My Aunt Elsie was our family’s amateur genealogist. Every time we visited Aunt Elsie (who was actually Great Aunt Elsie), she would impress upon me new stories and things that she had learned about our Winters side of the family. She would display pictures and tell stories of the heroes and outlaws of our family…

Many of you know or have heard that I have cut my hair. It’s to the point now that if you haven’t seen my haircut I know that we haven’t been interacting that much. It’s a new look for me. This week I got another “new look” in that I updated my glasses. The update…

Every year I take a series of days away from the office (for the most part) in order to participate in what I have called “reflection days”. I started this in 2009, at the celebration of my 2nd year of ministry, and I have done it around the anniversary of my ordination and installation at…

We will be starting a new sermon series this Sunday called “In One Body”. The title comes from a line in Ephesians 2, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one…

Lonnie sat at the bar, his face and hands blackened with soot and grease. His drink was Kessler (an American blend whiskey) and coke, in a short glass, so that the ratio of Kessler to Coke was more 50/50 than it was in a highball which would have been more like 30/70. At last call,…

I just got back from serving at the District Convention of the Florida Georgia District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. My role at this was not only as pastoral delegate (voter) but also as Secretary of the District, an elected position which I was elected to again. Along with our lay (non-church worker) delegate,…

With the recent passing of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, each of whom died at their own hand, it made me think about suicide. I have lost two friends to suicide, but now is not the time to tell their stories. Instead, I’m going to tell you the story of Rodney, because unlike the stories…

I spent several years of my undergraduate career tending bar at a place named “The Well Bar”. If I ever had a job that prepared me for pastoral ministry, it was this job. In fact, in a lot of ways, it was easier. I had a pulpit from which I stood behind, but it was…

A Roman Catholic priest, a Baptist minister, and a Jewish rabbi go into the woods for a walk. Upon their walk, they find a bear. The Baptist minister says, “watch this,” and he goes down to the riverbank and begins to preach to the bear to the point where he ends up baptizing the bear.…

Brian Morris won the lottery. Not only did he win “free money”, but he won a lot of it – 125 million dollars to be exact. So what did he do with it? Well, Brian called up a local manure producer and put in an order. Pretending as if it was his own house, Brian…