I have written about The Book of Joy before, because I love it so much. Really, if you haven’t read it, I so strongly recommend it–for anyone, not just if you are religious. It is a book for people who love themselves, the world, and other people–and want to live more fully into a disposition…… Continue reading The 8 Pillars of Joy
Category: Jesus
God is Resurrecting the Church
I want to share a modified version of my opening devotion from the Wartburg Seminary board meeting, and the metaphor I have been thinking about for some time: “God is resurrecting the church.” I start this post with some verses from 1 Corinthians 15: 35 But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what…… Continue reading God is Resurrecting the Church
“Deaths of Despair” and Social Isolation
I used to write a blog post after most mass shootings, but I stopped that practice some time ago when, tragically, they started to become so regularized. How many times can you bemoan the ease of obtaining a gun, the ignoring of warning signs, increasing violence and the normalization of these shootings? I felt at…… Continue reading “Deaths of Despair” and Social Isolation
Unto You, a Savior is Born
Christmas is a labor of love, is it not? So much had to be done to get us to today—either by you, or by others: a tree was selected and cut, purchased and brought home, set up and decorated; lights were hung, decorations were placed; cards were written and mailed; food—mountains of food—was shopped for,…… Continue reading Unto You, a Savior is Born
Reflections from the Augustana Hochschule
I am back in Neuendettelsau at the Augustana Hochschule, where I studied for a year as an exchange student from Wartburg Seminary during the academic year 1994-1995. Before this trip, I had only been back to Neuendettelsau one time since then, and I hadn’t really spent any time in the Augustana itself. So, it is…… Continue reading Reflections from the Augustana Hochschule
Commemorating Trans Awareness Week
Today in chapel we commemorated Trans Awareness week, and our new homiletics professor, Sam Gilmore (who is fabulous, by the way–we are so blessed to have her here at Wartburg), preached a fantastic sermon. I’d like to share just a few reflections from it. The text was Matthew 23:37–24:14, the passage where Jesus laments over…… Continue reading Commemorating Trans Awareness Week
Remembering the Saints
There are many reasons to get up on a Sunday morning and come to church: seeing our friends and sharing in community, hearing and singing beautiful hymns, and, of course, being fed by Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament. In addition to all of these, another reason that I love coming to church is the…… Continue reading Remembering the Saints
Abundant Life as an Integrated Life
“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” I wanted to share some reflections from a homily I gave at our most recent faculty retreat, and share a book recommendation in the process. I’m starting with this declaration from Jesus in John 10: “I came that they may have life, and have…… Continue reading Abundant Life as an Integrated Life
A Rhetoric of Love
Regardless of what the old adage about sticks and stones tells us, we all know how much words matter, and how much they can both hurt and heal. A cruel word can stay with us for years, even decades, especially when it is repeated, perhaps by a parent or a spouse. And an encouraging word…… Continue reading A Rhetoric of Love
New Life—Christ’s & Ours, Really
Make no mistake: if he rose at allIt was as His body;If the cell’s dissolution did not reverse, the molecule reknit,The amino acids rekindle,The Church will fall. It was not as the flowers,Each soft spring recurrent;It was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddled eyes of theEleven apostles;It was as His flesh; ours.…… Continue reading New Life—Christ’s & Ours, Really
Happy Lutheran 