by Emily Carson Jesus consistently stepped into tense situations rather than tiptoeing around them. He didn’t avoid difficult interpersonal dynamics; he embraced them and recognized that tension is often a catalyst for transformation (of people and systems). Tension can be defined as the state of being stretched. We can experience it individually, and it also […]
by Jennifer Hackbarth Our bodies work hard to maintain homeostasis, a state when all bodily systems are functioning in balance. No matter the temperature of our environment, our internal body temperature needs to stay within a fairly narrow range; if it goes too high or too low, we can get sick and even die. We […]
by Susan Schneider “If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you […]
by Mary Button You know those songs everybody knows, but everybody knows only about 80% of the lyrics? Maybe you’ve been that person belting out the words to a song, up to that point where you just kind of hum or mumble along with the tune. For me, it happens even with hymns I’ve known […]
by Jeanette Bidne As followers of Jesus, each of us has many names. Child of God. A sheep of Christ’s flock. Disciple of the way. Our baptismal promises call us to “work for justice and peace.” Do we think of ourselves as peace bearers? How about followers of the way? In this Easter season, I […]
by Collette Broady Grund Though I never would’ve believed it when my 46-year-old husband died suddenly three years ago, grief has blessings to offer. This is not to say that the things we grieve are necessary to our spiritual growth, that everything happens for a reason or any other such nonsense. Platitudes like those are […]
by Ralen M. Robinson “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. (Psalm 139:14) “When did you become Lutheran?” “Will you leave the ministry after you have children so you can be a mom?” “How do you expect to lead a church when you […]
by Susan Schneider “But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, ‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people’. . . . The gifts he gave were. . . to equip the saints for the work […]
by Jen Collins What’s your word? Mine is OVERWHELMED. Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. (Isaiah 40:1) As I spend time with people in various communities the number one word that I’ve heard over these last couple of months is “OVERWHELMED.” I imagine people everywhere are striving to navigate all the ways we […]
by Collette Broady Grund This past February was not the first time I’ve needed and tried to draw boundaries in my life, to carve out time for all the things that are important to me, to keep my personal and professional lives in balance. But this time was different, because of a book I read, […]