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 …
It’s been a few weeks since the sentencing after the verdict in the trial of Mohammed Noor in Minneapolis … for shooting an unarmed citizen while on duty as a Minneapolis police officer. That shooting happened in July 2017, not long after a jury in Ramsey County found former Saint …
About a month ago, we marked the first anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In a little less than two months, it will be the anniversary of the shooting at Santa Fe High School near Houston, Texas. Next month, it will be …
Now that all the shouting is over, can we take a pause and take a collective breath? Can we reflect on what just happened and talk about it? I think Dr. Christine Blassey Ford told more of the truth than Judge Brent Kavanaugh. I also hope none of us is …
A weekly listing of articles, audio clips, and other tidbits I’ve encountered that seemed interesting, insightful, or otherwise useful I’ve been on vacation … and then the usual catch-up when back at work. Wow, has there been a lot happening! There’s so much to pick from, but this is …