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
Category: Social Issues
Memory, Identity & Storytelling
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
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
Report from Krakow
We are two days into the 13th Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation, and I am having a great time. It is wonderful to be meeting so many people–old friends and new–and to see Wartburg grads, too, and make those connections. Mostly, though, I am just trying to learn as much as I can: to…… Continue reading Report from Krakow
One Body, One Spirit, One Hope
On Tuesday, I am heading to the 13th Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation, taking place in Krakow, Poland. I have never been to an LWF Assembly before, and I am really excited to experience the global Lutheran Church in this way. Before I go, I wanted to share a little information about the Lutheran…… Continue reading One Body, One Spirit, One Hope
Rekindle the Gift Within You
I want to share the verses from Jeremiah that are guiding our work at Wartburg Seminary in our new strategic plan, “Rooted and Renewing.” Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall…… Continue reading Rekindle the Gift Within You
What’s Right about Organized Religion
Tish Harrison Warren has a regular column in The New York Times about faith and society; she deals with a wide variety of topics, and I almost always find it interesting. The article this week was titled “Faith Communities are Still a Force for Good,” and I really wanted share some aspects of it. [If…… Continue reading What’s Right about Organized Religion
Commemorating Juneteenth
Juneteenth celebrated the proclamation issued to enslaved African Americans by Union general Gordon Granger, in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, that they were free, and the Civil War had ended. General Granger’s announcement put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued nearly two and a half years earlier. From the website http://www.juneteenth.com:…… Continue reading Commemorating Juneteenth
Project 562
I wanted to share this amazing book that my lovely and thoughtful stepmother sent me a week or so ago; it has the most beautiful pictures and the most inspiring, moving stories–I really encourage you to check it out! The book is by Matika Wilbur, photographer and storyteller of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes. This…… Continue reading Project 562
Truth & Healing, and Indian Boarding Schools
Those in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America might be aware that the Church has just launched a new movement, the “Truth and Healing Movement,” which intends to support the work of the ELCA to explore the “true history and current realities of Indigenous people.” Find more about it here: https://elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Ethnic-Specific-and-Multicultural-Ministries/Indigenous-Ministries-and-Tribal-Relations/Truth-and-Healing-Movement Included in this movement…… Continue reading Truth & Healing, and Indian Boarding Schools
Happy Lutheran 