Weekly Blog Posts
The following blog posts are written by Bishop Jen Nagel, Synod staff members, and leaders from the Minneapolis Area Synod.
Ears perk when Lutherans use their voices
By Jack Hurbanis Being present in rooms with the people who have power and make decisions in our communities is one of the foundational pieces of community organizing. Whether those are elected officials, business and [...]
A different angle of vision
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen If you ever catch yourself wondering if you should vote in the next election, spend a few days with our Lutheran partners from Leipzig. Last week, several leaders from our synod [...]
Little pieces of yourself
By Maya Bryant Walking into Lord of Life Lutheran in Ramsey on October 6, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. It was our second Communicators Gathering in person since the beginning of the pandemic, [...]
Grandmas’ table talk
By Nicholas Tangen Last week, John Hulden and I spent three days in Indianapolis meeting with other leaders who have received a Thriving Congregations grant from the Lilly Endowment. Each day we gathered for worship, [...]
With significant flaws, … still rooted and engaged
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Founded in 1988, we will soon celebrate the 35th anniversary of the ELCA, formed by the merger of three predecessor bodies – the AELC, the ALC, and the LCA. However, even [...]
Weren’t our hearts burning … ?’
By Pastor Norma Malfatti The story of Cleopas and the other disciple walking on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 has been a passage resting with me for several months. If you don’t remember it, [...]
Unexpected wonder
By Emilie Bouvier If you’ve talked to me in the past five months, you’ve probably heard me talk about my planned trip back out west to go hiking in the Cascades. It’s been almost three [...]
‘Mairzy Dotes and Dicey Quotes …’
By Bob Hulteen If I learned anything from my religion professors in college (which, of course, I did since they were great), it was that a deep understanding of context is essential when working with [...]
Pandemic, pain, and push ups
By Pastor Craig Pederson As the odometer on my body passed the 54-year mark earlier this summer, I gave thanks for the gift of living a relatively healthy life thus far. I also took stock [...]