Remember Your StarWord
Remember that Sunday in January? When I asked you all to pick up a star and on it was your very own StarWord? I’m wondering how it’s going. Because that word was meant just for you. The Spirit worked through a small piece of paper so that you might be aware of God’s...
Love Is…
When I was younger, my Bona (grandma) always had one of those “ Love Is … ” cartoon strips found in the newspaper, taped to her fridge. They were usually ones my Bapa (grandpa) had cut out for her so she knew how much he loved her. Although I don’t remember those...
Understanding Our Muslim Neighbors
April 10-May 15, 9:45am in the Community Center I don’t know about you, but I often feel Christians are misrepresented in the media, especially when certain public figures become representatives of “all Christians.” Could you imagine being a Muslim in the United...
BElong – BEhave – BElieve
A New Approach to Confirmation No two years have ever been alike in Confirmation ministry. Kids change, leaders change, the world changes. This year, however, we have been experimenting with the most significant changes since I’ve taught Confirmation. First, let me...
From the Heart
“Healer of our every ill, light of each tomorrow, give us peace beyond our fear, and hope beyond our sorrow.”—ELW 612 Many of you have been asking, “How are you?” This isn’t always a quick and easy answer and sometimes I do say, “I’m doing just fine.” As most of you...
Thank You, President Ted
Ted is a hunter. He loves to go out into the great outdoors, bask in God’s glorious nature, and hopefully snag his family a deer or elk to grace both their dining room table with meat and the wall above his front door with a taxidermy head. And surprisingly, this...
Your Second Birth is Like Your First
One of these years, our newborn, Emet, is going to realize he had no choice in his parents. He didn’t pick a time, place, or birth story. He has yet to decide when he will eat or when he will get his diaper changed, although he has effective ways to communicate his...
Love this February
“My song is love unknown, my Savior’s love to me, love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be. Oh, who am I that for my sake my Lord should take frail flesh and die?” — ELW 343 You may have heard that in Inuit (who some call “Eskimo”), there are 50 words for...
On the Way
Rock star Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz Weber wrote recently in her blog (and I very loosely paraphrase) that she always tells people in her new member classes that if they are there for her wit, her wisdom, her stardom, they won’t be there for long. Because sooner or...
A New January Endeavor
I have had two big dreams for ministry. The first is families switching kids during worship — I don’t see that happening anytime soon. The second, however, is about to come to fruition. The second involves everyone: families, individuals, pastors, those who are home...
The Truth About Emet
When people asked what our newborn’s name would be, sometimes I shared a riddle: “It’s a biblical name, but it’s not a name, I’m telling you the truth.” Emet is the Hebrew (Old Testament) word for “truth.” This three letter word is made up of the first, middle, and...
Our Advent Journey
As the dark awaits the dawn, so we await your light. O star of promise, scatter night, loving bright, loving bright, till shades of fear are gone. -ELW 261 “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” -Yoda...