My Easter celebration was really wonderful this year. I lead Triduum services with John that included a fabulous Easter vigil with the participation of both college and seminary students. I always find the Great Three Days a very meaningful experience, and this year was no exception. Then, I attended a fabulous Easter morning service, with…… Continue reading Easter Joy and Easter Tragedy
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.
Practical Lessons from the Gay Rights Movement
So, I listened to this really interesting podcast yesterday, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I wanted to share it and invite you to listen, too. (Listen to it here: https://www.npr.org/2019/04/03/709567750/radically-normal-how-gay-rights-activists-changed-the-minds-of-their-opponents). It’s about gay rights, and it discusses the fact that, in the United States, there has been a relatively rapid change in both…… Continue reading Practical Lessons from the Gay Rights Movement
The Danger of Silence
Here we are, again. Once again, we find ourselves in a place we have been all too many times before, and only too recently. Here we are, again, mourning the tragic, senseless loss of life in a mass shooting. This time, at a mosque. Last time at a synagogue, and before that, at a church, and…… Continue reading The Danger of Silence
The Light of International Women’s Day
Happy International Women’s Day! All day I have been thinking about all the beautiful, smart, talented women who surround me–and have surrounded me–and I have been feeling blessed and empowered to stand among them. In that spirit, my thoughts and heart were lifted today as seminarian Tamika Jancewicz led a really wonderful chapel service…… Continue reading The Light of International Women’s Day
Women, Religion, Violence and Power
The title of this blog post is the subtitle of Jimmy Carter’s latest book (well, unless he has cranked out another one in the last year or two–which wouldn’t surprise me!), A Call to Action. It came out in 2014, and mine is autographed–I will always wait in line for Jimmy Carter! I finally got…… Continue reading Women, Religion, Violence and Power
Why Talk about Sin?
So, what are your views on “sin”? Much of how you might answer that question depends on your background–how you raised, and whether you were raised as a Christian (or Jew or Muslim), and what kind. I have written about sin before, but I was prompted to do so again by this article in The New…… Continue reading Why Talk about Sin?
Rest in Peace, Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver died today, at the age of 83 [read about it here: Mary Oliver Obituary], and the day has been diminished; the world, in fact, has been slightly diminished. If you know anything about me at all, and have read any of my work, you know how much I love Mary Oliver. I have more…… Continue reading Rest in Peace, Mary Oliver
Choosing Creation in 2019
This is a belated New Year’s blog post, because I was on a plane New Year’s Eve, flying to see our Swedish relatives. I had a great time, and it was a wonderful way to start the new year. However, I’m definitely one of those people who likes to use the beginning of a…… Continue reading Choosing Creation in 2019
Advent Thoughts on Running the Race
So, I have another reflection from my Advent devotional; this time on Hebrews 12:1-3: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the…… Continue reading Advent Thoughts on Running the Race
Thoughts on the Beginning of Advent
I am so excited that Advent is finally here; it really is my favorite time of year. Of course, some of this is because of the secular [read: commercial] Christmas season that started with Thanksgiving, really. I can’t help myself: I love decorating the house, writing Christmas cards, shopping for presents, baking, etc., etc.; and…… Continue reading Thoughts on the Beginning of Advent
Happy Lutheran 