I love the Olympics, especially the Summer Olympics. Certainly, I love the classics. Soccer? Obviously. Track and field? Top of my list. Gymnastics? Always, especially this year, with Simone Biles performing. Swimming? I’m in. And I also love the crazy sports that I only watch every four years: Synchronized swimming? Absolutely. Rhythicmic gymnastics? Gorgeous. Speed…… Continue reading Celebrating the Olympic “Village”
Category: Life and Living
Well done, Good and Faithful Servant
I admit, I’m not a fan of politics. Especially in the last 10 years or so, I find the rhetoric inflammatory and toxic, with much less substance and many more personal attacks and caricatures. I know not all politicians individually are like this, but the political climate certainly doesn’t seem to bring out the best…… Continue reading Well done, Good and Faithful Servant
A Bad Idea…
“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Paul (Romans 7:19) “I should probably, probably not.” Olivia Rodrigo I’m not a huge Olivia Rodrigo fan, but I definitely like some of her more upbeat songs for my running playlists. One of…… Continue reading A Bad Idea…
Remembering Jűrgen Moltmann
I wanted to share a brief in memoriam and thanks be to God for the life and theology of Jűrgen Moltmann, who entered into the church triumphant on June 3, 2024 at the age of 98. Moltmann was an extraordinarily influential theologian on Lutheran Churches all around the world, and that includes several generations of…… Continue reading Remembering Jűrgen Moltmann
Whisper, “found.”
As I was skimming one of my favorite book of meditations and prayers yesterday, I found a lovely prayer by Rev. Emmy Kegler. It is called “For All the So-Called Lost,” and it is a reflection on Luke 15:8: “And what woman, if she had ten coins and lost one, wouldn’t light a lamp, and…… Continue reading Whisper, “found.”
Jesus & John Wayne
This book came highly recommended by several colleagues, so I finally got around to reading it. I see what the fuss is all about. The thesis is clear and straightforward: for more than a century a significant percentage of white evangelicals (especially men) have been cultivating a toxic “militant Christian masculinity” that has corrupted American…… Continue reading Jesus & John Wayne
Why We Need the Church
I just finished a really interesting article that was published in The Atlantic on April 3, 2024. [You might be able to read it here: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/04/america-religion-decline-non-affiliated/677951/%5D We are reading it for our upcoming board meeting, and it is really thought-provoking. The title is “The True Cost of the Churchgoing Bust.” The author, Derek Thompson, is…… Continue reading Why We Need the Church
Christian Hope
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”Romans 15:13 This is the verse that the Wartburg Theological Seminary Class of 2024 chose as their verse, and so it was the verse that grounded the “charge”…… Continue reading Christian Hope
Learning Disruption
Disruption is hard. Many of us, as we continue to learn how to interrupt behaviors that are toxic and situations that are negative or harmful, recognize how challenging it is to take a pause, call timeout, or disrupt the flow. We don’t want to call attention to ourselves, we don’t want to embarrass others, we…… Continue reading Learning Disruption
Between Confidence and Fear: the Risen Christ
At dawn on that first Easter morning, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb with spices to anoint Jesus’ body. There was just one problem: an enormous stone was blocking their way. There was no way they were going to be able to roll away that stone, and they…… Continue reading Between Confidence and Fear: the Risen Christ
Happy Lutheran 