Cooper Schou has an ear for sound. Now he’s using his talents at St. Paul as he joins the staff in a new role built around worship, digital media, and the music that has defined his life. Cooper Schou has never really stopped playing. Drums in fifth…
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In the last few weeks, the tower standing high above the sanctuary here at St. Paul has looked different. Because of a failing in the material of the fascia (the outside “skin” of the tower) we need to replace the exterior. This enormous project beco…
The 129 House has long been home to the St. Paul residency program and the office of counselor Steve Kalber — and Steve isn’t going anywhere. But the house has taken on a new purpose: three nonprofits with deep roots in the St. Paul community have li…
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In February, right around the time that Lent started, I added a new habit to my nightly routine. I was scrolling on TikTok when I came across this idea of a “glimmer.” A glimmer is the opposite of a trigger. It’s a little moment that puts a smile on…
Connie King has been planting native species in her yard for years — watching for butterflies, waiting for birds, noticing what grows and what doesn’t. For a long time, she did it quietly and mostly alone. That changed about a year ago, when a handfu…
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My garden looks bare. It is so bare that it is slightly depressing. What ended last season as a lush and beautiful area is now scraggly; the proportions are all completely off. Why? Because I just split up the plants. The hostas. My family spent th…
If you’ve stood outside St. Paul and looked up, you’ve seen it: the sanctuary tower, rising above the roofline, capped with a large cross. It’s easy to take for granted. It was designed that way. But for years, water has been finding its way inside —…
The seasons of the church year shape our rhythms, marking moments of reflection and growth. We know what to expect when Advent approaches and again when Lent rolls around. These seasons come with practices, themes, and invitations we anticipate each…
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I ‘ve spent a lot of time walking down memory lane recently. As many of you know, this is the second time I’ve called Iowa home, the first being during my years at Wartburg College. Those memories are resurfacing and one in particular has stayed with…
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There are all sorts of places we might call home — apartments, houses, townhomes, RVs. And each home is, of course, unique to those who live there. Just think about the variety of houses you’ve spent time in. Some are organized, while others are a bi…
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I recently had my blood drawn in preparation for my annual physical. I used to be nervous about the poke, but now I’m less anxious about being punctured and more frantic about the test results. I think as we age things can go haywire, causing me to b…
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When I was in middle school, I got a TV in my room. Of course, since I was born in the 1900s, a TV in your room didn’t mean much if you didn’t have cable or a VCR (neither of which I had). Some nights, when the clouds were few and the wind was jus…