Category: Social Issues

A Fresh Take on a Traditional Confession

Posted in Church, Ethics, Hope, Imagination, Immigration, Jesus, migration, Social Issues, Social Justice1 Comment

One of the things that I love about the Lutheran liturgical tradition is the way the language of the prayers, sung parts of the service, etc. become so familiar after years of recitation that I know them by heart. It is comforting to enter into a worship space and be carried through the service without…… Continue reading A Fresh Take on a Traditional Confession

What did you think about “Barbie”?

Posted in Bodies, Entertainment, Feminist, Imagination, Life and Living, Movies, Pop Culture, Relationships, SexismLeave a comment

Did you see the movie “Barbie”? I finally got around to watching it on our flight to Tanzania—I think we all did!—and I’m glad I saw it; it is definitely thought-provoking, and it is also quite entertaining. I read a review of it in The New Yorker when it first came out, and I agree…… Continue reading What did you think about “Barbie”?

Building Relationships over Time

Posted in Africa, Animals, Bodies, Environment, Family, Life and Living, Religion, Social Issues, TravelLeave a comment

Our group with Bethany & Steve Friberg This morning, we went out to the Ketumbeini Medical Clinic that is owned by the ELCT, and is run by missionary Steve Friberg. He has been here doing this work for over 20 years, and it was very interesting to hear about the changes he has seen in…… Continue reading Building Relationships over Time

The Maasai Girls Lutheran Secondary School

Posted in Africa, Bodies, Church, Ethics, Family, Feminist, Hope, Life and Living, Sexism, Social Justice, TravelLeave a comment

At the entrance to the school Today we spent the day at the Maasai Girls Lutheran Secondary School (MGLSS) and it was an absolutely amazing experience to hear the story of the school, the story of the graduates, and to meet some of the girls. This is where Beth first taught 25 years ago, and…… Continue reading The Maasai Girls Lutheran Secondary School

Worship & the Monduli Market

Posted in Africa, Church, Hope, Life and Living, Politics, Religion, Social Issues, TravelLeave a comment

Inside Monduli Lutheran Church We had another great day today! We started our day with a worship at 8:30. There was lots of singing beforehand, as people drifted in, and the service lasted a little over 2 1/2 hours. But I can honestly say that it went by very quickly. Everyone wears their Sunday best…… Continue reading Worship & the Monduli Market

The Difficulty of Expressing Nuanced Opinions

Posted in Ethics, Imagination, Islam, Judaism, Life and Living, Politics, Religion, Social Issues, Social JusticeLeave a comment

Photo by Haley Black on Pexels.com When I came home for lunch yesterday, John had the news on, and I watched a bit of a demonstration on the National Mall in support of Israel in the war against Hamas. As I was listening to the reporter describe the scene, he was mentioning the different people…… Continue reading The Difficulty of Expressing Nuanced Opinions

Memory, Identity & Storytelling

Posted in Ethics, History, Life and Living, Relationships, Religion, Social Issues, Social JusticeLeave a comment

Recently, I was down in San Antonio for the annual board meeting of the Hispanic Summer Program, which is a fantastic program that will celebrate its 35th anniversary next year. Wartburg Seminary is a proud supporter of this program. This is HSP mission statement [and you can find more about it here: https://hispanicsummerprogram.org/about/%5D Founded in…… Continue reading Memory, Identity & Storytelling