I was convinced that new digital tools such as smartphone tablets were having negative effects on our ability to relate meaningfully to one another. Then I got sick. Really sick….
Daniel Alexander Payne was born in 1811 in Charleston, S.C. His parents, London and Martha Payne, were free African Americans who both died before Daniel reached puberty. From a young…
Every story tells us how the storyteller perceives the world. Stories are how we describe the world as we think it is, as we fear it is, as we want…
Read part one. Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood (written and directed by Quentin Tarantino) At first glance, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood feels like classic Tarantino,…
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” –1 Peter 4:10 Volunteering. Lots of us do it, whether…
Her mother having passed away only days earlier, Carolyn Bolz was in deep grief while attending the Sunday service at Trinity Lutheran Church, Riverside, Calif. While others cheerfully passed the…
Triumphant Lutheran Church in Garden Ridge, Texas (physically), and New Hope Lutheran Church, Agoura Hills, Calif. (online) Filmmaker/activist/professor/founder of Theatre For Change I pray for my marriage and my children’s…
Last fall, I was invited to participate in the ELCA Southwest California Synod’s first Latino Pastors Learning Day. While in California, I visited Nelson Rabell-González’s congregation in Lodi. What follows…
Alleluia. We have observed his star at its rising, and have come to worship him. Alleluia. —Gospel acclamation for Epiphany (Year A), from Matthew 2:2 When I left the…
Where is God? If you ask some children and many adults, they will point to the sky. And they might be right—at night. The Gospel readings that frame January locate…
I’ve had many wonderful Christmas celebrations over the years. The most memorable one was more than 60 years ago, before I was ordained. I was attending Luther Seminary in St….
I have always loved Mary, the mother of our Lord, and each year she becomes more important to me. But my love for Mary does not come from admiration of…
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