“Take a deep breath. “Really deep. “No, deeper. “Breathe in from your stomach.” My husband, Stephen, looked at me from across the dining room table. Charlotte, our 1-year-old daughter, was seated next to him. Another day was upon us. Stephen took a deep, relaxing breath. “I haven’t done that in a long time. I haven’t […]
The small village where I served with the Peace Corps had never hosted a volunteer. Nestled beside one of the two roads in the country, an eight-hour bus ride from the capital, the village had rarely, if ever, seen a white person (I’m pictured above). In The Gambia, they called white people toubabs. It wasn’t […]
I wonder what she thought of us? She—dressed in traditional Indian fabric, bright colors, scarf covering her hair and flowing skirt. She—sunk deeply into the couch intently watching TV. And us. Six excited and eager students and counselors greeted by an unfamiliar language and dialect blaring from the TV. Us—dressed in our nicest clothes. Us—anticipating […]
In an ever-changing world, I think that our prayer life is constantly in flux. We all wrestle and grow with our faith. We move forward in contemplation only to fall backward again when nothing seems to make sense. Sometimes we scream and shout our prayers. Sometimes we whisper and yearn to be heard. We pray and we […]
What are you waiting for? It’s the quintessential Advent question. Everyone seems to be waiting for something. Or someone. Are you waiting for the new year? For less stress and anxiety? Renewed health? A sense of peace? Hope? Deeper relationships? Healing? Safety? The treasured gift on your Christmas list? Snow? Love? The birth of the […]
Have you ever cried so hard, been so upset, that you couldn’t catch your breath? Have you been so overwhelmed by life—violence … inequality … death … brokenness—that you couldn’t imagine what the future would look like for your grandchildren? One day Charlotte, my then 1-year-old, was crying and couldn’t catch her breath. She was […]
Our toddler has a new routine this Christmas season. First thing in the morning, we hear the pitter-patter of her small feet running down the hall to the living room. She gets to the Christmas tree first and starts to blow—she’s hoping the lights will turn on. Next she turns to the garland and decorations […]
Three years ago, when Stephen Zeller began his call as pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cole Camp, Mo., a member came to him interested in planning an event like the ELCA Youth Gathering—but for adults. “Why do the children and youth get to have all the fun?” the member asked. His children and grandchildren had raved about attending […]
You make beautiful things out of the dust / You make beautiful things out of us —Gungor. My dad knew the beauty of dust. Even before he was sick and death could be denied, my dad knew what would happen to his dust. My father’s instructions were clear. He would be cremated and had specific […]
