A sermon delivered at Wartburg Seminary, on the commemoration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I invite you to reflect on the image above as a focal point for the sermon: “The Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe,” by Yolanda López. López imagines Mary as a vibrant, energetic woman of strength, determination and…… Continue reading Our Lady of Guadalupe
Mary’s song, and ours
Plaque with the Annunciation (ca. 1200–1225). Catalan or Central Italian. Made in Central Italy. Accession number: 41.100.180 This is the season [sometimes the only season!] when Protestants give space for intentional reflection on Mary. We set up our creches and prepare for the coming of Christ, giving thanks for Mary’s faithful witness and her participation…… Continue reading Mary’s song, and ours
Thankful for one’s wild and precious life
Photo by Eusebiu Soica on Pexels.com Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Surely, you have heard this question before. Perhaps in a sermon, perhaps you read it in a book, or perhaps you came across it in a TED talk, or some other presentation. Or,…… Continue reading Thankful for one’s wild and precious life
Kristallnacht: Silence makes way for Violence
Yesterday, Nov. 10th, was the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht [and if you don’t know much about it, I encourage you to read more here: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht%5D Kristallnacht is “the night of broken glass,” and it marked a shift into a very public phase of the state-sanctioned, deadly Anti-Semitism of the Nazi party. Kristallnacht included: The vandalism…… Continue reading Kristallnacht: Silence makes way for Violence
The Future of the Church
On the recommendation of a friend, I just finished Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents, and what they mean for America’s Future, by Jean M. Twenge. The book was really interesting [and extraordinarily well-researched–when you combine all the different surveys she consulted, the book contains data from roughly…… Continue reading The Future of the Church
Changing Your Mind
This weekend, I was in Detroit for the half marathon, and I spent a few hours at the Detroit Institute of Arts, which was really great. [I would recommend the whole city, actually; the Riverwalk is really beautiful, and the downtown is interesting and vibrant]. Anyway, while I was at the art museum, I ran…… Continue reading Changing Your Mind
Thank you, Jane Goodall
Today, on the feast day of Saint Francis, when churches around the country and around the world celebrate God’s love for the entire cosmos, and especially the animal kingdom, it seems like a good day to commemorate Jane Goodall, who died at the age of 91 on Wednesday. I encourage you to read more about…… Continue reading Thank you, Jane Goodall
Bearing Witness
In my work with the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church, we had many conversations about the word “evangelical,” and the name “Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.” There are strong feelings about both, with plenty of people feeling like we should change our name, and ditch “evangelical” altogether. We heard from many people that the…… Continue reading Bearing Witness
A Christian’s song in a messy, beautiful world
Photo by Valentin Antonucci on Pexels.com Earlier in the week, I was preparing a blog post about the juxtaposition of two hymns that we sang in chapel this week. Both of them were focused on the world, but each of them had a very different message. Here is the first one, from All Creation Sings:…… Continue reading A Christian’s song in a messy, beautiful world
To Open your Mind, Open your Heart First
On the recommendation of a friend and colleague, I just finished a very interesting book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt. It is dense and well researched–and quite compelling. I started taking notes for this blog post and I quickly gave up–no one wants to read…… Continue reading To Open your Mind, Open your Heart First
Happy Lutheran 