Some years ago, before the death of Mother Theresa, a television special depicted the grim human conditions that were a part of her daily life. It showed all the horror of the slums of Calcutta and her love for these destitute people. The producer interviewed her as she made her rounds visiting the people she … More God Notices
In 2016, ABC News ran a story about a woman named Tiffany Otterbeck. Tiffany and her husband had had a baby, she’d gone on parental leave, and now, she had returned to work. One night, even though she was exhausted from working all day and then caring for her young daughter, she decided that she was … More No Place Too Far
by Carrie Newcomer
Every weekday morning, our alarm goes off at 5:30am. After getting up, getting moving, tending to the dog and the cat, I head to the gym. I step onto the treadmill and look at my watch. It is almost always 6:01am as I press the “Start” button. (Or, 6:02am if I’m moving slowly.) I do … More Like Clockwork
Today, after 12 weeks of rest, renewal and learning, I return to the office. I loved these 12 weeks. They were a wonderful opportunity and a gift. At the same time, I’m glad to be back to Trinity. I’ve missed the people and the work. I wrote a summary of my sabbatical experience for the … More A Sabbatical Summary
This morning, Lori and I had the opportunity to worship at Saint Andrew Lutheran in Eden Prairie (not to be confused with St. Andrew’s Lutheran in Mahtomedi, where I worshipped last weekend). This was the final of my sabbatical worship experiences away from Trinity. I would describe the worship at St. Andrew as orthodox and … More Worshiping at: St. Andrew Lutheran in Eden Prairie
Just about every day, Lori and I check the weather apps on our phone. Ok, to be honest, we usually check two of them. We look at the app that tells us the forecast. (Partly cloudy…high of 76…10% chance of precipitation…etc…). Then we also will look at the app that has the radar on it, … More Predicting the Weather
Churches either have “it,” or they don’t, argues Pastor Craig Groschel, in his book “Lead Like it Matters.” I think there is a lot of truth in this. I remember when I was growing up and my family would drive back in to the city to the church where my brothers and I were baptized … More Sabbatical Reading: “Lead Like it Matters”
During this sabbatical, I’ve been doing a fair amount of reading. One of the books I read was “How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going; Leading in a Liminal Season” by Susan Beaumont. This may be the best book I’ve read so far during my sabbatical. Susan Beaumont is a consultant, a … More “How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going”
On Sunday, I had the opportunity to worship with the community at the contemporary worship service of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, Minnesota. St. Andrew’s is a congregation much larger than Trinity, but I would describe their congregational culture and style as being very similar. They have a beautiful, giant sanctuary, and then a … More Worshiping at St. Andrew’s Lutheran in Mahtomedi
Test Driving Theology 