Author: happylutheran

I am the president at Wartburg Theological Seminary, my beloved alma mater. I am an inveterate optimist, runner, vegetarian, and harp player. I love Mary Oliver and Gerard Manley Hopkins, and like them, I'm continually delighted by all the surprising and wonderful ways God shows up in the world.

Commemorating Juneteenth

Posted in Africa, Bible, History, Hope, Imagination, Life and Living, Racism, Religion, Scripture, Social Issues, Social Justice2 Comments

Juneteenth celebrated the proclamation issued to enslaved African Americans by Union general Gordon Granger, in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, that they were free, and the Civil War had ended. General Granger’s announcement put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued nearly two and a half years earlier. From the website http://www.juneteenth.com:…… Continue reading Commemorating Juneteenth

The Caterpiller into the Butterfly

Posted in Animals, Church, Creativity, Easter, Hope, Imagination, Life and LivingLeave a comment

Photo by Chris F on Pexels.com “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, [God] calls a butterfly.” ~ Richard Bach.  I was in a nail salon last week [where there was quite a profusion of Christian-themed messages, by the way], and this quote was displayed in a little frame in the window. I actually hadn’t…… Continue reading The Caterpiller into the Butterfly

Truth & Healing, and Indian Boarding Schools

Posted in Bodies, Ethics, Grief, History, Life and Living, Politics, Racism, Religion, Social Issues, Social Justice, Suffering, Violence2 Comments

Those in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America might be aware that the Church has just launched a new movement, the “Truth and Healing Movement,” which intends to support the work of the ELCA to explore the “true history and current realities of Indigenous people.” Find more about it here: https://elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Ethnic-Specific-and-Multicultural-Ministries/Indigenous-Ministries-and-Tribal-Relations/Truth-and-Healing-Movement Included in this movement…… Continue reading Truth & Healing, and Indian Boarding Schools

The 8 Pillars of Joy

Posted in Books, Buddhism, Forgiveness, History, Hope, Imagination, Jesus, Life and Living, Love, Politics, Relationships, Religion, Social Justice, South Africa1 Comment

I have written about The Book of Joy before, because I love it so much. Really, if you haven’t read it, I so strongly recommend it–for anyone, not just if you are religious. It is a book for people who love themselves, the world, and other people–and want to live more fully into a disposition…… Continue reading The 8 Pillars of Joy

Jesus, No Respecter of Locked Doors

Posted in Church, Easter, Forgiveness, Hope, Incarnation, Life and Living, Scripture, Theology1 Comment

Jesus is no respecter of locked doors. That was the heart of the fantastic sermon that our homiletics professor, Sam Gilmore, preached this morning in chapel. This weekend, we welcomed to Wartburg a group of prospective students who are discerning a call to public ministry, and listening for how God might be calling them to…… Continue reading Jesus, No Respecter of Locked Doors

A Cultural & Spiritual Transformation

Posted in Animals, Church, Consumerism, Creation, Environment, Ethics, Hope, Life and Living, ScienceLeave a comment

A week or so ago, I attended a presentation a colleague of mine gave on a grant project she will be leading in the next three years, on environmental education with the Maasai, using the system of Lutheran schools and confirmation classes. It is a great project, with the following components: Decolonizing climate science messaging…… Continue reading A Cultural & Spiritual Transformation