Mary said, “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Luke 1:49 It is one thing to name God in our lives. It is another to describe…to turn that into a story. That is what Mary does in this text. Mary acknowledges the greatness of God, calling God “The … More See & Tell
William Willimon, who is a retired bishop in the United Methodist Church, tells a great story about a friend of his who, in mid-life, decided that he wanted to learn how to fly a small plane. So William’s friend went out to their local airport and signed up for flying lessons. He was given this great … More Whisper in Their Ear
My first car was a 1978 AMC Concord DL (DL for DeeLuxe!) For those unfamiliar with the AMC Concord, it was a small car, a compact, but it was a bit of a beast. I think the bodies were made out of cast iron. But the thing that my particular AMC Concord DL was known for, besides … More The Moment That Changed Everything
I only remember having one conversation with my father about race. When his enlistment in the United States Marine Corps was complete, he returned home to Minneapolis, found work, and married my mom. As a veteran, he was eligible for benefits that included the GI Bill, which he used to purchase their first home. Mom and dad … More Critical Race Theory: Nothing to Fear
Human beings, by our very nature, don’t like things that are “unfinished.” We like things that are complete…whole… done. When we experience things that are left unfinished, it makes us feel like something is off-kilter…or missing…or incomplete…and it can make us feel uncomfortable. I don’t like it when walls that have been painted don’t have the trim … More Write the Next Chapter
I recently read an article about a project called StoryCorps. StoryCorps was the brainchild of a man named Dave Isay, who is a documentary film maker. Isay got permission to set up a video booth in Grand Central Station in New York City. People could sit down in this little booth, a video camera would … More From the Rooftops
One of my favorite kinds of trees is the Jack Pine. There is nothing particularly special about the Jack Pine, except that it grows in the forests of the northern tier of our state. Jack Pines are about as common as you can get. They are not particularly regal or majestic trees. They can grow … More There is a Story
“If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see … More Seeing Each Other
We’ve come to the end of the season of Lent. In just a couple of days, we celebrate Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week and the journey to the cross and then the empty tomb. During our midweek Lenten worship services we have been thinking together about the scars that we carry in … More Wounds + Healing = Scars
We all love a good story, don’t we? You hear the first familiar words, and immediately you settle in to listen, because you know what is coming. Let me show you what I mean: I’ll say the first few words that begin a story, and we’ll see if you can complete the sentence. Let’s start … More This Story Has Power
Test Driving Theology 