Ellen Weiss comes from a family of musicians. Her mother, grandparents, and generations of great-grandparents all practiced the art of music. As a young child, Ellen started to sing in her local church’s children’s choir in Sweden. The director of th…
With the words “please turn on your souls and turn off your cell phones,” the service begins. There are about 60 people in worship here on this day, spread throughout the 102-year-old sanctuary of First Evangelical Lutheran Church, on the northwest s…
Matthew Coomber first remembers learning about Nazi Germany at a young age, horrified that such a profound evil had such a great influence in the world. As he grew older and learned that some still adhere to Nazi ideology, he was driven by a need to…
Worship experiences have their own excitement. Other rituals in life, like taking out contact lenses at bedtime and brushing teeth in a particular way, are quite predictable. But in worship, anything can happen. A mother may get the strings of her da…
Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. I am the oldest and have two younger brothers. I grew up singing in choirs and playing sports, particularly soccer. My mom was our church musician, so I spent much of my time gro…
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Where did you grow up? My family was a group of rolling stones, so I grew up in several different places across the American south. I like to count packing and moving as one of my life skills. Currently, my parents live in a small town in Mississippi…
Jim Blaha is a funny guy. In middle school, he ran for student council. His campaign slogan was Vote for James Blaha – He’s No Joke. Get it? Blaha, kind of like haha. He won the election, he says with a big wide smile. Jim absolutely loves music, car…
There are countless reasons given for justifying anti-Semitism around the world. I don’t like any of them. Why this minority population deserves to be consistently demonized defies all reason. There isn’t a century in the last 2000 years where people…
On this coming Palm Sunday, St. Paul people will wave palms in the air to mark the beginning of the eight days that tell the events of our salvation, to commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. It’s a beautiful tradition, deep in symbolism. The wavin…
Marla Brundies first became interested in helping those who struggle with mental health, addictions, and intellectual disabilities as a teenager, when she babysat a child with a disability. Marla, 60, spent the first part of her adult life working fo…
In the warmth of the Dominican sun, Brad Holehan leads a class room of future leaders. These students are tops in their class. In a country wracked by poverty, at least half come from families who live with very low incomes. Brad is a graduate of Aug…
I am trying to fathom the experience of a 32-year-old black man highlighted in the Justice Department’s scathing report on Ferguson, Missouri’s corrupt police department. Our 32-year-old friend is cooling off in his car after a basketball game in a F…