Why?

Membership totals in the ELCA were released this week, and I read them with heavy heart. The Church continues to shrink. We are down in every category, but I am most alarmed by the decline in Communing/Contributing members, the category by which we measure those “active” church members. The numbers of C/C members have plummeted [...]

Shallow Excitement

So now that I have a family in tow, and hopefully more little ones on the way soon, my Ford Ranger is no longer a viable vehicle. Fortunately, my father-in-law works at a dealership and is setting me up with the truck I never thought I could actually afford: a 2005 Dodge Ram with a [...]

Sublime Reminders

Last week was probably one of the most challenging weeks I have ever had professionally. I literally caught myself asking why I do this…
And then, yesterday morning, as we were saying the Creed at the 11:00 am Divine Service, I looked out into the nave and saw the faces of the faithful, professing belief in [...]

What is your treasure?

As I prepared to preach this Sunday, I was forced to wrestle with St. Matthew 13, and was struck by the language of the kingdom of heaven being such a great treasure, that characters in two different parables sold all they had to attain it. And yet we live in a culture that demands Divine [...]

Forgetting to be Grateful

Sometimes in the midst of daily life we (especially I) forget to stop and say, “thank you.”
Thank you God the Father, for sending Jesus to us.
Thank you Blessed Virgin, for being the Holy Theotokos, the one who gave birth to the True God, risking your own life and inviting scandal.
Thank you Jesus for continuing to [...]

Working from Home

I decided today that I would actually work from home. It generally takes me a little longer to get motivated to make it to the bonus room in the house than it does to my real office at the church, which is odd, since the bonus romm is right up the stairs, and the office [...]

Long Days, Long Necks, and Long Suffering

One of the things that I have never quite adapted to in ministry work is the insanity and instability of the hours. I have been in church work now for five plus years, but it seems like this past month or so I have worked the strangest and most demanding hours. I am coming off [...]