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: Love
The Power of Showing Up
1959. If my mother’s memory is to be trusted, and it usually is, 1959 was when my beloved Uncle Carl—he of blessed memory—first went over to Sweden to meet our Swedish relatives. My mother is 100% Swedish, and apparently, my grandmother had kept in touch with some of her people. And so, my uncle, long…… Continue reading The Power of Showing Up
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
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
When it Comes to Freedom, Prepositions Matter
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Happy Independence Day. Let freedom ring. Are you thinking about freedom today? I’m sure many of us are, and I imagine the word “freedom” generates a wide range of emotions from different people all across our country as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States. What do you…… Continue reading When it Comes to Freedom, Prepositions Matter
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
Faith and Truth
Three vignettes; three perspectives on religion, on faith. Easter Sunday, a retirement village in Gettysburg. The previous chaplain there was Lutheran, and the new chaplain most emphatically is not. His background is Church of God, so he has a much more Pentecostal/Evangelical flavor to his preaching. His sermon consisted of the story of a man who…… Continue reading Faith and Truth
Considering the Animals on Earth Day
Any day is a good day to lift up and celebrate God’s deep relationship with and providential care for the animal kingdom, which is valuable and precious to God in and of itself, not just through God’s relationship with humanity. At the same time, Earth Day is a particularly good day to do this, and…… Continue reading Considering the Animals on Earth Day
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
