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?
I have spent these weeks in my sabbatical trying to listen well. I want to hear God. I want to hear the whispers of the Holy Spirit. I am looking for direction, and wisdom, and guidance. I want these things for our church, and for our family, and for my life. God speaks. I believe … More Listening Well
So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. 1 Corinthians 14:21 Everything has a purpose…a reason…a “why.” The gifts of God, the fruits of the Spirit, are given for a purpose. And as the recipients of these gifts, that … More Gifts that Build
In my stack of summer sabbatical book reading, the next book on my list was “A Church Beyond Belief” by William Sachs and Michael Bos. Flipping the pages of the book, now that I’ve read it, I noticed that I have far fewer highlighted sections than I have in previous books. I think in this … More Sabbatical Reading: “A Church Beyond Belief”
St. Paul Lutheran Church is one of our sibling congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. There are a lot of parallels between St. Paul and Trinity. The approximate size, age, style, staff and structure between the two congregations are very similar. We’ve also shared a pastor! Pastor Amanda served at St. Paul as … More Visiting St. Paul Lutheran; Davenport, Iowa
Knee High by the 4th of July On the 4th of July, Lori and I took Kennedy for a walk “around the block.” It’s a long block. A little over a mile. And it takes us past the corn fields that are on Partridge Ave. I commented to Lori that the corn was definitely “knee … More Knee High by the 4th of July
“Resurrected” people are the ones who have found a better way by prayerfully bearing witness against injustice and evil—while also agreeing compassionately to hold their own complicity in that same evil. It is not over there—it is here. It is our problem, not theirs. The Risen Christ, not accidentally, still carries the wounds in his hands and side. The question becomes: … More A better way…
On Sunday, Lori and I drove down to Mason City, Iowa to worship at Trinity Lutheran Church. The senior pastor there, Rev. Dan Gerrietts, and his wife, Molly, are good friends of Lori’s and mine. So in addition to worshiping there, we got to spend a little time with them. Trinity Mason City is a … More Worshiping at Trinity: Mason City
So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 We live in a transactional world. We do things because we receive things. We go to work, so that we earn a living We loan someone money, expecting repayment … More What’s Right
This morning I finished the next in my series of sabbatical books to read. Beyond Church Walls: Cultivating a Culture of Care by Rick Rouse. Trinity has worked hard in the last couple of years to think about how we connect and serve within our community. We were working to connect individuals to serve at … More Beyond Church Walls
Test Driving Theology 