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Things have gotten fuzzier as the days go by. That’s true for me in all sorts of ways right now, and I suspect that I’m not alone. I don’t need to shave every day; the beard grows fuzzier. I can’t go get a haircut; the ‘do gets fuzzier. The weekly pa…
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We all have people in our lives who have been integral to fostering our faith in Jesus. One such person in my life was a campus pastor of mine in college, Ryan. I often think of Ryan in the spring, because he had the worst allergies of any person I’v…
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The other day I was on a walk with the sole purpose in mind to deliver a few greetings to friends who live in the neighborhood. The contents of my pockets included: a card for a neighbor who encourages me in my writing, a cassette tape from my youth…
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A few weeks ago, there was a glorious spring day here in the Quad Cities. I made sure to get some extra time outside to soak up a little sunshine. We sat out on the deck as we ate dinner that evening. And as we were picking up around the house, I eve…
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Laughter is really great for the soul. It may be the perfect antidote to a life soaked with anxiety. When pieces of our world as we’ve known it appear to be slipping away – some of them forever? – why shy away from humor? It may be that thread to san…
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In these days of social distancing and spending lots of time in my house, I have looked to people in our congregation to teach me how to do this. For some of our community, having to stay home is nothing new. For months, sometimes years, they have “s…
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This particular April 9th – in the year 2020 – enjoys a remarkable confluence of religious moments. For Western Christians, it is Maundy Thursday, the beginning of the great Three Days that culminate on Easter. For our Jewish neighbors, it is the fir…
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This week I received a message from a friend of mine from seminary. Her work, pre-Coronavirus and now, involves some solitary, repetitive tasks, and so she’s gotten into the habit of reciting some simple prayers from memory as she works: the Lord’s p…
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A couple Sundays ago, we did something as a congregation that is highly unusual for St. Paul Lutheran: we canceled worship. In its place, an online service was produced and the day we would have gathered collectively, an assortment of building and mi…
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Several weeks ago, I had an hour or so at home before needing to head out to my next activity. I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, thinking I’d watch a mindless show for awhile after a busy day at work. Grabbing the remote, I flipped throug…
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I saw something amazing happen in the hospital lobby this week. It started with a young man in scrubs. I’m not sure if he was just having a great day or if every day he encountered people with radiant eyes and huge smile. But that afternoon he greete…
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When we moved into our new home in Davenport last summer, one of the things we “inherited” from the former owners was a burned-out light bulb. That should not be a big deal. When it’s a small indoor floodlight in a track lighting fixture on a cathedr…