Resurrection Moments

So, what did you expect when you woke up this morning?  What were your expectations for the day?  Because we all have expectations, right?  So you woke up on this Easter morning…what did you expect to see today? Maybe you expect to see family or friends who have traveled to be here…to celebrate together.  Maybe you expected to step outside this … More Resurrection Moments

A better way…

“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…

Signs

As I write this, we have daffodils blooming in our garden and the crocus plants are popping up out of the ground in front of our home.  It’s a sign of spring. As I write this, our middle-school and high school students are back together in the school building, all together, for the first time…in a … More Signs

A Word of Hope

Guest blog:  Pastor Cindy Halverson, our amazing and gifted visitation pastor, shares a word today… “Pray for our country. This will be the first Easter in the history of our nation that churches will not be fully operational.” The ache in his voice was real. The loneliness for worshipping together in the ways he had … More A Word of Hope

Remember…

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…

A Dog’s Life

This is our dog’s favorite position.  While Kennedy does enjoy walks, car rides and the occasional opportunity to bark at and chase squirrels, deer and rabbits, we will often walk into our living room to find him down and sleeping on his side, sometimes on the floor and sometimes on a chair. I’ve got to … More A Dog’s Life

Ashes on our Forehead

Every year, around 6 weeks before Easter, the Christian church celebrates Ash Wednesday.  This year, Ash Wednesday falls on March 6.  Tomorrow.  You will see people walking around with black smudges on their foreheads.  It is an ancient tradition that the church practices to mark the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a season when Christians … More Ashes on our Forehead