It's the day for ashes, maybe even dust storms. For us in the Lutheran tradition, we make a special effort to be at worship. As ashes are marked in the shape of a cross on our foreheads, we hear the words, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." It is a good thing to be reminded that I am human and will die. It helps set priorities. But this year, after … [Read more...] about Dust storm
Archives for February 2009
Red-wing neighbors
This is an amazing morning! Not only has God loved the world so much, not only are we born from above each morning, but today the red-wing blackbirds have arrived in the back field. As the sun was coming up, the glossy black males were perched in the bare trees overlooking their feeding ground while the brown females hopped among the lower branches. I would have walked right … [Read more...] about Red-wing neighbors
Snake in a tree
I was startled to see the snake in a tree. We were hiking in Virginia and I just happened to look up from memorizing the crucifixion story in John's gospel. (This is when I was still working on sabbatical.) There it was. A black snake maybe five or six feet long, curled and twisted into the bark with its head curved back and resting on its body. It seemed to be sleeping and … [Read more...] about Snake in a tree
Most famous verse
This coming Sunday we will hear John 3.16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." This has got to be the most famous verse in the new testament. I have seen it plastered on billboards and painted on a barn. I think I must have first learned John 3.16 at vacation bible school where … [Read more...] about Most famous verse
Beginning
It's about time to start joining all you bloggers out there, especially folks at St. Paul Lutheran. This is my attempt at a beginning, and here is my purpose. A large portion of my week's work is preparing and praying about the week's message. But a Sunday's sermon is not about my ideas but about all of us wrestling with God's word in our lives. If anything real happens on … [Read more...] about Beginning