If there’s one thing we know how to do in the Twin Ports is throw a party.Graduating highschool? Ya, we’ll throw an all day party and eat sheet cake!Got a new apartment? Of course we’ll show up with up some cloth napkins and a sheet cake. Your pug turned 11??? Of course we’ll bring some…
I wish I was making this up—growing up as a young kid in evangelicalism Halloween was equally horrifying and unbelievably intoxicating. On the one hand, there’s the devil and his host of demons out there trying to recruit people like me to their wildish ways. On the other hand, it is one hell of a…
We exchange bracelets at TSwift shows, high fives at games, and an occasional head nod when you accidentally make eye contact in the elevator. Why not exchange hope? Join us this Sunday at 10am for the first-ever Hope Exchange. Here’s how it works—you (and/or your kid) bring a story, shirt, pet, cool rock from Chub Lake, or any memory or…
Take a moment, look in the mirror, and repeat after me, “I can do hard things.”Things you accomplished in the past three months:Hot person summer? Check!Preparing for the onslaught of political conversations at work with Gary from HR? Check.Did the 100 pushups a day I swore I’d accomplish? About that…Cleaned the garage? Does scrambling to…
Dear Church,As a pastor, I mark my seasons through the rhythm of the church calendar. Summer is a slow time as folks retreat to cabins and lakes and backyards. A smattering of weddings dot the weekends as dander and dust line the extra seats on Sunday mornings. Fall fueled us to get back into our…
Dear Church,Right alongside lilacs, and lupines, time optimism blooms in the summertime. It is a remarkable deception silently agreed upon by all Minnesotans. We believe that in ten weeks we can remodel our homes, restructure family life, nurture a garden, camp at every state park, and attend all the outdoor events and ceremonies. June is…
Dear Church,In the beginning of my spiritual journey, I began my devotions. This observance included daily time to read my bible, write in a devotion journal, and pray. Devotions were constant conversation in my youth group, at the family dinner table, and in my developing mind.Experimenting with christian journals and one-year bible plans ruled my…
Every day, Chance takes me on a walk. Officially, I hold the leash, but he’s the one guiding me along the path. Chance, our Frenchie Pug, entered our lives as a puppy just one week before the COVID lockdown. He soothed our frazzled emotions while marking his territory on everything we owned.I try to take…
A writer traveled to Appalachia to interview and observe those who lived in deepest poverty. During his travels, he was befriended by a woman who would tell him stories about her life and memories in the mountains. He observed her to live in poverty and was curious about the kindness she shared with him. On…
Baptisms have been around for a long while in the Christian tradition. Yet, it might sound somewhat odd talking to a friend….”Ya, this Sunday I’m going to walk into a river with some other people….ya, not to swim, just to have someone hold me underwater, briefly, then they help me get back up….yes I’m OK,…