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Voices of Faith

Saved for, not from

In 1960, Walt Disney released the movie Pollyanna, starring Hayley Mills. As a little boy, I was madly in love with Hayley, even though she never returned my letters. In…
Prior approval: Finding theology in <i>I Feel Pretty</i>
Voices of Faith

Prior approval: Finding theology in I Feel Pretty

At first, I was a little concerned about comedian Amy Schumer’s new movie, I Feel Pretty, largely because I felt the controversial premise could go either way. Schumer plays Renee,…
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Voices of Faith

The mobile parish

When I concluded my ministry at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Dale City, Va., I prayed for an immediate call within the Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod to avoid moving our youngest…
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Voices of Faith

Deeper conversations

“The last thing my pastor told me before I left for college was that if I majored in biology, I’d go to hell.” Several seminary instructors had been invited to…
Perspective: Yearning for reconciliation is not enough
Voices of Faith

Perspective: Yearning for reconciliation is not enough

Editor’s note: This entry is the fifth in a multipart series on white fragility. Read the introduction here, part two here, part three here and part four here. The final…
The Avengers and a demand for grace
Voices of Faith

The Avengers and a demand for grace

In a favorite moment of 2012’s The Avengers, supervillain Loki taunts the Hulk by bellowing, “You are, all of you, beneath me!” But just as Loki declares, “I am a…
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Voices of Faith

Jesus prayed for me

In the Gospel text for the seventh Sunday of Easter (John 17:6-19), Jesus prays for the disciples as his earthly journey nears its end. What was Jesus feeling as he…
I’m a Lutheran: Carol W. Carroll
Voices of Faith

I’m a Lutheran: Carol W. Carroll

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Saratoga, Calif. Engineer I believe God created the universe and everything in it. I believe God gave us the power to think and discover, the…
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Voices of Faith

Holy possessions in an anxious age

I get asked from time to time: “What made you decide to become a pastor?” Not as often now as when I was preparing for ordination and interviewing with call…
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Voices of Faith

God’s grand creation

Even with our extended winter this year, the bluebirds are back and choosing their nesting sites, which, for me, means that “spring has sprung!” One of the primary ways I enjoy…
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Voices of Faith

I’m a Lutheran: Olivia Konrardy-Buchal

First Lutheran Church, Onalaska, Wis. Fifth-grader at Eagle Bluff Elementary School, Onalaska, Wis. I believe that everyone should be treated equally and have a second chance. Nobody should be left…