If the renewing story of Christ is going to be given the clothing of its context, the values of accompaniment need to take the place of values like power, privilege and survival. The values of accompaniment look like mutuality, vulnerability, inclusivity, empowerment and sustainability. Sermon for ELCIC Global Mission Sunday, Feb…. Continue reading
I’m still replaying scenes of gathering with siblings and being humbled by the presence of family and friends who made the trip to be with us in Florida and stood in a circle as we placed the cremains in the columbarium and sang “God be with you ’til we meet… Continue reading
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith. Grace be with you. (1 Tim. 6:20-21) These last few chapters of 1 Timothy do sound a bit… Continue reading
And again, one in human form touched me and strengthened me. He said, “Do not fear, greatly beloved, you are safe. Be strong and courageous.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me. (Daniel 10:18-19) These chapters in Daniel… Continue reading
In her book “How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going: Leading in a Liminal Season,” Susan Beaumont offers valuable insight into healthy and unhealthy ways of navigating what she calls “liminal seasons”–those seasons of transition where something has come to an end, but the next thing has… Continue reading
If divine incarnation has any truth to it, then resurrection is a foregone conclusion, and not a one-time anomaly in the body of Jesus, as our Western understanding of the resurrection felt it needed to prove–and then couldn’t. The Risen Christ is not a one-time miracle but the revelation of… Continue reading
Come and hear, all you who fear God,and I will tell you what he has done for me.I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue.If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.But truly God has listened; he has given heed… Continue reading
“But if I’ve learned anything in this journey…it’s that Sunday morning sneaks up on us–like dawn, like resurrection, like the sun that rises a ribbon at a time… Church isn’t some community you join or some place you arrive. Church is what happens when someone taps you on the shoulder… Continue reading
“To keep the heart space open, we need several things. First, we almost all need some healing in regard to our carried hurts from the past… And to be fully honest, I think your heart needs to be broken, and broken open, at least once to have a heart at… Continue reading
My Lent devotional this year has been A Way Other than Our Own, by Walter Bruegemann. There are several quotes throughout the book worth pondering, but here’s what he says about Maundy Thursday that has me thinking today: “The drama of the towel provided an example for the disciples to replicate:… Continue reading