For a variety of reasons, I’ve been reflecting on those things that compelled me to go into a professional church leadership career. I ran across this reflection on my ‘call story.’ I figured if I wanted to understand how Lutherans understand faith development, I needed to experience camp. After college… Continue reading
In Season 1, episode 9 of the show “This is Us,” the siblings are at a family cabin. There is all sorts of conflict swirling, but in the midst of it they’re trying to re-connect with one another as siblings and family. At one point, a brother is looking at an old… Continue reading
True to form, I ended the year/began the year wrestling with a cold. I say ‘wrestling,’ because I’m not sure we’re ‘fighting’…but we’re definitely ‘wrestling.’ I’ve been able to keep it at bay with various oils, vitamin C, rest, water, etc, and have not had to take medicine. This morning… Continue reading
In my ongoing quest towards claiming those things that really matter to me in ways that actually show up in my life, I’m experimenting with and learning about essential oils and nature-based hair products and cleaning products. I continue to see connections between these products and…life…and occasionally write these connections… 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
Last weekend I was in Washington, D.C. for a work thing. It was an interesting experience to be in the nation’s capital city at this time. Here is one reflection I had: If you look under the hood, there’s still enough to work with. What if we can get this… 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
A few weeks ago I listened to a Robcast about the “lie of redemptive violence.” In this podcast, Rob Bell explains how this idea of redemptive violence–that violence in retaliation for wrong-doing can be justified–is deep in our society…and even in our theology. But it’s really a myth, and he goes… Continue reading
(roughly to the theme song from “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”) In western Kenya born and raised At the missionary college, I spent most of my days, Walks in the forest, Sunday night devos Right from the start, you guys were my heroes. You walked hand in hand, no matter… Continue reading
I was setting up my nativity characters for chapel this week, and was reminded about a preschool chapel last year that became the central illustration in a sermon I preached on Dec. 20, 2015. The sermon was in the context of a ‘Traveler’s Christmas,’ a Christmas Eve service for those… Continue reading