John 20:19-31 It came across my news feed this week. A young friend from another time and place is in distress. I would not venture to offer the multiple causes of her worry, however there was this. An older friend suggested she might think about coming back to church for the support of God’s people …
Thin Places: Finding Words for the Mystery of Easter
Luke 24:1-12 It was such a tender time for us then — still, even after a couple of years since his dying. Oh, the surprise of it had worn off some, this is true. And the grief was not so raw. Even so, with every joy and every struggle we could not help but wonder …
This Dying: We Could Do No Better Than This
John 18:1-19:42 We took our confirmation youth to the funeral home a few weeks back. It is a long standing tradition in our congregation — one surely made easily possible by the fact that an active member has been the owner of a local funeral home for many years. As you can imagine, this gives …
The Donkey: A Subversive Choice?
Luke 19:28-40 I have written of the colt — or donkey — which Jesus rode into Jerusalem in this space before. You can find my thoughts here at: Humble and Mounted on a Donkey. As you can tell from the title, my thoughts a few years ago focused on Jesus’ humility as he rode into Jerusalem. …
The Anointing
John 12:1-8 It was some years ago now that I went to call on a man who was in his last hours of hospice care. I made my way in through the side door into the kitchen for his hospital bed was blocking the front entry. When I entered I found his wife of 60 …
Two Sons: How Will the Story End?
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 There was a man who had two sons… It is “fiction,” of course. Or at least it is not “the truth” in the ways we are most accustomed to thinking of “truth.” For we are told right up front that Jesus is telling stories now. And yet, the characters, the scenario, the …
How Much Does It Cost?
Isaiah 55:1-9 It comes from a long time back, this story. I was on my seminary internship in Wahoo, Nebraska. It was the practice then for area Lutheran pastors (and interns) to take turns leading a monthly communion service at a local nursing home. These services were held in the lounge at one end of …
Not Too Late
Luke 13:31-35 I got called to the hospital late after a meeting on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. A woman was entering hospice care. Most of her grown children were there. Some live nearby. Others had traveled a great distance and were here for the duration. “Mom is troubled,” they told me. “She thinks she …
Tested
Luke 4:1-13 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted (or tested) by the devil. (Luke 4:1-2) Surely it is hard for most mere mortals to comprehend or relate to the strength and fortitude of Jesus as …
On Clean Hearts and Good Starts: Some Thoughts for Ash Wednesday
Psalm 51:1-17 Last year on Ash Wednesday I happened to be one of the chaplains on call at our local hospital. It was early afternoon when a nurse called from the maternity ward to ask if I could bring ashes. One of her patients had requested it. And so I put some ashes in an …