Many of you know that I am, in fact, a bit of a Christmas enthusiast. The music, the (bad) movies, the decorations, traditions. All of it. I will battle to the end that Die Hard is a Christmas movie and it should be watched annually, lest the season …
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During these weeks before Christmas, our family lights candles on an Advent wreath at dinner time. As we light the candles we sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” When our son was four or five, he asked about the lyrics of that twelfth century chant and w…
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“Will you know him when you see him? Will he look like any other man? Will you recognize your savior? Will you know your redeemer? As the child in Bethlehem?” -Chorus of “Will You Know Him?” by Beverly Smith Alongside millions of Americans, I had to…
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For most of us, we typically reserve the word “awe” for that feeling of being in the presence of something truly incredible, mesmerizing, or that’s otherwise beyond extraordinary. For instance, a few weeks ago, you probably saw lots of images of peop…
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This weekend, we gather for worship for the last time this liturgical year. Simply put, we are knocking on the door of Advent, that time of preparation before our Christmas celebrations. But first, we must recognize the day called The Reign of Christ…
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“May you go from strength to strength!” This blessing, echoing a phrase from Psalms 84:7, is one of many gifts I have gained over the years of my dialogue and partnerships with Jews. The sentiment of the phrase seems clear, at least to Merriam-Webste…
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When our family traveled to Tanzania a few weeks ago, I packed an embarrassing amount of snacks. I was convinced that our children would need peanut butter crackers or granola bars, just in case. My husband kept telling me that we wouldn’t nee…
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St. Paul partners with the Appalachian Service Project (ASP), a non-profit organization in rural Appalachia. ASP focuses on home repairs to help people stay warmer, drier, and safer throughout the county. Every year, St. Paul sends a group of volunt…
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I’m feeling particularly grateful for three specific people right now. I’ll keep their names out of this blog, but that doesn’t take away from the gratitude I’m feeling. Three guys, about my age, said “yes” (again) to volunteer coaching fifth grade…
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Several weeks ago, as the back-to-school season approached, I was reminiscing about family summer vacations over the years. One of the standout favorites was a mid-summer trip to northern Minnesota. I was in my early teens when my parents, sister, an…
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Thinking ahead from writing this, I realize that many of you will be reading it on the day it comes out in St. Paul’s e-News, when we also have one of our Theology Pub outings. That St. Paul institution is one I inherited when I arrived in 2019. I to…
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This week, I had the opportunity to hear a series of lectures from one of the Lutheran bishops of Hungary, Bishop Dr. Tamás Fabiny. When he began his talks, Bishop Fabiny shared that when one Hungarian Lutheran sees another Hungarian Lutheran, they s…