August 2023 During the past few weeks, I’ve spent a fair amount of energy thinking about “wisdom.” That makes sense, of course, because the primary preaching focus this past two weeks, and the next two, is on biblical wisdom literature. One of the things that has struck me is how both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are … [Read more…]
June 2023 One of the more prevalent buzzwords used in present debates and conversations around the ongoing and continuing change in culture and the broader church, especially in academic circles, is “liminal.” The term comes from the Latin word for threshold (limen) and is used to describe the space one enters into when moving from … [Read more…]
April 13, 2023 Friends in Christ, Over the next month we will be engaged as a church in a variety of discussions, presentations, and celebrations of giving and generosity. It wasn’t planned this way, I would say. But rather, a number of intriguing opportunities and events have come together at this point in time.I suspect … [Read more…]
I woke up this morning to another dusting of snow on the ground, which itself is still covered in a foot or more of snowpack from this long winter. But it was bright and sunny outside, so I grabbed a light jacket and headed out to the car to run a few errands. About five … [Read more…]
Loss is indeed our gain The pushing and shoving of the world is endless. We are pushed and shoved.And we do our fair share of pushing and shoving in our great anxiety. And in the middle of that you have set down your beloved suffering son who was like a sheep led to slaughter who opened not his mouth. We seem not … [Read more…]
Friends in Christ, As a Christian and a pastor, I have learned that it is crucial to participate in regular and deep spiritual practices (beyond weekly worship and daily Bible study) as a way to discern God’s movement and call in my life and that of the congregation I serve. Perhaps the most life-giving of … [Read more…]
500 years ago, Northern Europe was essentially an either/or world. You were either Christian (mostly meaning Catholic) or not, either heaven bound or hell bound, either rich or poor, either blessed or forsaken. One of the most striking innovations that marked the Lutheran Reformation was a move from either/or thinking to both/and thinking. And we see this reflected in much of … [Read more…]
Pastoral Reflection, September 23, 2022 One of the most pleasant surprises of moving to Minnesota 14 years ago was the lush richness of the fruit and vegetable growing season and the plentiful bounty of the harvest. I have spent much of my life in areas of the country deeply steeped in agriculture — from Southwest … [Read more…]