would understand this implication of their baptism:
1/3
Good morning!
Athanasius, writing in the early 4th c., on God's response to human suffering and sin:
“What then was God to do? Or what should be done, except to renew again the 'in the image,' so that through it human beings would be able once again to know him?
1/5
Athanasius, writing in the early 4th c., on God's response to human suffering and sin:
“What then was God to do? Or what should be done, except to renew again the 'in the image,' so that through it human beings would be able once again to know him?
1/5
December 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Good morning!
Athanasius, writing in the early 4th c., on God's response to human suffering and sin:
“What then was God to do? Or what should be done, except to renew again the 'in the image,' so that through it human beings would be able once again to know him?
1/5
Athanasius, writing in the early 4th c., on God's response to human suffering and sin:
“What then was God to do? Or what should be done, except to renew again the 'in the image,' so that through it human beings would be able once again to know him?
1/5
Oh Buttered Toast, why are you lovely?
December 15, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Oh Buttered Toast, why are you lovely?
Good morning.
"Line by line, Jesus upended the disciples’ expectations of God. Serving rather than expecting to be served. Bringing the sinful to the table rather than turning them away. Available to all, rather than only to elevated insiders.
1/4
"Line by line, Jesus upended the disciples’ expectations of God. Serving rather than expecting to be served. Bringing the sinful to the table rather than turning them away. Available to all, rather than only to elevated insiders.
1/4
December 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Good morning.
"Line by line, Jesus upended the disciples’ expectations of God. Serving rather than expecting to be served. Bringing the sinful to the table rather than turning them away. Available to all, rather than only to elevated insiders.
1/4
"Line by line, Jesus upended the disciples’ expectations of God. Serving rather than expecting to be served. Bringing the sinful to the table rather than turning them away. Available to all, rather than only to elevated insiders.
1/4
Good morning.
“If the divinity [of Christ] is true it is certainly terribly revolutionary. That a good man may have his back to the wall is no more than we knew already: but that God could have his back to the wall is a boast for all insurgents forever.
“If the divinity [of Christ] is true it is certainly terribly revolutionary. That a good man may have his back to the wall is no more than we knew already: but that God could have his back to the wall is a boast for all insurgents forever.
December 11, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Good morning.
“If the divinity [of Christ] is true it is certainly terribly revolutionary. That a good man may have his back to the wall is no more than we knew already: but that God could have his back to the wall is a boast for all insurgents forever.
“If the divinity [of Christ] is true it is certainly terribly revolutionary. That a good man may have his back to the wall is no more than we knew already: but that God could have his back to the wall is a boast for all insurgents forever.
Love a book person? Buy them one of mine for Christmas! 6 weeks to a sustainable habit of journaling for spiritual & emotional growth? Or maybe 40 days on following Jesus' other-centered, co-suffering way of love.
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December 10, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Love a book person? Buy them one of mine for Christmas! 6 weeks to a sustainable habit of journaling for spiritual & emotional growth? Or maybe 40 days on following Jesus' other-centered, co-suffering way of love.
1/2
1/2
Great convo with Brent Siddel at the God's Story Podcast, all about Journaling for Spiritual Growth. Brent asks direct questions, gets right to the point, and wraps things up quick! 😂 This isn't one of those 4-hour bantery bro-casts.
open.spotify.com/episode/0lPs...
open.spotify.com/episode/0lPs...
Marc Alan Schelske – Journaling For Spiritual Growth
open.spotify.com
December 10, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Great convo with Brent Siddel at the God's Story Podcast, all about Journaling for Spiritual Growth. Brent asks direct questions, gets right to the point, and wraps things up quick! 😂 This isn't one of those 4-hour bantery bro-casts.
open.spotify.com/episode/0lPs...
open.spotify.com/episode/0lPs...
Good morning.
“It is God who, by a simple act of His will, cleanses you. For what God chooses to make clean not even the great Apostle Peter can condemn or call unclean. For he is told: 'What God has cleansed, do not call unclean' (Acts 10:15). For has not God in His love acquitted us?
1/5
“It is God who, by a simple act of His will, cleanses you. For what God chooses to make clean not even the great Apostle Peter can condemn or call unclean. For he is told: 'What God has cleansed, do not call unclean' (Acts 10:15). For has not God in His love acquitted us?
1/5
December 10, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Good morning.
“It is God who, by a simple act of His will, cleanses you. For what God chooses to make clean not even the great Apostle Peter can condemn or call unclean. For he is told: 'What God has cleansed, do not call unclean' (Acts 10:15). For has not God in His love acquitted us?
1/5
“It is God who, by a simple act of His will, cleanses you. For what God chooses to make clean not even the great Apostle Peter can condemn or call unclean. For he is told: 'What God has cleansed, do not call unclean' (Acts 10:15). For has not God in His love acquitted us?
1/5
Good morning.
“The Trinity cannot be understood outside this liberating context; it is not a theological curiosity with its own intrinsic interest; it is always a reality of communion which redeems us, sets us free and gives us back our humanity enriched and full...
1/2
“The Trinity cannot be understood outside this liberating context; it is not a theological curiosity with its own intrinsic interest; it is always a reality of communion which redeems us, sets us free and gives us back our humanity enriched and full...
1/2
December 8, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Good morning.
“The Trinity cannot be understood outside this liberating context; it is not a theological curiosity with its own intrinsic interest; it is always a reality of communion which redeems us, sets us free and gives us back our humanity enriched and full...
1/2
“The Trinity cannot be understood outside this liberating context; it is not a theological curiosity with its own intrinsic interest; it is always a reality of communion which redeems us, sets us free and gives us back our humanity enriched and full...
1/2
Good morning.
“The cross is many things. One of the revelations of the cross is the divine repudiation of systems that seek to dominate a minority [group] through force. When the powers that be justify their actions with euphemisms like 'appropriate use of force,' the cross calls them to account.”
“The cross is many things. One of the revelations of the cross is the divine repudiation of systems that seek to dominate a minority [group] through force. When the powers that be justify their actions with euphemisms like 'appropriate use of force,' the cross calls them to account.”
December 7, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Good morning.
“The cross is many things. One of the revelations of the cross is the divine repudiation of systems that seek to dominate a minority [group] through force. When the powers that be justify their actions with euphemisms like 'appropriate use of force,' the cross calls them to account.”
“The cross is many things. One of the revelations of the cross is the divine repudiation of systems that seek to dominate a minority [group] through force. When the powers that be justify their actions with euphemisms like 'appropriate use of force,' the cross calls them to account.”
Good morning.
Yesterday, I saw live video of a Gresham police officer telling people who were protesting an ICE abduction to disperse because the ICE agents were “just doing their jobs.” The warrantless abduction was going on in the back of the video.
1/8
Yesterday, I saw live video of a Gresham police officer telling people who were protesting an ICE abduction to disperse because the ICE agents were “just doing their jobs.” The warrantless abduction was going on in the back of the video.
1/8
December 6, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Good morning.
Yesterday, I saw live video of a Gresham police officer telling people who were protesting an ICE abduction to disperse because the ICE agents were “just doing their jobs.” The warrantless abduction was going on in the back of the video.
1/8
Yesterday, I saw live video of a Gresham police officer telling people who were protesting an ICE abduction to disperse because the ICE agents were “just doing their jobs.” The warrantless abduction was going on in the back of the video.
1/8
How can Advent be an act of resistance in this moment of division and rising authoritarianism, when so many of us feel cynical and numb? @rickpidcock.bsky.social has me on his show, Highest Power. A great 30 minutes that I think is worth your time.
highestpower.podbean.com/e/ep80-how-a...
highestpower.podbean.com/e/ep80-how-a...
December 5, 2025 at 5:22 PM
How can Advent be an act of resistance in this moment of division and rising authoritarianism, when so many of us feel cynical and numb? @rickpidcock.bsky.social has me on his show, Highest Power. A great 30 minutes that I think is worth your time.
highestpower.podbean.com/e/ep80-how-a...
highestpower.podbean.com/e/ep80-how-a...
Good morning.
“Protect the weak. For Christians, this is not about self-preservation in the long run. It is about following Jesus, who went to the outcasts, and died as one. It is a commitment to remain with those who suffer and to embrace the suffering that might come with it . . .
1/3
“Protect the weak. For Christians, this is not about self-preservation in the long run. It is about following Jesus, who went to the outcasts, and died as one. It is a commitment to remain with those who suffer and to embrace the suffering that might come with it . . .
1/3
December 5, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Good morning.
“Protect the weak. For Christians, this is not about self-preservation in the long run. It is about following Jesus, who went to the outcasts, and died as one. It is a commitment to remain with those who suffer and to embrace the suffering that might come with it . . .
1/3
“Protect the weak. For Christians, this is not about self-preservation in the long run. It is about following Jesus, who went to the outcasts, and died as one. It is a commitment to remain with those who suffer and to embrace the suffering that might come with it . . .
1/3
Good morning.
“You will have to distinguish all the things: God from idols, faith from ideology, violence from true power, the quiet of fear from true peace, noise from threat. The differences are clear for those who keep their eyes on the cross…
1/3
“You will have to distinguish all the things: God from idols, faith from ideology, violence from true power, the quiet of fear from true peace, noise from threat. The differences are clear for those who keep their eyes on the cross…
1/3
December 4, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Good morning.
“You will have to distinguish all the things: God from idols, faith from ideology, violence from true power, the quiet of fear from true peace, noise from threat. The differences are clear for those who keep their eyes on the cross…
1/3
“You will have to distinguish all the things: God from idols, faith from ideology, violence from true power, the quiet of fear from true peace, noise from threat. The differences are clear for those who keep their eyes on the cross…
1/3
Good morning!
Wisdom about the overwhelm of events: “The storm is not an illusion; its dangers are real. Even so, it is also a distraction. No one can pay attention to all the things all the time. The highest waves raise your alarms— and may hide more inconspicuous but forceful blows.
1/3
Wisdom about the overwhelm of events: “The storm is not an illusion; its dangers are real. Even so, it is also a distraction. No one can pay attention to all the things all the time. The highest waves raise your alarms— and may hide more inconspicuous but forceful blows.
1/3
December 3, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Good morning!
Wisdom about the overwhelm of events: “The storm is not an illusion; its dangers are real. Even so, it is also a distraction. No one can pay attention to all the things all the time. The highest waves raise your alarms— and may hide more inconspicuous but forceful blows.
1/3
Wisdom about the overwhelm of events: “The storm is not an illusion; its dangers are real. Even so, it is also a distraction. No one can pay attention to all the things all the time. The highest waves raise your alarms— and may hide more inconspicuous but forceful blows.
1/3
Curtain opens on me, logging into my bank’s website.
My phone: *ding*
Me: Ooh! Who is texting me! 🧐
And scene.
My phone: *ding*
Me: Ooh! Who is texting me! 🧐
And scene.
December 3, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Curtain opens on me, logging into my bank’s website.
My phone: *ding*
Me: Ooh! Who is texting me! 🧐
And scene.
My phone: *ding*
Me: Ooh! Who is texting me! 🧐
And scene.
Good morning.
“Christ is with us, Christ is for us, and in Christ we are a new creation.”
(Spoiler Alert: The "Us" is all of us. Humanity. Everyone.)
“Christ is with us, Christ is for us, and in Christ we are a new creation.”
(Spoiler Alert: The "Us" is all of us. Humanity. Everyone.)
December 1, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Good morning.
“Christ is with us, Christ is for us, and in Christ we are a new creation.”
(Spoiler Alert: The "Us" is all of us. Humanity. Everyone.)
“Christ is with us, Christ is for us, and in Christ we are a new creation.”
(Spoiler Alert: The "Us" is all of us. Humanity. Everyone.)
Good morning.
“At the common table of bread and wine, prejudice, intolerance, and alienation are to pass away. The God whom we love and adore is in communion with everything and everyone. We do not love God by Godself, but in loving God we embrace all creatures, past, present, and future.
1/3
“At the common table of bread and wine, prejudice, intolerance, and alienation are to pass away. The God whom we love and adore is in communion with everything and everyone. We do not love God by Godself, but in loving God we embrace all creatures, past, present, and future.
1/3
November 29, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Good morning.
“At the common table of bread and wine, prejudice, intolerance, and alienation are to pass away. The God whom we love and adore is in communion with everything and everyone. We do not love God by Godself, but in loving God we embrace all creatures, past, present, and future.
1/3
“At the common table of bread and wine, prejudice, intolerance, and alienation are to pass away. The God whom we love and adore is in communion with everything and everyone. We do not love God by Godself, but in loving God we embrace all creatures, past, present, and future.
1/3
Good morning.
The cross is "counterintuitive, countercultural, counter-imperial." American imperial Christianity is not an improvement over Roman imperial Christianity. All Imperial Christianity is anti-Christ.
1/5
The cross is "counterintuitive, countercultural, counter-imperial." American imperial Christianity is not an improvement over Roman imperial Christianity. All Imperial Christianity is anti-Christ.
1/5
November 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Good morning.
The cross is "counterintuitive, countercultural, counter-imperial." American imperial Christianity is not an improvement over Roman imperial Christianity. All Imperial Christianity is anti-Christ.
1/5
The cross is "counterintuitive, countercultural, counter-imperial." American imperial Christianity is not an improvement over Roman imperial Christianity. All Imperial Christianity is anti-Christ.
1/5
Good morning.
"The church of Jesus Christ must make nonviolence a more central dimension of its life and teaching and a central corollary of its creedal affirmation that God raised the crucified Jesus from the dead, thereby ending the case for violence as the modus operandi of God and...
1/4
"The church of Jesus Christ must make nonviolence a more central dimension of its life and teaching and a central corollary of its creedal affirmation that God raised the crucified Jesus from the dead, thereby ending the case for violence as the modus operandi of God and...
1/4
November 21, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Good morning.
"The church of Jesus Christ must make nonviolence a more central dimension of its life and teaching and a central corollary of its creedal affirmation that God raised the crucified Jesus from the dead, thereby ending the case for violence as the modus operandi of God and...
1/4
"The church of Jesus Christ must make nonviolence a more central dimension of its life and teaching and a central corollary of its creedal affirmation that God raised the crucified Jesus from the dead, thereby ending the case for violence as the modus operandi of God and...
1/4
Worth your time as we approach Christ the King Sunday. Written by Pastor Elle Dowd.
elledowd.com/2018/11/25/a...
elledowd.com/2018/11/25/a...
An Anti-Fascist Sermon for Reign of Christ Sunday
Originally preached on November 25, 2018 at Holy Family Lutheran Church. Relevant lectionary readings here. Watch or listen to video here. Grace and Peace are yours from the Triune God, whose etern…
elledowd.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Worth your time as we approach Christ the King Sunday. Written by Pastor Elle Dowd.
elledowd.com/2018/11/25/a...
elledowd.com/2018/11/25/a...
Good morning!
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, of his boundless love, became what we are that he might make us what he himself is.”
- Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5, trans. John Anthony McGuckin.
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, of his boundless love, became what we are that he might make us what he himself is.”
- Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5, trans. John Anthony McGuckin.
November 20, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Good morning!
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, of his boundless love, became what we are that he might make us what he himself is.”
- Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5, trans. John Anthony McGuckin.
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, of his boundless love, became what we are that he might make us what he himself is.”
- Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5, trans. John Anthony McGuckin.
Good morning.
“If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of Him.”
1/3
“If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of Him.”
1/3
November 19, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Good morning.
“If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of Him.”
1/3
“If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of Him.”
1/3
Good morning.
For churches that follow the liturgical calendar, this week marks the end of the liturgical year with Christ the King Sunday. This is one of the latest feasts to be added to the ancient church year.
1/6
For churches that follow the liturgical calendar, this week marks the end of the liturgical year with Christ the King Sunday. This is one of the latest feasts to be added to the ancient church year.
1/6
November 18, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Good morning.
For churches that follow the liturgical calendar, this week marks the end of the liturgical year with Christ the King Sunday. This is one of the latest feasts to be added to the ancient church year.
1/6
For churches that follow the liturgical calendar, this week marks the end of the liturgical year with Christ the King Sunday. This is one of the latest feasts to be added to the ancient church year.
1/6