I want to offer a brief reflection on a great sermon that my colleague Sam preached in chapel yesterday on Jonah 3:1-10. It was a perfect sermon for the Lenten season, as we reflect on our own relationship with God and with others, repenting of where we have sinned and fallen short. Here is the…… Continue reading We Are All Jonah
Category: Religion
A Sermon on the Sheep & the Goats
Photo by Anil Sharma on Pexels.com A sermon on Matthew 25:31-46; the sheep and the goats. One of the gifts of the lectionary is that, often, we who preach, teach and study Scripture are brought into uncomfortable proximity with texts that challenge our understanding of the gospel and Christian discipleship. It is a gift, but…… Continue reading A Sermon on the Sheep & the Goats
Presence. Connections. Sharing Stories.
I had a really wonderful experience last weekend that managed to be both wonderfully uplifting and break my heart a little bit. I was privileged to be able to represent Wartburg Seminary at the consecration of the new bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy land, Bishop Imad Haddad (pictured above).…… Continue reading Presence. Connections. Sharing Stories.
Christmas Day: Love has Come!
Photo by Daniel Reche on Pexels.com The Christmas Day service is my favorite service of the year, and I love that we host a Christmas service at Wartburg Seminary. I preached this year, and in my sermon I emphasized the gift of God’s radical and unconditional love and grace that comes to us in Jesus…… Continue reading Christmas Day: Love has Come!
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
Mary’s song, and ours
Plaque with the Annunciation (ca. 1200–1225). Catalan or Central Italian. Made in Central Italy. Accession number: 41.100.180 This is the season [sometimes the only season!] when Protestants give space for intentional reflection on Mary. We set up our creches and prepare for the coming of Christ, giving thanks for Mary’s faithful witness and her participation…… Continue reading Mary’s song, and ours
Kristallnacht: Silence makes way for Violence
Yesterday, Nov. 10th, was the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht [and if you don’t know much about it, I encourage you to read more here: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht%5D Kristallnacht is “the night of broken glass,” and it marked a shift into a very public phase of the state-sanctioned, deadly Anti-Semitism of the Nazi party. Kristallnacht included: The vandalism…… Continue reading Kristallnacht: Silence makes way for Violence
The Future of the Church
On the recommendation of a friend, I just finished Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents, and what they mean for America’s Future, by Jean M. Twenge. The book was really interesting [and extraordinarily well-researched–when you combine all the different surveys she consulted, the book contains data from roughly…… Continue reading The Future of the Church
To Open your Mind, Open your Heart First
On the recommendation of a friend and colleague, I just finished a very interesting book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt. It is dense and well researched–and quite compelling. I started taking notes for this blog post and I quickly gave up–no one wants to read…… Continue reading To Open your Mind, Open your Heart First
Come, Holy Spirit
When I was selecting a prayer for a meeting this morning, I went back to the worship book from the latest Lutheran World Federation Assembly: One Body, One Spirit, One Hope, 2023. I found this prayer, and I loved it–it is timeless and timely, and worth sharing. I hope you find a place to use…… Continue reading Come, Holy Spirit
Happy Lutheran 