When I was a kid, my family had one of those big, clunky console televisions. People of a certain age will remember them. They weighed as much as a small car. The screen was this big, but the heavy wooden cabinet was this big. Every so often the picture would get fuzzy or the sound would cut out. We’d … More Together for Good
According to the United States Coast Guard, Minnesota has the highest number of recreational boats per capita of any state in the country. By a lot. There are 143.6 boats in Minnesota for every 1000 residents. (Which leads me to one important question: Where’s my boat?) That’s roughly 35% more than the next highest state, South Carolina, with 108 … More Know Your Name
A few years ago, Pope Francis went to visit a small church in a poor neighborhood of Rome. As a Lutheran pastor, I don’t put a lot of stock in the Catholic doctrine of papal authority, and I don’t agree with everything Pope Francis says…I do think that he has interesting perspectives…and I appreciate his … More Whisper in God’s Ear
Mark was a functioning alcoholic who I met when I was doing my student chaplaincy at a treatment center in the Twin Cities. A “functioning alcoholic” is someone who is addicted to alcohol, but is able to maintain, at least for awhile, their jobs, their families and their lives. Their addiction often does great damage in these … More The God who Waits
In the fall of my senior year of high school, I had applied to colleges, and I was awaiting their answer. That is a time of anxiousness. Back then you waited for an envelope to come in the mail. I still remember the rule of thumb: a thick envelope was good news. A thin envelope … More When Jesus’ Prayers Are For You
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
The Christmas Dilemma: Joseph | Videos | The Skit Guys “I’m not enough.” You heard the words of Joseph. “I’m not enough.” Now, those words do not actually appear in the scriptures. But it isn’t a stretch to imagine that those words could have come out of Joseph’s mouth. This was not what he’d signed … More The Nativity Dilemma: Joseph
Test Driving Theology 