By Pr. Craig Pederson It’s Monday afternoon, and the last thing I thought I’d be doing right now is writing a blog entry. I expected to be packing and preparing for my family’s Spring Break vacation that was to start tomorrow. Our destination: Los Angeles and San Francisco for 10 days of fun in the [...]
By Emilie Bouvier Looking back, I can point to the moment I first demonstrated that I’m a community organizer at heart – and a church organizer at that. I was in first grade. I was a pastor’s kid in a small town church in rural Nebraska. As most pastor’s kids can relate, I spent a [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Church nerds often find many things to disagree about. But, I think most church health experts would agree on some basic truisms about “vital congregations.” Most would probably name the following: Be clear about your mission. Why are you here? Why, specifically, is your congregation (not just any congregation) here? Engage [...]
By Brenda Blackhawk I just returned from Bogotá, Colombia, where I attended the first Inter-American Lutheran Encounter: AYNI. The word “Ayni” comes from the Indigenous communities of Bolivia and its meaning is multi-layered; I’m not sure there is an exact translation into English. Ayni is a reciprocal understanding of the world and a specific way [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Throughout my life I’ve worked hard to avoid claiming that any particular political party is the closest reflection of God’s will. I believe that Christian people can live out their values in whatever party they choose; that the two-party system has given this country an important history of checks and balances. [...]
By Pastor Craig Pederson A week has passed since the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the life of Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others who were on their way to a youth basketball game. As the tributes and memorials continue to accumulate in the media and online, it’s hard to [...]
By Pastor Deb Stehlin On Sunday, the people of Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley voted to call me as their senior pastor. They did this even though I warned them that choosing me means they’re getting an evangelist. As I begin the spiritual work of letting go of my current platform for evangelism, it [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen I was privileged to meet Drew Hart, religion professor at Messiah College, when I sat next to him at dinner last Tuesday before his lecture at Luther Seminary. Impressed with his grace and approachability, I wasn’t exactly expecting the challenge his lecture would bring. Oh, his words came with that same [...]
By Pastor John Hulden Pictures tell stories. Take a look at this photograph (on the right) from May 1919. These are St. Olaf College students, canoeing down the Cannon River to Red Wing, Minnesota, to attend ... (take a deep breath and say out loud): “The First National Convention of the Young People’s Luther League [...]
By Emilie Bouvier These days as I settle back into life in Minneapolis, I’ve been sharing a roof not only with two very close friends, but also their two amazing toddlers. Antalya, who is 4, and her little sister Aurelia are the dearest kiddos in my life and an absolute hoot to call housemates. Yes, [...]
