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You may ask, what is the “wilderness”? A wilderness is usually an experience that follows a season of highs. When Jesus was baptized (which was more accurately a coronation), He took...
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...
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...
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...
“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...
“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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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?’...
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...
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?...
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...
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...
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...