In the Bible, we are often referred to as plants. Our process of growing is described in detail all over Scripture. However, it’s important to note that nowhere are we compared to sunflowers or zinnias. We aren’t pretty. We aren’t nice. We’re useful. We are trees or vines – plants that bear fruit. Psalm 1…

At University Lutheran, we have what’s called an eternal flame. This is a candle, encased in red, that hangs next to our big stained glass windows. The candle is never out. Every Sunday, the candle is burning. If you came in any other day during the week, it would be burning then, too. But what…

It’s the quiet ones whom we tend to forget. For example, my grandparents live in Colorado. When we go to visit, it’s my grandma who comes to greet us and their dog whose barks fill up the room. My grandpa, the quiet one, is the last person we greet. In a sense, it’s like we’ve…

When I was at Concordia – Wisconsin, I was a part of the “church work crowd.” This included fellow lay ministry students like myself as well as Lutheran education students, theology students, missions students, pre-deaconess students, and pre-seminary students. We thought we knew it all. We were under the impression that we were on a…

Show of hands. Who has ever ruined a relationship? Personally, I’m raising both of my hands. I tend to ruin relationships through assumptions. (And you know what they say about assuming things…) I’ll assume that my roommate remembered it was her turn to clean the bathroom and chose not to do it. I’ll assume that…

In the TV show Once Upon a Time, Regina Mills (aka the Evil Queen) is convinced that she will always be evil. “Always a villain, even when I’m not,” she laments. Snow White tries to change her mind, saying that she can learn to be good and earn her happy ending, but Regina is fixed…

How can you be sure when the Spirit is speaking to you? After all, he’s usually not doing so directly. It’s not terribly often that the Spirit comes down and sits next to you and has a conversation with you. He’s subtle. He’s quiet. You can be sure when what we’re hearing – however you’re…

There are people in our lives whom we would know from a mile away. We can tell it’s them the minute we hear their voice on the phone or around the corner; there’s no question in our minds. Then, there are people in our lives whom we have trouble recognizing. Maybe they have an indistinct…

Isaiah recalls in chapter 6 of his book the exact moment that God called him. He says, “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me” (verse 8). Now, this seems odd to us, because Isaiah didn’t ask…