“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…
Category: Love
Treasure, and Faith
Members of the Wartburg Seminary community have been writing short daily devotions during the Lenten season, and I have really enjoyed the opportunity to start my morning with these meaningful reflections. Last week, two of my colleagues, Dr. Samantha Gilmore [our preaching professor], and the Rev. Dr. Troy Troftgruben [our New Testament professor] each wrote…… Continue reading Treasure, and Faith
Life without Wonder is not worth Living
sadfgasd Zechariah “Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’” Luke 1:18 Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the great Jewish theologians of the 20th century, once said, “The beginning of our happiness lies in the understanding…… Continue reading Life without Wonder is not worth Living
Weaving the Country Together
Families are on the move–but not for the reasons you might think. People have always moved, of course, and there are many reasons we still do so today: we move to be closer to family, we move for jobs, we move for climate or health reasons, we move for preferences in activities and amenities. However,…… Continue reading Weaving the Country Together
Embodiment at the Parliament
The 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions opened yesterday, and I was pleased to be on a panel with two of my colleagues, Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar and Kris Kvam, on Embodied Justice from a Lutheran perspective. I wanted to share a bit from my presentation, because I think the concept of embodiment is so important for…… Continue reading Embodiment at the Parliament
The 8 Pillars of Joy
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
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
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
Happy Lutheran 