Perhaps the very oldest proclamation of Christian belief is to say: This Jesus, the Anointed One – who was crucified, buried, and risen, is the Lord of All. In the era where the story of Jesus played out, to say, as followers of this Jesus did, that Jesus is Lord …
After starting on Ash Wednesday, the season of Lent comes to Sundays with the story of Jesus facing temptations or testing in the wilderness. These accounts from three of the four gospels, plus the opening chapters of the Book of Job and a few other mentions of the satan (or …
The word used for the Church season between Epiphany and Easter is Lent, which derives from an old word for spring, a season of increasing light. Originally Lent was a time of intensive preparation for the sacrament of baptism at the Easter Vigil service. In more northern climes, fasting was …
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union … The Preamble to the US Constitution, 1789 We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal … The Declaration of Independence, 1776 But speaking the truth in love, …
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union … ~The Preamble to the US Constitution, 1789 We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal … ~ The Declaration of Independence, 1776 But speaking the truth in love, we …
On that sunny Tuesday morning twenty years ago, I was driving my minivan (which served as our household school bus) down I-35 from our home in Blaine toward MN36, planning (as always) to go east to the exit that would take us to the elementary school. It was an old …
Pentecost rolls around May 31st on the liturgical calendar, the end of May in 2020, 50 days after Easter. This week, catching up on On Being podcasts, I heard Krista Tippett’s interview with Ocean Vuong that aired on April 30th. However, the interview itself happened March 8th. As she noted …
Back when we entered this season, the congregation of which I’m a part embarked on a series of Mid-Week Reflections on Luther’s Marks of the Church. One week after Ash Wednesday, March 4th, I spoke about the Mark of Suffering, little guessing what the unfolding month would bring. By the …
A weekly listing of articles, audio clips, and other tidbits I’ve encountered that seemed interesting, insightful, or otherwise useful There is something of theme this week: divisions Anyone else find it amazing that a sense of common ground, shared reality keeps getting harder to find? People who get their …
A weekly listing of articles, audio clips, and other tidbits I’ve encountered that seemed interesting, insightful, or otherwise useful The dominant stories in the week concerned James Comey’s press tour to promote his book … a storyline that culminated in the release of the memos he wrote after encounters …