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

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?

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?

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

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

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

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

I am proposing a book about rebuilding the church—not brick by brick, but story by story. By connecting God’s story, our shared story, and our personal stories, we discover how faith becomes good news worth sharing. This book invites us to notice the nudges, recognize God at work, and reveal God’s love through our lives. Here … Continue reading New Book: Brick by Brick, Story by Story

Don't get me wrong: I love glitter. There's something magical about a craft project that sparkles, but after interviewing more than two hundred churches about kids in worship, what shapes children's ministry, and how congregations grow, I've discovered that the brightest ideas don't come from glitter and glue. The churches that are thriving are shining … Continue reading Less Glitter, More Gospel