“Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” Genesis 1:20-23 Margaret and I enjoy the beauty and diversity of God’s creation. Bird watching is one of the ways for us to experience nature and the b…
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Just last weekend I went to a dinner event with my family and one of the hosts inquired of me, “You work at St. Paul?” and then added, “it’s such a lovely facility.” In the short time since I started serving here, I’ve heard this compliment often. I…
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I was sitting in the back of a bus with some friends recently as the driver wound his way through some narrow streets in downtown Tel Aviv. One of these friends told a story with a closing line that caused others of us to erupt with laughter. It’s ha…
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In August, when Meyer Wikoff walked from her home to a kindergarten orientation at All Saints Catholic School in Davenport, she noticed trash along her path. “I told my moms, ‘can we pick this up?’” said Meyer, who is the daughter of Haley and Erin W…
A documentary about the systemic causes of homelessness in America will be shown at St. Paul on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m., in the Chapel. Released earlier this year, The Invisible Class explores what it means to be homeless in America, challenging…
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For quite a while, Trampus Budde thought the progressively increasing fatigue he felt was just the result of aging, or maybe being a bit out of shape. He figured he could just push through. By December 2017, he would arrive home from his job as princ…
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As Thanksgiving nears, we recall that gratitude is something we best cultivate and express every day, not just once a year. Of course, few people actually restrict their gratitude to the fourth Thursday in November. Birthdays, anniversaries of variou…
This weekend, a bell will toll. The names of beloved from St. Paul who died this past year will be read out loud at worship. Candles will be lit. We will remember, with deep gratitude, these precious lives: Parents, spouses, siblings, grandparents, f…
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Last Halloween, as we made our way through our neighborhood trick-or-treating, my kids head up the sidewalk to a modest little bungalow. A few older kids walked around us, gushing with excitement. I overheard them say, “Seriously!?! That guy just gav…
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Take a peek into the kindergarten Sunday school room at St. Paul, and you’ll likely see a kid named Leo Voyna. He’s a super-smart, super-funny kid who happens to use a tablet to verbally communicate (quite clearly, we might add). He is on the autism…
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The day after a young woman named Emerson Hughes was diagnosed with leukemia, my son, Nick Hartje, called from the hospital. It was clear Emerson, his girlfriend, wouldn’t be able to go to their homecoming at Davenport Central this year. Her doctors…
Each fall, the St. Paul congregation hosts the community-wide Guest Speaker Series. The church brings persons of national stature to the Quad Cities – sparking new ideas about what it means to live faithfully. This event reflects St. Paul’s mission t…