How Rachel Held Evans influenced my faith
Voices of Faith

How Rachel Held Evans influenced my faith

“When you stop trying to force the Bible to be something it’s not—static, perspicacious, certain, absolute—then you’re free to revel in what it is: living, breathing, confounding, surprising and, yes,…
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Voices of Faith

Ambassadors of reconciliation

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do…
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Voices of Faith

What’s happening in preaching courses?

When I first felt called to pastoral ministry, part of the fear I felt was about standing in front of a congregation to preach. I couldn’t imagine creating a sermon,…
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Voices of Faith

I’m a Lutheran: Nickolas Butler

Nickolas Butler Trinity Lutheran Church, Eau Claire, Wis. Novelist and short-story writer I believe in being good to other people, in making art, in trying to be patient, in seeing…
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Voices of Faith

A father’s example

“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he is wrong.” —Charles Wadsworth My friend Dan once told me,…
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Voices of Faith

Three persons, one love

I thank Ethel and Ed for teaching me about the Trinity. They weren’t seminary professors or pastors or even Sunday school teachers. They were pillars of my congregation who had…
The witness of the Bible
Voices of Faith

The witness of the Bible

Editor’s note: In this five-part series, former ELCA Presiding Bishop Herbert Chilstrom examines the authority and interpretation of the Bible. Part two explored using the Bible in context. The process…
Heavenly sounds, humble tool
Voices of Faith

Heavenly sounds, humble tool

“I relish the experience of playing for Sunday services,” said Natalia Paruz. That isn’t unusual coming from a Lutheran professional musician, but Paruz plays an unusual instrument—the musical saw. The…
My faith journey: Holy conversations
Voices of Faith

My faith journey: Holy conversations

It was a Thursday afternoon after the leaves had turned color on the trees that punctuate the concrete plaza in front of the student union at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln….