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A few weeks ago, I was riding in a Land Cruiser through rural Tanzania heading to a Maasai village called Nadaruru. I saw a sign for Nadaruru, and our driver, William, slowed down and turned on his blinker. But there was no obvious place to turn off…
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Listening to music has no practical purpose. It simply puts us in touch with the joy and beauty of life, or sometimes the sadness and uncertainty of life. Next to silence, I sometimes think, music may come closest to expressing those inexpressible my…
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I am what you call a “cradle Lutheran.” I grew up going to the same Lutheran church in Lebanon, PA until after I finished seminary and moved to the Quad Cities. I was baptized, confirmed, married, and overall raised in the faith at Holy Trinity. I at…
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She had no church experience while growing up. Kathy McManigal’s family celebrated Easter and Christmas with gifts and family gatherings, but being a part of a church community was not part of her childhood. As she grew into a young adult, she would…
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Every year I look forward to watching the NFL draft on television. I love college football, and I’m eager to see the reactions of some of my favorite players when a team selects them. What an emotional moment to finally realize that their dreams of p…
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It all started with a bowl of strawberries – ripe, red fruit left behind for waste in a cafeteria at Augustana College. Strawberries have a lot of tiny seeds on them, upwards of 200. These particular strawberries ended up planting seeds that grew int…
Come on out to St. Paul’s north lawn for an afternoon of food, music, and games. Bring your lawn chair and sunscreen to St. Paul, and wear gear representing your favorite team, for tailgating fun in the sun for all ages. It will be warm and sunny thi…
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This weekend, I will meet with a committee in Indianapolis for an “approval” interview. Three years ago, in April 2015, I met with the same committee for the first time to begin the process of joining the roster of ordained ministers in the Evangelic…
Giving a Fish a Bath: The Untold Story of the Adolescent Mind will be presented 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, at St. Paul. It is free and open to the public. Ever think the adolescent mind was impossible to understand? Recent discoveries in neurosci…
Vacation Bible School 2018 will venture onto an uncharted island where kids survive and thrive. They will be anchored in the truth that Jesus carries them through life’s storms. VBS will be Monday, June 11-Friday, June 15. The week will include music…
St. Paul opens its doors to the community and welcomes a variety of choirs to sing in the Sanctuary throughout the year. Two college choirs will fill the Sanctuary with song in concerts over the next two weeks. The concerts are free, with a freewill…
St. Paul counts five deacons among its active membership. Deacons serve in congregations and other ministries of the ELCA. DEEP GLADNESS I’m an accidental deacon. Frederick Buechner famously wrote, “The place God calls you to is the place where your…