Christmas is one of the most beloved holidays for many American families, especially children. In my family, it was more than a day. Our festivities began the day after Thanksgiving, as this was the official day for starting our decorating … Continue reading Holiday Traditions and Transitions
The final Christmas sermon Dr. King gave begins: “This Christmas season finds us a rather bewildered human race. We have neither peace within nor peace without. Everywhere, paralyzing fears harrow people by day and haunt them by night. Our world … Continue reading The Foundation of Hope: The God Who Makes All Things New
No more lives torn apartThat wars would never startAnd time would heal all heartsAnd everyone would have a friendAnd right would always winAnd love would never end, noThis is my grown up Christmas list written by David Foster (music) and Linda Thompson-Jenner (lyrics). The … Continue reading The December Edition: Grown-Up Christmas Dreams For A World In Need of Them
Hope gives us the ability to dream and look into our future. As children we were brave and courageous to dream of being rich billionaires to buy the things our parents could not afford. To dream of dreams society would … Continue reading Juans Hope of the American life
Not one of us was here when this house was built. Our immediate ancestors may have had nothing to do with it, but here we are, the current occupants of a property with stress cracks and bowed walls and fissures … Continue reading My Grown-Up Christmas List: A Poem of Hope
The journey of America’s presidency reveals a dynamic rhythm, marked by bold strides during administrations ending in six and challenges that often arise in those ending in seven. This cycle of advancement and retreat reflects the nation’s ongoing struggle with … Continue reading “Lucky Number 6” & The Presidential Wish for 7
Change is hard for many people, both individually and collectively. As a pastor, one of my roles is to help people amid significant life changes: weddings, funerals, illnesses, and job changes, to name a few. People look to the church … Continue reading Attending to the Past, Dreaming of the Future
I was raised in a Norwegian Lutheran tradition in the rural Midwest. The “Kýrie” is an important prayer in Christian liturgy. Like a prairie fire, Kýrie disrupts and awakens. With song like a prairie, Kýrie is a call for healing … Continue reading Kýrie
As America stands at a crucial crossroads, whether we are ready to tip the scale toward meaningful change becomes increasingly pressing. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell describes the tipping point as a pivotal moment when an idea, trend, or … Continue reading The Temperature in the Room: Is America Ready to Tip the Scale?
Three-Fifths 