Then You’ll Have a Clean Room
When I was a kid, my next door neighbor was my best friend. He was a good kid. He excelled at sports and…
Category: Steadfast in the Pew
Trinity: How Well Are You Loved?
“Mom always liked you best.” That was the signature line of the comedy act, the Smothers Brothers. In an interview by PBS, Tommy…
Shouldn’t you know better?
That’s the question I keep asking myself. Shouldn’t you know better? Don’t you understand that words actually mean something and your confession or…
God doesn’t love you for who you are.
Have you ever asked someone why they love you? Have you ever heard someone in a relationship say “He loves me for who…
Trinity: World-famous Humble Little Country Doctor
Many ask, “If God exists, why He doesn’t show himself? Then we would worship him.” Answers have been given from reason, philosophy, and…
New Facebook Bible Reading Group
Since it fits well within BJS’ goal of improving laity reading the Book of Concord as well as the Bible, I found this…
The Devil Has a Rolodex of our Sin.
God knows my sin. He knows how corrupt my heart is. God sees the sins that most in the world would deem “little”…
I’m a Great Husband.
In the world’s eyes, I’m a great husband. I love my wife; I support her and my children. I don’t cheat on her…
Trinity: Sitting in the Biggest Corner Ever
A mother ordered her naughty son to sit in a corner. After a few minutes, he told his mother, “I’m sitting down on…
That “Warm & Fuzzy” Feeling Must Die!
Over the past few years I have wanted to experience a special feeling during church. I wanted the sermon to hit me. I…
Trinity: You’ll Have to Draw Me a Picture
I almost flunked out of high school. The first time was in algebra, trying to solve polynomials. “Solving” means finding the roots of…
TRINITY: How Do Sump Pumps and Sacrifice Work?
A few years ago at our farm, we reached the peak in a long period of historically high precipitation. Sloughs ran over. Fields…
TRINITY: Is Love a Lie?
What is more common than talk of love? The word is overused. So much love is false. Billy Joel sang truth in “A…
No Apologies.
It was bound to happen. Someone changes the subject. People unfriend me on Facebook because of my overly churchy posts. Family members avoid…
One Big Wrong Makes Us Right
As lousy moments go, it was one of the lousiest. It was during a visit to Stordahl Lutheran Cemetery. Not much there. The…
In Name Only.
I used to be a diehard Minnesota Twins baseball fan. I used to watch every game on television and even had partial season…
Church Constitution and Bylaws — what works, what doesn’t?
I’m on the Constitution and Bylaws committee of my church. We’ve had many issues over the past 5-10 years with a set of…
One Word in Absolute Darkness
With the Bakken oil boom, it seldom is dark anymore at our farm. There is usually some light from gas flares. It’s not…
Life Support, Agony, and the Fullness of Redemption
[No. 5 of 5 Lenten meditations on Jesus in Gethsemane] Second Adam Dying in a Second Garden Jesus said, “My soul is exceedingly…
What Did Jesus Have to Lose?
[No. 4 of 5 Lenten meditations on Jesus in Gethsemane] Winston Churchill was visiting New York the day after the stock market crash…
What Can an Old Cigarette Ad Show Us about Gethsemane?
[No. 3 of 5 Lenten meditations on Jesus in Gethsemane] Some of you remember. Before 1971, television had cigarette advertisements. After that, the…
I’m still afraid to die.
I remember lying in bed as a teenager in complete silence and darkness not being able to fall asleep. My thoughts quickly changed…
He said, “You’re not supposed to hit a substitute that hard”
When the quarterback sprained his ankle, his substitute came into the game. On the next play, there was no backfield blocking. Both outside line backers came in fast and hit the quarterback hard. His helmet came off. The ball rolled out of his hands. He lay there dazed. Finally being shifted to a stretcher, he said, “You’re not supposed to hit a substitute that hard.”
“Sore Amazed” – What Does this Mean?
[No. 1 of 5 Lenten meditations on Jesus in Gethsemane] This is the first in a series of five Lenten meditations on Jesus…
You’re Not Unique.
In today’s world uniqueness and individuality are praised and encouraged ad nauseam. You can be anything you want to be, do whatever makes…