By Bishop Ann Svennungsen How did Joseph do it? Where did he find the courage? We focus a lot on the courage of Mary, but what about Joseph? Engaged, but not living with Mary, he discovers that she’s pregnant. And the child isn’t his. Whoa, … Joseph was an upright Jew. And so was Mary. [...]
By Bob Hulteen We work together so that all experience gracious invitation into life-giving Christian community and live in just and healthy neighborhoods. Yep, if you’ve been to any synod event with Bishop Ann in the last five years, you’ve probably recited the synod’s mission statement. She has been able to drill this aspirational statement [...]
By Pastor Craig Pederson I’m writing this blog near the end of another Black Friday weekend, which seems to get more “biblical” every year. By that I mean that the seven days it took for God to create the heavens and the earth don’t really align with our chronological understanding of a “day.” Likewise, Black [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. During my last year of seminary, I had an 8:00 a.m. class on the Gospel of John. I was also three months pregnant – a bad combination for wakefulness. I’ve kept my notes from that class. [...]
By Pastor Deb Stehlin For several months (yes, months!) Pastor Jorge Espinoza has been abiding at a mobile home park in Chaska. With others, he organized a summer soccer league, put on a day camp, and tutors children. After months of gentle, loving presence, a man attending an event Pastor Jorge organized with residents asked [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen A couple in Chicago recently told me about their practice when visiting dear friends who are Jewish. “When we’re in their home, we’re invited into the prayers of their faith. When they visit our home, we invite them into the prayers of our Christian faith. We’ve found it to be both [...]
By Pastor John Hulden Are you tired of hearing and reading and talking about the demise of the church? Well, let’s talk about football instead. I like watching football. I’ve never played it — well, I guess I played a couple games of flag football at seminary. I’m also in two fantasy football leagues. One [...]
By Pr. Craig Pederson It happened 30 years ago, yet the image will be forever etched in my mind. It was the summer of 1989, and I was frozen speechless in front of the TV as a solitary figure stood defiantly – and for all he knew, sacrificially – staring down a military tank just [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen As a kid I would never have imagined that Lutheran Church would play such a key role in the ecumenical movement. We weren’t especially ecumenical in Shelby, Montana. And yet, before I entered fourth grade, Lutherans were beginning to lead. I’ve always imagined that the more mainline churches would take the [...]
Faith seeking hope By Craig Pederson “What gives you hope as you do this work?” That was the question we reflected upon to begin the most recent meeting of our synod’s Muslim Solidarity Task Force. This remarkable group of Christians and Muslims – both clergy and lay leaders – was formed as a result of [...]
