I am a husband, a father, and a Lutheran (ELCA) pastor serving in Waukesha, Wi. I received a doctorate in congregational mission and leadership through Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, May 2014. I enjoy baseball, reading, music, and writing. I am confident that God has good things in store for the world and calls the church to be witnesses to God's intent, as described in scripture and discerned in the community of God's people.
Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a visionary man who eloquently gave voice to hopes and dreams common to Americans but often denied people because of race and/or economic status. He pushed the system to acknowledge the ugly truth so often denied: that white folks – especially the wealthy and the middle class – enjoy privileges and rights denied to others because of color or earning power. He challenged us to work together to challenge systems that worked in the favor of some, but denied basic rights to others.
I sat in a pew in Ebenezer Baptist church several years ago reflecting on books I had been reading about Dr. King’s life, Brown vs. Board of Education, biographies on presidents and more. Anticipating my time there, I thought about Continue reading On MLK Day→
The pages of the calendar say it’s a new year. The old has passed away and the new has come. The bearded and bent man has shuffled off the stage, replaced by the infant of expectation. And what has come with this change? What is different?
We’re still talking about violence in Syria, fear of ISIS, and outlandish statements made by politicians. There are still hungry folks in the world. Trouble still stalks the night, claiming victims of the street, victims in their homes. Emergencies still interrupt and we are often caught by surprise. Continue reading New Life Is Coming…?→
I stood by the edge of my garden and looked with disgust. My carrots, lined in a row with their tops blowing in the wind, appeared to be healthy and strong. The waving tops with their nice green color belied the growth below. I pulled them from the ground and found them to be never more than Continue reading When Things Go Wrong→
Just over a year ago, I stood in the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. I looked at its plain exterior and remembered the wonder of the first time I had been there. Twenty some years had passed. Since then, I’ve Continue reading On Holy Cross Day→
Zach Tucker was seven years old when his parents heard the worst news they could imagine. It started with a simple question posed by his mother while they were on a family vacation, “Zach, why aren’t you using your left hand as you play ball?”
“I don’t know,” he said, “It isn’t working right.” They didn’t think much of it and continued with their vacation plans, knowing that they’d Continue reading Throwing Snowballs of Hope→
This week my congregation is deeply involved in Vacation Bible School. We have ninety-one energized kids dancing, singing, playing, and teasing their way through the day. I’ve been leading the opening and closing, singing with the kids, dressing up in costume, and engaging them with large group games. I’m deeply blessed to have Continue reading 5 Things I’m Learning in VBS→
As evening falls on the crest of the river’s ford, Jacob sits alone at a small fire. He is poking tiredly at the embers while thinking about the journey underway. “Go home,” God says. “Return to the land of your ancestors and to your kindred, and I will be with you” (Genesis 30:3, 13). God’s was Continue reading A Wounded, Limping, and Blessed Church→
There has been a lot of talk about politicians in trouble, recently. Talking heads on the TV are jabbering about it incessantly. And we realize that it’s true: nobody likes a slimeball leader. Continue reading Ethics and Leadership in the Church→
John the Baptizer pointed to Jesus the day after Christ’s baptism. He said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29-42) A finger directed their eyes toward the one whose arms would be outstretched on the cross. John announced his mission. He is the One, who gives himself for Continue reading Pointing Questions for the Church→
Jabbok's Edge 