Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, and from Jesus, our Savior, who calls us into deep waters. Amen. Our Gospel story from the book of Luke is the calling of the first disciples. These are fisherman. These are just ordinary guys who are going about their work, minding their own business, cleaning, and repairing their … More Going Deep
“Get up and go.” If you were to ask me to quote some of the most important phrases in the Bible…these words would definitely be in my top five. Some version of “arise and go,” “get up and go,” or just “go” is spoken by God in just about every book of the Bible. They are … More Get Up and Go
This is, of course, a most important season. A season that catches our attention… a season we approach with anticipation…a season that makes us look with awe and with wonder. I am speaking of course, about awards show season. Now, at the Buegler home, we don’t plan our lives around the Academy Awards, or the Emmy’s, or … More The Jesus You Didn’t Expect
A sermon by Pastor Cindy, Deacon Kris, Pastor Todd and Pastor Amanda (in abstentia) In his book, UnChristian, researcher David Kinnaman studied the attitudes and perspectives of those who choose not to participate in a church, or a faith community. These are not necessarily people who don’t believe in God, or don’t have faith, but … More We are #ForOwatonna
According to the 2016 Consumer Automotive Index, 87% of Americans dislike buying cars. 87%! That’s an incredible number. In fact, this study goes deeper: 56% of Americans would rather clean their homes than buy a car 34% would rather wait in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew a driver’s license to drive … More Behind the Curtain
Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! I hear those words and they stir memories. I remember hearing the pastor say those words when I was a child at Diamond Lake Lutheran Church. And it draws me back to memories of getting up really early for that sunrise service, the Easter lilies, and of the … More Remember…
Earlier this week, I wrote in my blog about the first time I was called in to a hospital room where the patient, an elderly gentleman, was dying and his family was, understandably, in crisis. I was doing my student chaplaincy at Unity Medical Center in Fridley, and while the man lying unconscious in the … More When the Spirit Breaks our Hearts
Imagine trying to convince someone that you’re alive. I’m not talking about trying to look alert to your pastor after you’ve fallen asleep during a sermon. (We see everything up here, by the way…) No, I’m talking about the challenge of actually having to prove that you’re not physically dead. This was the predicament a … More Always the Skeptic
There is a whole series of psychological exams that students at our seminaries have to undertake. These exams dig deep into our family history, our personality characteristics and our sense of call to become a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. When I went through this process, I had to go to a … More Right Here, Right Now
“In the Footsteps” Mark 1:14-20 Rev. Todd Buegler Trinity Lutheran Church January 24-25, 2015 Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and from Jesus Christ, who leads. Amen. I have a confession to make: I am not a fisherman. I’m not. I never really have been. I’m sorry. Some of you might be … More In the Footsteps
Test Driving Theology 