“A man and a woman were walking along a crowded sidewalk in New York City. Suddenly, the woman, who was a zoologist, said, ‘Listen to the lovely sound of that cricket,’ but the man could not hear the sound. He asked: “How can you possibly hear a cricket, in the middle of all of this noise, and … More What We Listen For
The very first person who knew that Lori and I were engaged was the sound guy at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. It is true. It was Memorial Day weekend, 1994, and Lori and I had first hiked down from Minnehaha Falls to the spot where the creek enters the Mississippi River. We were sitting there, by the … More Questions Jesus Asks
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
At our sophomore day away about a month ago, we spent time talking about our faith questions. We had great questions from our 10th graders! But we couldn’t get to them all. I promised the group that I’d answer their questions here on my blog. This is the final in a four-part series to try … More 10th Grade Faith Questions Part IV
At their confirmation retreat a couple of weeks ago, our 10th graders had the opportunity to ask faith questions about things they were still wondering about. We discussed as many as we could, but I said that I would try and answer the questions that remained on my blog over the next few weeks. Here … More 10th Grade Faith Questions Part III
At their confirmation retreat a couple of weeks ago, our 10th graders had the opportunity to ask faith questions about things they were still wondering about. We discussed as many as we could, but I said that I would try and answer the questions that remained on my blog over the next few weeks. Here … More 10th Grade Faith Questions Part II
This past Sunday, our 10th graders did a mini-retreat as they prepared for their Affirmation of Baptism (confirmation) that will take place on October 28th. In one of our activities, we spent time talking together about the faith questions that have emerged for them as they have learned and grown over the past three years. … More 10th Grade Faith Questions Part I
This summer, a lot of us are going to load up planes, trains and automobiles and hit the road. We’ll go to the beach, to the lake, to the cabin, to a theme park, to the mountains, to a foreign land… The goal is both to recreate, and to re-create. That is, to go and … More Taking Church With You
There are things that I wonder about. Things that keep me up at night…thinking. Questions and problems that do not have easy answers. Let me share a few of them with you: Why is it that we park on a driveway, and we drive on a parkway? If nothing sticks to Teflon, how do they … More Trick Questions
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
Test Driving Theology 