Sometimes when I’m walking through Thompson Hall on a Wednesday night I stop and listen as the choir warms up. So I asked Matt, “why do choirs warm up, what does warming up do for the choir?” This morning I sat and listened as the Nordic Choir, from Luther College, warmed up. Rev. Dr Matt […]
Mary, Your mother, prophesiedGod is Holy,showing mercy to everyone.God scatters the proud,pulling down arrogant thrones,feeding the hungry,and lifting up the lowly. Zechariah, Your uncle, prophesiedGod is merciful,saving us from those who hate us,rescuing us from our enemies,so that we can serve God without fear.God’s deep compassion breaks upon us like dawn,God’s mercy lights our path,God’s […]
In seminary, I took one of my required preaching classes with Dr Jerry Mercer. As Dean of the Chapel, Dr Mercer did not give you one second past 20 minutes. When you said “amen” or the clock struck zero, Dr Mercer stood up and began leading your classmates in a critique of your sermon. I […]
When Lewis began playing organized soccer, I found myself coaching a gaggle of 4 and 5 year olds. I ordered “The Baffled Parents Guide to Coaching Soccer.” Chapters like “Surviving Your First Practice”, and “Make It Fun and Rewarding” inspired me. We had a great season. Assigned purple jerseys, we voted to be the Purple […]
Luke’s gospel opens with a portrait of community, with stories of Jesus’ extended family. Zechariah was a lay priest, working a trade or farming most weeks, but serving four weeks in the Jerusalem Temple. There were thousands of priests, so Zechariah might have served his whole life without ever getting the privilege of lighting the […]
Lewis, our firstborn, was 13 months old when we traveled to Nashville for the Conference’s big Youth Event: Warmth in Winter. On Saturday night Lewis’s temperature suddenly spiked and we rushed to the emergency room. With medicine, an IV, and reassurance we were admitted to Vanderbilt Children’s. The in-room crib looked like it could coral […]
If we were appointed a taskforce to write a holy book- I doubt we would write anything like the Bible. I imagine we might begin with a glossary defining terms like Adoration, Belief, Creator and Christ. We might list helpful practices, add some rules or commandments. Instead of creeds and rules, the Bible is full […]
“Blessed is she who believed what was spoken by the Lord!” It all begins with women. Have you noticed how the Bible’s two cornerstone stories, the Exodus and The Incarnation, begin with women? Exodus begins as Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, refuse to uphold Pharaoh’s diabolical plans. Then Moses’s mother and his sister, Miriam, hatch […]
Why do we feel such self-righteous anger when we believe we have been cheated? Why do deceptive numbers, undelivered promises, and broken vows stick to your memories or is that just me? Why is releasing our debtors so hard? As I prayed my way through today’s Scriptures, I remembered a boss during college, whose final […]
On the surface, the story of the Widow’s Mite appears so simple. A widow, amid utter poverty, gives everything she has to God. Jesus declares that she has given more than all those who gave from their abundance. It is a beautiful thing to give. Jesus often tells us “the measure you give will be […]
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