So, Monday was kind of a rough day. For no good reason, really–except irrational optimism–I was really counting on a little loosening of restrictions next week, and so when I heard that Gettysburg is not in the first set of counties being moved to “yellow” in Pennsylvania I was really disappointed, and a little depressed.…… Continue reading Grief in a Time of Pandemic
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.
Earth Day 2020: In Gratitude
Today, on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and in a time of COVID-19, I am giving thanks for the body of the earth with a new sense of gratitude and deep appreciation. As I have said before, I am finding this new world of social distancing, self-isolation, and face masks very alien and challenging…… Continue reading Earth Day 2020: In Gratitude
Read This: The Book of Joy
I just finished a really great book that I would like to share with you, not only because it would be a great read at any time, but in the midst of this pandemic, I would almost define it as necessary. The title is The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, and…… Continue reading Read This: The Book of Joy
Two Things Can be True at Once
How are you doing? If you ask me that question, I have two very different answers, both of which are true. The first one is that I am fine, and I have much to be thankful for: my health is good, and so is the health of my family; I have a safe home and…… Continue reading Two Things Can be True at Once
"Reach out with your Heart"
A friend of mine [thank you, Janelle!] shared this poem with me, and I loved it. I hope you love it, too! Stay safe and be well. “Pandemic” What if you thought of itas the Jews consider the Sabbath—the most sacred of times?Cease from travel.Cease from buying and selling.Give up, just for now,on trying to…… Continue reading "Reach out with your Heart"
Lenten Thoughts on Judas
So, in case you are ready to read something that is NOT about the Coronavirus, I have a quick recommendation. I don’t usually read graphic novels, but I have a very strong theological interest in Judas (basically, I think Judas is the exemplar of salvation in Jesus Christ—if he isn’t saved, none of us are).…… Continue reading Lenten Thoughts on Judas
Keep Calm and Breathe Peace
On Wednesday’s edition of “The Writer’s Almanac,” Garrison Keillor informed us that on Wednesday, March 11th, 1918, the first cases of what would become the influenza pandemic were reported in the US—107 soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas got sick. As we have been reminded multiple times in the past weeks, that was the worst pandemic…… Continue reading Keep Calm and Breathe Peace
Lent and Loving
Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Liturgical Season of Lent; this is a time that the Catholic Church and most mainline Protestant Churches commemorate as a time of repentance and spiritual reflection leading up to the joyous season of Easter. In my Lenten Devotional this year, “Pauses for Lent,” I have…… Continue reading Lent and Loving
Ash Wednesday & (Cosmic) Dust
It was a very fortuitous circumstance that today, Ash Wednesday, my feminist theologies class was finishing up Ask the Beasts, by Elizabeth Johnson. This is a lyrical, prophetic text, in which Johnson makes a compelling argument that care for creation belongs at the heart of Christian faith, and that God Herself is deeply present in…… Continue reading Ash Wednesday & (Cosmic) Dust
Dig into Black History Month
You probably know that February is Black History Month; have you ever thought about why we do that—you know, declare a month to be about something? The reality is, of course, that every month should be Black History Month—if that means learning something about and caring about black history. But, the fact is that in…… Continue reading Dig into Black History Month
Happy Lutheran 