Every three years, the ELCA Youth Gathering takes place. It is a milestone event in the lives of tens of thousands of young people across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It is more than an event; it is a pilgrimage that offers profound spiritual growth, community, and inspiration to both the youth and the … More As We Gather: Created to Be
My watch tells me a lot about myself. It’s a smart watch…and every day, it tells me if I’ve moved enough…if I’ve stood enough…and if I’ve hit my exercise goal for the day. It will tell me my heart rate…it will evaluate the quality of my sleep, and it will tell me exactly how many steps I’ve … More Created to Worship
The past two Sundays, I had the opportunity to participate in worship online, from the comfort of our couch at home. First, with Church of the Resurrection, a large Methodist congregation in Kansas City, and then with Lutheran Church of Hope, a large church in Des Moines. My intent had been to worship in person … More Who is our Audience?
There are two kinds of waiting: There is the kind of waiting where we are anticipating something happening We wait to board a plane We wait in traffic We wait to be seated in a restaurant This is the kind of waiting that makes us impatient. It is when the waiting becomes something for us … More Two Kinds of Waiting
On one of Lori’s and my hikes last year to see waterfalls on the north shore, we came across this message, scrawled on the railing of a bridge that crossed the river below Gooseberry Falls: “Everything will be Okay.” It brought a smile to my face and comfort to my heart. And it reminded me … More Everything Will Be Okay
Sabbatical – Day 3 “A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something that they regret or someone that they have lost, and they are usually accompanied by wailing, moaning and/or crying.[1] Laments constitute some of the … More Reclaiming Lament
Psalm 13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all day long?How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I … More How Long?
There are some noises that drive me kind of crazy. I’m sure the same is true for you as well. Fingernails on a chalkboard. I hate that. Our dog, barking at 2 in the morning. The sound of people talking during a movie…in a theater…ugh. The sound of a car with a bad battery, trying to start. … More The Habit of the Word
Five years ago yesterday, I walked in to Trinity Lutheran Church for the first time as its pastor. From one perspective seems like those five years have just flown by. And at the same time, it seems like I’ve been there forever. But five years is something of a milestone, and so I’ve been doing … More Reflections on My First 5 Years at Trinity
When was the last time that you were really surprised? When was the last time that you were caught by the unexpected? Was it an unannounced guest, or a visitor? Did you get a phone call you didn’t expect? Maybe you were the subject of a “surprise party.” Maybe you received good news…or perhaps bad … More The Unexpected Jesus
Test Driving Theology 