A boom in baptisms
Living Faithfully

A boom in baptisms

Vishal Ryan Gangaram has been an atheist and, later, a practicing Muslim, but over the Labor Day weekend the 23-year-old was baptized at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Eggertsville, N.Y….

What are the 12 days of Christmas?
Voices of Faith

What are the 12 days of Christmas?

Editor’s note: This article originally ran on Dec. 27, 2019. Christmas, according to the liturgical calendar, isn’t just a day, but a season. Many Christians know the song “The Twelve…

Ground-breaking arrival
Voices of Faith

Ground-breaking arrival

I have no idea what this Christmas will look like, but one thing is for sure—it will be far from flawless, and I’m OK with that. After all, the first…

From a Christmas Day fire to gratitude
Living Faithfully

From a Christmas Day fire to gratitude

Less than a year after a fire on Christmas morning destroyed Good Shepherd Lutheran in Levittown, N.Y., the congregation was selling Christmas trees to raise money for their rebuilding efforts….

Embrace simplicity this Christmas
Voices of Faith

Embrace simplicity this Christmas

Back in 2020, a month into COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, my 5-year-old son already had a sense of what had been lost. He knew about the places we could no longer…

Observing Advent and Christmas in increments
Voices of Faith

Observing Advent and Christmas in increments

Despite our insistence on barreling toward Christmas, Advent unfolds in increments. Look at the crown of green glory adorning your kitchen table or sanctuary. Candles in the Advent wreath are…

I’m a Lutheran: Mark Hansen
Voices of Faith

I’m a Lutheran: Mark Hansen

St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minn. Partner, co-owner of Hansen Tree Farm; member, Minnesota Christmas Tree Association; retired research forester, U.S. Forest Service; volunteer, University of Minnesota forestry…

Activated to do justice and share joy
Living Faithfully

Activated to do justice and share joy

Lee M. Miller II knows well what it’s like to begin a long-lasting journey. A three-time marathoner, Miller has called himself “a slow runner, and I finish in the back…