The Blessing of the Animals service was today–it is one of my favorite services of the year. I chose to do something a little different for this year’s sermon, and I wanted to share it. I hope you like it. “Apprehend God in all things, for God is in all things. Every single creature is…… Continue reading The Feast of St. Francis
Category: Bodies
The Awakened Brain
I just finished a really interesting book and I want to share it; I hope you find it interesting, too—and maybe it will even inspire you to look at the world (and yourself) a little differently. The title of the book is The Awakened Brain, by Lisa Miller. Dr Miller is Professor of Psychology at…… Continue reading The Awakened Brain
Going Deeper with the Feast of Creation
For our opening worship this academic year, we commemorated a new liturgical festival: the Festival of Creation in Christ Sunday, or, more simply, the Feast of Creation. It is meant to be celebrated every year on the first Sunday in September, to praise God our creator, and to inspire care for God’s creation. This commemoration…… Continue reading Going Deeper with the Feast of Creation
Good News in the Book of Job
I don’t often preach on Job, but I did last week; the text was extended sections of chapters 36 & 37, the last chapters before God speaks to Job out of the whirlwind. I appreciated the opportunity to wrestle with a challenging text, a challenging book, and be reminded that good news can come even…… Continue reading Good News in the Book of Job
A Reminder of Our Worth
Last week, I attended my first Women of the ELCA [WELCA] triennial gathering, the theme of which was: i am worthy To be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect. I certainly had an idea–or, better said, a stereotype–and in my head, I imagined hundreds of 70-year-old white quilters, mostly from the Midwest. And,…… Continue reading A Reminder of Our Worth
Weavers of Hope
The Pope’s Two Building Projects “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone…… Continue reading Weavers of Hope
Being Held to Christ’s Bosom
Karoline Lewis, professor at Luther Seminary and a great lover of John’s Gospel, was the speaker at the Large Church pastors gathering a few weeks ago, and she shared something in her presentation that really struck me, and I wanted to share it, especially as another academic year has come to a close and this…… Continue reading Being Held to Christ’s Bosom
A Thought for Judas
Today is Good Friday. And, as always today, I am thinking of Judas. I have both written and preached about Judas before, and I have a heartfelt theological interpretation about him that always surfaces today in particular, but it actually informs much of my theological understanding of salvation in its entirety. There is a medieval…… Continue reading A Thought for Judas
Our Lady of Guadalupe
A sermon delivered at Wartburg Seminary, on the commemoration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I invite you to reflect on the image above as a focal point for the sermon: “The Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe,” by Yolanda López. López imagines Mary as a vibrant, energetic woman of strength, determination and…… Continue reading Our Lady of Guadalupe
Thankful for one’s wild and precious life
Photo by Eusebiu Soica on Pexels.com Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Surely, you have heard this question before. Perhaps in a sermon, perhaps you read it in a book, or perhaps you came across it in a TED talk, or some other presentation. Or,…… Continue reading Thankful for one’s wild and precious life
