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.

Palm Sunday: Preparation to Celebration [Luke 19:29-34]

Posted in Bible, Easter, Grief, Holy Week, Hope, Imagination, Jesus, Lent, Religion, Scripture, TheologyLeave a comment

“When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you,…… Continue reading Palm Sunday: Preparation to Celebration [Luke 19:29-34]

Think of your Neighbor

Posted in Ethics, Hope, Imagination, Jesus, Life and Living, Love, Religion, Scripture, Social Issues, Social Justice, Theology1 Comment

Like many of my colleagues, I have been feeling a strong sense of whiplash these past few months. If you work at a college, university or seminary, maybe you have been feeling that way, too. All of us in higher education, including those of us in theological education, have been struggling to stay abreast of…… Continue reading Think of your Neighbor

The Legacy of the Celtic Church

Posted in Church, Creation, Imagination, Jesus, Life and Living, Nature, Religion, TheologyLeave a comment

There are many streams that make up the great coursing river of Christianity that ebbs and flows throughout the entire world. The streams all have their source in Jesus Christ, of course, but their shape, taste, depth, and breath all vary, flavored and colored by their different histories and geographies. But as they come together,…… Continue reading The Legacy of the Celtic Church

Fervor in the Face of Futility

Posted in Animals, Creation, Creativity, Environment, Ethics, Hope, Imagination, Life and Living, Love, Nature, Science, Social IssuesLeave a comment

I wanted to share some reflections from an article in the recent issue of The New Yorker. The title of the article was “Helicopter Parents” (by Nick Paumgarten), and from the title alone, I imagine the same topic jumped into your mind as it did into mine: those human parents who hover over their children,…… Continue reading Fervor in the Face of Futility

Prayer and Justice

Posted in Bible, Bodies, Books, Consumerism, Creation, Ethics, Hope, Life and Living, Religion, Scripture, Social Issues, Social Justice, TheologyLeave a comment

Walter Brueggemann is one of my favorite Old Testament scholars, primarily because I am not an Old Testament scholar! I find his writing very accessible, very interesting, and always thought-provoking and generative. I just finished a recent book of essays, Truth and Hope: Essays for a Perilous Age. As the title suggests, the chapters are…… Continue reading Prayer and Justice

Remember Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posted in Ethics, History, Hope, Life and Living, Love, Politics, Racism, Social Issues, Social Justice, Theology1 Comment

Given that today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, perhaps you might have imagined that this post would be titled, “Remembering” MLK–you know, looking back and celebrating who he was and all he accomplished. But, that is not what I want to do today, January 20th, 2025. Today, I want to invite us to look…… Continue reading Remember Martin Luther King, Jr.