Happy Lutheran

I had my Introduction to Systematic Theology class this morning [which, by the way, is going amazingly well–my students are outstanding this semester!], and someone mentioned something in class that I thought was worth sharing here.  One of our course textbooks is Migliore’s Faith Seeking Understanding, and in the chapter we read for today, he…… Continue reading A Common Word

Ash Wednesday is tomorrow, which means we are on the cusp of another Lenten season.  I love Lent, not least because it’s the one time in the church year that I take more time and make more effort to tend to my relationship with God and my relationships with other people–and the whole world.  I…… Continue reading Looking for the Right Adjective for Lent

I want to get this post written before I leave for Naples tomorrow [congregational presentation–always fun!], but I don’t have much time–so it will be short!  I had the great opportunity to worship at a Sikh gurdwara in Washington DC today, and I just wanted to share that experience.  It was really wonderful–which, by the…… Continue reading Sikh Worship at a Gurdwara

I taught my first class of the spring semester last week, and, as I usually do, I went through my whole “functional extrovert” speech.  The gist of it is that while I know not everyone is an extrovert—and indeed, many people who go into professional ministry are introverts [and there’s nothing wrong with that!]—all public…… Continue reading Gender, Naming and Fluidity

A couple weeks ago, I read a piece in The New York Times that mentioned a short story titled, “The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas,” by Ursula K. Le Guin.  I’d never read it, and I had never heard of the author, but from the description, I went out [and by that I mean, I…… Continue reading What to do about Omelas?

The genesis of this post came from a long article in The New York Times that I read today on International Adoptions: Returning to South Korea. It’s about adoptions from Korea in particular, which is the source of the “largest adoption exodus from one country in history: over the past six decades, at least 200,000…… Continue reading Adoption and Identity

I can’t count the number of times people have said to me, in the aftermath of an attack by Muslim extremists, “Where is the moderate Muslim response?  If most Muslims are against these acts, why don’t they say anything?”  And I always say that they ARE responding–they DO stand up and speak out–but the fact…… Continue reading A Muslim Response to the Paris Attacks

As nearly all of us have experienced, Christmas has a dark side.  Lurking around the edges of the joy, the family reunions, the good food and the beautiful church services are loss, grief, loneliness, and addiction–and sometimes those things even come front and center, and become for some the dominant and defining characteristics of the…… Continue reading Beyond Joy and Sorrow

So, sometimes I really have to work to come up with a topic for my blog post, which, as you know, I try to do weekly.  But other times, something drops into my lap like this story from The New York Times, about Pope Francis’ comments about dogs and heaven:  Pope Leaves the Pearly Gates Open…… Continue reading All Dogs DO Go to Heaven!

Today, I am here to help you with your Christmas shopping!  If you would like a book suggestion that would work for almost anyone, may I commend to your attention Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande.  I’ve mentioned him before [most recently in a post on Oct. 10th of this year]:  he’s a surgeon at Brigham…… Continue reading Being Mortal