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Celebrating Differences: Down Syndrome Awareness Month
How do we rank the quality of life for a person with a disability? October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month—a good time to consider this question. And to be honest, I’m already familiar...
Politics in the Pulpit?
One of the most challenging aspects of being a pastor in the United States in the twenty-first century is the deep division of the nation along political lines. Based on research from a...
Developing a Circle of Trust
In previous posts, I have approached the concept of race relations from a theoretical point of view. However, in this post, I want to give you some practical ideas to help make the task...
A Sea of Broken Dreams
“I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.” Isaiah 65:19 As I look at the landscape in our...
Anxiety and the Pandemic: Help Students Cope as They Return to Classrooms
“Mommy, I can’t sleep. Can I come and snuggle in your bed?” Anyone experiencing this question these days? Are your children experiencing bad dreams? eating disorders? emotional...
Anxiety and the Pandemic
The level of anxiety facing children, parents, schoolteachers and administrators, congregational shepherds and lay leaders, and our public policy makers is enormous—pandemic anxiety for...
Social Media: Walk as Children of Light
The internet has always had its dark side: email money transfer and gift card scams, identity theft, catfishing, fake job offers, stalkers, social media bullying, and more. During this...
Blame vs. Confession
So far, 2020 has seen a lot of high-profile news stories. If you are anything like me, you may have forgotten some of the stories that dominated the news cycle in the first two months...
The Real Enemy Feeding Racism in America
Tonto and the Lone Ranger were riding through a canyon together when all of a sudden both sides were filled with Indian warriors on horses, dressed for battle. The Lone Ranger turned to...
Conflicting Ideas between Church and Government
This year has introduced a lot of challenges and changes in government due to the current pandemic. It is also an election year, and people are focusing their attention on registering...
Kneeling for Justice
In my office, I have a kneeler that I got off of Craigslist from a Lutheran church that had closed many years ago. It was the first piece of furniture I dropped down into my empty,...
Think Before You Post to Social Media
Search “social media vitriol” and Google gives a return of about 2,240,000 results. You’ve probably muted at least one person or conversation on Facebook or Twitter, maybe even going so...
How to Build Virtual Community
As some states are beginning to open back up, many states are still either under stay-at-home orders, require reduced capacity for public gatherings, or mandate social distancing...
Racial Healing Begins with Recognizing Our Neighbor
I ran across a fantastic quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’...
The Nation's Cry for Peace and Justice
This article appeared on The Light Breaks Through and has been published here with permission. As you try to process all that is going on in our country, here are some thoughts. Do not...
We’re All in the Fishbowl Now
It’s a common question among the wives of pastors: Should you be Facebook friends with congregation members? How much of your social media presence should you share with them, if any?...
Prayer, Peace, and Pestilence: Psalm 91 and Today
Lately, a specific Bible passage has been popping up frequently for me. A note from a college friend, a post in a Facebook group, and a random opening of my Bible have all brought my...
Easter Alone? Never.
I’m not a stranger to being away from my family. Last spring, I graduated from a university in another state than my family. During my four years of study, I celebrated many holidays...
Vocation Starts at Home
Note: this article was written for the fall edition of Lutheran Life. It was written before COVID-19 was a worry for the world. As we are now in this new time...
How to Livestream at Your Church for the First Time
The COVID-19 has quickly changed almost every aspect of our lives, including our worship lives. Many churches are choosing not to hold worship services in person, but are moving online...