Weekly Blog Posts
The following blog posts are written by Bishop Jen Nagel, Synod staff members, and leaders from the Minneapolis Area Synod.
A call to persistence and resilience
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen In the past seven months, what special event(s) have you missed because of COVID-19? In the synod, five new pastors were ordained recently – in worship services completely different from what [...]
Neighbor-love in November
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Should I vote by mail? Should I vote before November 3 at Early Vote Center? If I vote on election day, will I risk getting COVID-19? When can I expect the election results? [...]
The wisdom of mosses
By Emilie Bouvier Last year, while living in the Cascade mountain at Holden Village, I spent a lot of time thinking about mosses. I had a ritual of getting up at daybreak at least a [...]
More than magic
By Bob Hulteen Let’s be honest: Christian community on its best days is challenging. And, the authors of the scriptures seem to be aware that it is virtually impossible when economic inequity is a lived [...]
‘The year of the Lord’s favor’
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen If you google “images for Jubilee,” you get balloons and party hats, streamers and fireworks. Jubilee means party! Scripture describes something more nuanced. Depending on where you sit, Jubilee can feel [...]
Feather ruffling as a calling
By Brenda Blackhawk A few years ago, a friend and I were asked to lead the Palm Sunday service. We chose the readers, wrote the prayers, and – in lieu of a traditional sermon – [...]
No harm or danger
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t want to reform our country’s immigration system. The question is how. In thinking about Lutheran teaching on immigration, I can almost hear [...]
Do you test positive?
By Pastor Craig Pederson I first saw the phrase on a billboard a couple of months ago: EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. “Huh, maybe it will,” I thought. I felt better for a moment; it was [...]
The gift of daily bread
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Are you still washing all your groceries before putting them away? Do you still set your mail aside a few days before you open it? It’s been more than five months [...]
Putting families first … with grace
By Meghan Olsen Biebighauser I don’t know what it’s like at your house, but in my house the kids are running wild. Frances, my seven-year- old, changes out of her PJs maybe every other [...]