Last week, one of my students brought to my attention a really interesting article from the Washington Post, titled “Colin Kaepernick vs. Tim Tebow: A tale of two Christians on their knees.” [Find it here: Tebow and Kaepernick]. It was written in light of the current practice of NFL players taking a knee during the…… Continue reading The “Wrong” Kind of Christian
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.
Yom Kippur, Elie Wiesel & Martin Luther
Saturday, September 30th, 2017 Today is Yom Kippur, the final day of the Jewish High Holidays, which began last Wednesday with Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in Judaism, the day when Jews are closest to God and to the heart of their own being. It is a day spent…… Continue reading Yom Kippur, Elie Wiesel & Martin Luther
Atelic Activity and the Sabbath
I have been thinking quite a bit about this article that I read recently in The New York Times: The Problem of Living in the Present It is very interesting, as it describes how we spend our time, and how we think about our activities. Specifically, it contrasts “telic” activities with “atelic” activities. “Telic” activities have a…… Continue reading Atelic Activity and the Sabbath
Making Family from Love
Today, September 5th, is my adoption day—it’s the day I was received into my family. I have always known I was adopted, and the story was always told to me with lots of love and detail: my mother remembers the dress she was wearing, that I spit up on her shoulder, and how it felt…… Continue reading Making Family from Love
In the Afterglow of the Eclipse
I was more excited than perhaps was justifiable about the eclipse yesterday, but apparently, I wasn’t alone. When I read this story today in The New York Times somehow it just made me so happy–and I felt vindicated. [Find it here: Unity and Enlightenment in Solar Show] Thousands and thousands of people all over…… Continue reading In the Afterglow of the Eclipse
We Need a Bigger Boat
A few days ago, I went searching on The New York Times website because I wanted to see what happened in the no-confidence vote that took place in South Africa against President Jacob Zuma. [He survived, by a National Assembly vote of 198 to 177]. In pulling up the “World” section, I stumbled across…… Continue reading We Need a Bigger Boat
Dan and Dave: More than a Moment
If you are old enough to remember the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, then you are old enough to remember Dan&Dave–said as all one word, as Reebok surely intended. Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson were, at that time, the two greatest athletes in the world, if you measure such things by performance in the decathlon. This…… Continue reading Dan and Dave: More than a Moment
Photo Ark, Part II
So, this is the second time I have written about the Photo Ark–the first time was back when I saw the exhibit at the National Geographic Museum in Washington DC; that was in January of 2016. Last night, there was a special on the project on TV, “Rare Creatures of the Photo Ark,” and…… Continue reading Photo Ark, Part II
Women’s Bodies, Hunger & Roxane Gay
One of the best parts of vacation is the extra time I have for pleasure reading; and this trip I brought along two books by Roxane Gay. It isn’t quite right to call reading them “pleasure”–they both were hard to read, especially Hunger, but they both were definitely worth the time and effort. Mostly I want…… Continue reading Women’s Bodies, Hunger & Roxane Gay
July 4th: Rwandan Liberation Day
Happy Fourth of July! I hope you are enjoying a great day with barbecue, fireworks, family and friends. I have happy memories of this day from childhood: my brother loved setting off fireworks, and he always had a choreographed performance for us on the back porch, before we climbed up on the roof to watch the big…… Continue reading July 4th: Rwandan Liberation Day
Happy Lutheran 