All Saints Sunday is one of those days when the church holds joy and sorrow in the same breath. We light candles, speak names, remember faces, and tell stories. Some memories make us laugh out loud. Others bring tears before we can finish a sentence. And sometimes, the person we miss most is the one … Continue reading All Saints: Blessed Are Those Who Grieve
Reformation Sunday Thoughts
Reformation Sunday is a good time to remember that faith is not for the faint of heart. Martin Luther discovered that the hard way. He questioned the church, challenged its authority, and insisted that the good news of Jesus Christ was bigger than a system that had convinced people they needed to earn God’s love. … Continue reading Reformation Sunday Thoughts
What Would They Name Us?
It’s a good question. An uncomfortable question, perhaps. Because it’s one thing to say we love God. It’s another thing to look at our calendars, bank statements, and the way we treat the person who is driving 35 miles an hour in the left lane. Jesus gets at this very question in Matthew 22:15–22. The … Continue reading What Would They Name Us?
Who Gets Thrown in the Darkness?
Jesus tells a strange story in Matthew 22:1–14. It begins with a wedding banquet. The invitations go out. People make excuses. Some ignore the invitation altogether. Others become downright violent. So the king opens the doors and invites anyone and everyone—“both good and bad”—to the feast. And then comes the really strange part. The king … Continue reading Who Gets Thrown in the Darkness?
When Jesus Gives the Ending Away
I love a good story. Especially one with a surprise ending. I also love a good mystery—unless I figure out the ending too early. Then I spend the rest of the movie or reading the book sitting there thinking, Come on, people. It’s obvious. That’s the thing about foreshadowing. Writers give us little clues about what is … Continue reading When Jesus Gives the Ending Away
Two Sons, a Big Hill, and the Electric Slide
Sometimes the Bible feels like it was written specifically for family reunions. Take Jesus’ parable of the two sons in Matthew 21. A father asks his sons to go work in the vineyard. One says, “Nope.” Later, he changes his mind and goes. The other says, “Sure, Dad!” but never actually goes. It’s a short … Continue reading Two Sons, a Big Hill, and the Electric Slide
Phase 1: Every Face Has a Story
Next Sunday, September 20, we’re going to do something a little different in worship. We’re bringing cameras. Not phones. Not selfies. Real cameras. The kind with a lens, buttons, and maybe even a strap around your neck. Ok, disposable cameras. And we’re going to use them to help us notice what happens in worship. Our Gospel reading … Continue reading Phase 1: Every Face Has a Story
Back to School Blessings
I live near the Minnesota State Fair. If you know, you know. And if you don’t know, let’s just say it’s kind of a big deal. One of the largest state fairs in the nation, in fact. Google it. Growing up in St. Paul, school always started the day after Labor Day. Why? Because the … Continue reading Back to School Blessings
When We Don’t Get Along
Just some thoughts for this Sunday, September 6. There is something comforting about Matthew 18:15-20, the Gospel, because Jesus apparently knew church people. We are really good at getting along. Well… mostly. We are especially good at getting along when everyone agrees with us. But let someone change the worship time, move the coffee station, … Continue reading When We Don’t Get Along
When Cartoons Help Us Understand Jesus
Sometimes the best way to understand a complicated Bible story is to find it somewhere we already know. Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:21–28 are challenging: Peter doesn't understand why Jesus must suffer, Jesus tells him to get behind him, and then Jesus calls his followers to take up their cross and follow him. It's a … Continue reading When Cartoons Help Us Understand Jesus
