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When the Broadway lyricist Stephen Sondheim died last November, many of us revisited the songs and musicals that he wrote. We listened to Sunday in the Park with George and shared our experiences of seeing Into the Woods. Broadway singers gathered in…
Tyrone Stone, Brandon Johnson, Albert Redmond – these are just three of the ten men studying hard to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Augustana College. One of the ten is the father of a freshman in college – they’re w…
All St. Paul Reads returns in-person for 2022 with Little Faith, the 2021 All Iowa Reads book selection, by Nickolas Butler. Inspired by true events near Butler’s current home in Eau Claire, Wis., and by his family and in-laws as well as his own fait…
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For those who know little about snowboarding, the jargon of Winter Olympic commentators must really baffle. Terms and phrases sprinkled through the broadcasts from Beijing can sound like a foreign language. You may think chatter is talk, but in the…
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As we bid Todd a fond farewell, we also say hello to his successor, Miles Thompson. Miles has been a friendly face around St. Paul for many years, joining the church after his marriage to lifelong member, Margaret (Vogel). Since then he has regularly…
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Once a month or so, I get the joy of helping with our preschool chapel time. Our littlest ones walk into the St. Paul chapel with their class, climb into a seat, and settle in. We sing a couple of songs, share a brief message, and give high fives as…
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Out of the 52 weekends in a year, there are very few where Todd Byerly is not found at the back of the Sanctuary and behind the technical booth, making sure everything runs smoothly. For nearly eight years, Todd has served as the Operations Director…
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Are any of you familiar with the children’s book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst? The story goes that young Alexander, from the moment his feet hit the floor in the morning, has a string of bad luck: he ge…
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I notice dates. I am fascinated that Bettendorf will have a citywide “Zip Code Party” on 5-27-22, the date in this century that numerically reproduces its zip code. Will we even be using zip codes in another 100 years?! “Moon Day” – July 20; JFK’s as…
New Year’s resolutions seem to be a thing of the past, instead being swapped for more contemplative and long-lasting traditions and expressions of gratitude, exploration, and deeper human connection, especially following a few challenging years for m…
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A few weeks ago, we had our small Steinway upright piano tuned. It currently sits in our living room and has recently gained the fascination of our 9-month-old. Sometimes one of us will sit and play chords or simple songs while Micah listens contente…
Since 2007, St. Paul people haven’t needed to keep their heads down and eyes in the red hymnals. Instead, eyes were up and engaged, with the needed words illuminated on the sanctuary screens. And beginning in mid-December, those screens were lit up e…