By Bishop Ann Svennungsen When my father started his optometric practice, he borrowed $2,000 from a local farmer to purchase equipment. When I asked how far $2,000 went in 1952, he said, “Not far. We spent most of it on the phoropter. You know, the instrument for testing vision, the one with all the lenses. [...]
By Pastor Craig Pederson Immersed in the major existential questions and day-to-day minutia of congregational life, it is easy for church leaders to forget about some of our most valuable colleagues who are not under the same roof as us. I’m talking about chaplains – those ministers of the gospel who are called to provide spiritual care in hospitals, senior living facilities, prisons, and other [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Every Memorial Day, my mother made her way to the cemetery to place flowers on her parents’ graves. For me, All Saints’ is the day I feel a similar need. Our son, John Amos, died at the age of 30 on May 2, 2015. He is interred in the columbarium located [...]
Bishop Ann Svennungsen offered this sermon during the Reformation worship of the Ministerium gathering of the Minneapolis Area Synod and the Saint Paul Area Synod at Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Brighton, Minnesota, on October 31, 2017. I’ve been thinking about what Luther would say if he were here today. How does his [...]
By Pr. Kelly Chatman As a Black kid growing up in Detroit, I had no idea what a Lutheran was, let alone some German guy named Martin Luther. I was in 7th grade and I was on a venture to visit my new classmate Willie Wood’s church when I somehow got the directions wrong. (My [...]
By Pr. Deb Stehlin Incredibly holy things happen in church basements. Last week I was with leaders who wonder if they can let go of the way they’ve been doing church in order connect with the people in their neighborhood. It was honest, vulnerable, and holy. Change is hard for some people. Such change in [...]
By Pastor John Hulden Yep, I love reading church newsletters. I like the pictures, the announcements, and, … the “Pastor’s Page” or “Pastor’s Corner” or “From the Pastor” or “A Word from the Pastor” — whatever it might be called. Did you know that church council minutes are fascinating? After decades of church newsletter reading, [...]
The following is an excerpt from Bishop Ann Svennungsen’s sermon preached at the opening worship for 145 synod pastors at the 2017 Bishop’s Theological Conference at Cragun’s Resort near Brainerd, Minnesota, on October 8, 2017. The theme for this conference was “Your Next Bold Step: Faithful Leadership for a Time Such as This.” My best [...]
By Rev. Craig Pederson As we enter this 500th anniversary month of the Reformation, much will be written and spoken about the ongoing impact of that epochal period. Churches from all around our synod have sponsored trips to the sites where Martin Luther ignited a revolution of theology and practice in the church. Our companion [...]
By Rev. Deb Stehlin On Sunday, I got to preach at St. Philip’s in Fridley. Between worship services, I was also able to take part in an educational forum. People of all ages showed up, which made for rich conversation. At one point, I asked the teens, “How many of your friends are part of [...]
