Living in an imperfect world

I told you a little about my background. I was the 2nd son of 6 boys in a fundamentalist, Christian nationalist church. We feared hippies, people of color, people with long hair and people who vote…

I was going to post a video today. Earlier, the road construction outside my porch was in full swing. The porch was rattling and the house shaking. So the video will have to wait… Then I see …

Courage, Compassion, Community

A word on racism.

A few random things.

An antidote to the "war on men"

The good, the bad, the ugly

How the GOP destroys life

There is an interesting thing that happens when you start listening to people's stories, truly hearing them and believing them.

How conservative theology and culture leads to ICE

I moved to Minnesota a few years ago now. I joined a wonderful congregation of believers at First English Lutheran. It is called “First English” because it was the first English speaking Lutheran church in Faribault. If my memory serves, we have recently celebrated our 168th year as a congregation. I wasn’t a member the whole time, but it is still a milestone. Everyone is so kind and generous and loving. Most are Norwegian. They will engage in gentle humor towards the “Swedish” Lutherans from time to time. But I’ve found my people.

It doesn't win in the end.

Then he shall say to the goats on his left hand, “when I was a boy at target, you threw me on the ground, beat me, cuffed me and dragged me away.

Then he shall say to the goats on his left hand, “when I was a boy at target, you threw me on the ground, beat me, cuffed me and dragged me away.

Then he shall say to the goats on his left hand, “when I was a boy at target, you threw me on the ground, beat me, cuffed me and dragged me away.

The blood of the innocent cries out from the earth.

What radicalized me

It's always been this way, so take heart!

Anyone who has read through or has tried to read through the Old Testament has run into the genealogies. You know, the "He beget so and so-s" that seems to go on interminably. But there is a reason for them. God promised that he would send a redeemer. Through Abraham, through Isaac, through Jacob, through David, Solomon and so forth.

You’re fat. You’re stupid. No one even likes you. You are worthless. If it wasn’t for me, no one would even tolerate you. There are millions who were raised by cruel and harsh men and women who have never known a kind word; who have never known what it is to be accepted or loved. We learn our place in the world from those around us when we are little.

Our national sin

It’s about good and evil. I agree with the sentiment that we shouldn't let politics divide us. Politics is about whether this group or that group should receive federal funds, whether to make a treaty with this country or that country, what is the best way to promote life and safety to the vulnerable population, and what the duties of the federal government are and what the duties of the states are..

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” Mk 3:28–30. We all know people who were kind, polite and generous and we would hardly recognize today.

My seminary education was pretty standard for a Presbyterian/Reformed student.It was Master’s Level work. Intense on Systematics, Greek, Hebrew, Exegesis, History and so on, and I am truly thankful for the grounding I received in classical theology. One area that was a deficit, in my opinion, which is pretty typical in Reformed Presbyterians: I had 5 (!) semesters of Apologetic classes.