https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdN7vC2q9Mc 'Wake Awake, For Night is Flying,' arranged by F. Melius Christiansen (St. Olaf College Choir). "Wake, awake! for night is flying,"The watchmen on the heights are crying;"Awake, Jerusalem, arise!"-- Philip Nicolai (Hymnary.org) A couple of weeks ago, I attended a planning workshop at my parish church that took an unexpected turn. The workshop was … Continue reading ‘Awake, for night is flying’: An armchair theologian’s mission statement for Advent and the new year (1 of _?)
Trying to follow Pope Francis’ pastoral example on interfaith dialog and preaching from the pulpit of our lives
Francis and Lutheran leaders, Malmö, Sweden, Oct. 31, 2016 (Lutheran World Federation). Back in the 1990s when I was first teaching at a liberal arts college founded by the Ursuline sisters, I met a Norwegian-American pietist Lutheran of the older generation at a church potluck. He asked me what it was like teaching at a … Continue reading Trying to follow Pope Francis’ pastoral example on interfaith dialog and preaching from the pulpit of our lives
It’s not all about green beer: How an Anglican hymn attibuted to St. Patrick got me through a midlife career change and a 12-step recovery program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fqzWs6KPoE St. Patrick's Breastplate, arr. Ron Lewis, Church of the Apostles, Columbia, SC, 2022 It's not all about St. Paddy's Day parades, no matter how much fun it is to march behind your local candidate for city, county or state office. Nor is it always and only about pub-crawling and dyeing the Chicago River green. … Continue reading It’s not all about green beer: How an Anglican hymn attibuted to St. Patrick got me through a midlife career change and a 12-step recovery program
Presiding bishop urges Lutherans to stand up for basic Christian ethics in the face of government hostility to churches, migrants
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnho5l8iNoU Presiding Bishop Eaton's statement on ICE raids in churches, Feb. 14, 2025 (ELCA). Welp, I guess I've got my marching orders now. At least that's the way I choose to interpret Friday's pastoral message from the presiding bishop of my Lutheran denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, on the Trump regime's threatened crackdown … Continue reading Presiding bishop urges Lutherans to stand up for basic Christian ethics in the face of government hostility to churches, migrants
Spiritual journal, Feb. 2025: Uff da! Trump’s ‘efficiency’ experts are going after the Lutherans now; bishops respond
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liqz0VdZG1E Bishop Eaton: 'Our call to love our neighbors as ourselves remains steadfast.' Lightly edited copy of an email I sent to my spiritual director today in advance of our session for February, archived here so I can go back later and see what I was thinking about when I posted it. Taken together, these … Continue reading Spiritual journal, Feb. 2025: Uff da! Trump’s ‘efficiency’ experts are going after the Lutherans now; bishops respond
How do you react to abuse without becoming a hater yourself? A ‘nasty’ Episcopal bishop gives us a role model
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNfrbAztlcs What these paradoxes of opposites are all about is a phenomenology in which it is part of the very nature of passionate conflict to turn one into his own enemy. “We become what we hate” is an old yoga maxim. And in watching the conflict of the Irish Troubles, the Dublin yogi, George William … Continue reading How do you react to abuse without becoming a hater yourself? A ‘nasty’ Episcopal bishop gives us a role model
How does a spiritual mutt go back to the church in spite of the culture wars? Dominican discernment journal (3 of 4)
Lord's Prayer in 100+ languages, Pater Noster Church, Jerusalem (Wikimedia Commons). Third of four journals based on my answers raised by questions sent to Dominican Associates in advance of an Aug. 24 retreat at the motherhouse in Springfield. See HERE for more info in the first journal. Today's questions, on My Relationship with Church/ Community, … Continue reading How does a spiritual mutt go back to the church in spite of the culture wars? Dominican discernment journal (3 of 4)
‘Minnesota Lutheran’ candidate Walz does unspeakable things with green beans and Tater Tots in church basement casseroles
Screen shot, Gov. Walz' Facebook feed, Aug. 9, 2024. One thing you can say about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats' new vice presidential candidate: He didn't fall out of a coconut tree. You have to be quintessentially Midwestern to share a recipe for hotdish, a church basement potluck staple the rest of the country … Continue reading ‘Minnesota Lutheran’ candidate Walz does unspeakable things with green beans and Tater Tots in church basement casseroles
‘From the river to the sea / we all need therapy’: Notes for a parish book study and spiritual direction, June 2024
Screen shot of newsletter blurb previewing our class. Lightly edited copy of an email I sent to my spiritual director today in advance of our session for June. I’ve been writing these for several years now, primarily in order to help me focus my mind before we talk. It’s not a record or an agenda of … Continue reading ‘From the river to the sea / we all need therapy’: Notes for a parish book study and spiritual direction, June 2024
Spiritual direction notes for May: ‘After the final no, comes a yes’; Swedish thelogian on Christan — and Lutheran — responsibility to fight antisemitism
'Krister Stendahl död,' Sydsvenskan, Malmö, April 16, 2008. Lightly edited copy of an email I sent to my spiritual director today in advance of our session for May. I’ve been writing these for several years now, primarily in order to help me focus my mind before we talk. It’s not a record or an agenda of … Continue reading Spiritual direction notes for May: ‘After the final no, comes a yes’; Swedish thelogian on Christan — and Lutheran — responsibility to fight antisemitism
‘They offered us as an atonement sacrifice for their own antisemitism’: Easter vigil homily from a Palestinian Lutheran church
https://www.facebook.com/christmaslutheranchurch/videos/383323301295151 https://www.facebook.com/christmaslutheranchurch Easter Sunday was a different -- and unexpectedly rewarding -- experience this year. The livestream from our parish church in Springfield wasn't working, so Debi and I wound up watching the livestreamed video from the Easter communion service at Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. We've worshiped with them before, so it was … Continue reading ‘They offered us as an atonement sacrifice for their own antisemitism’: Easter vigil homily from a Palestinian Lutheran church
Notes on 19th-century Swedes in Illinois and an alt-country song from Appalachia (spiritual journal for March)
'Pastor's residence in Andover' Korsbanaret, 1880 (Google Books). Lightly edited copy of an email I sent to my spiritual director in advance of our session for March. I’ve been writing these for several years now, primarily in order to help me focus my mind before we talk. It’s not a record or an agenda of our … Continue reading Notes on 19th-century Swedes in Illinois and an alt-country song from Appalachia (spiritual journal for March)
Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden — abstract and presentation script from October 2020
Note: A copy of the abstract and notes I used when I presented my paper "Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden: Acculturation in Immigrant Churches, 1848-1860" over Zoom at the Conference on Illinois History, Abraham Lincoln Public Library and Museum Springfield, Oct. 7, 2020. As I said in an email at the time, it was "probably … Continue reading Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden — abstract and presentation script from October 2020
Sundays@6: Lutheran missions in Jim Crow days and on the rez, ‘marked by parsimony and limited to acts of mercy’
Carlisle Indian Industrial School, 1918 (Wikimedia Commons). In chapter 6 of The Color of Color of Compromise, titled "Reconstructing White Supremacy in the Jim Crow Era," Jemar Tisby continues to develop his theme that racism is infinitely adaptable to changing historical trends. Not only did the Southern white planter class cling to the "Lost Cause" … Continue reading Sundays@6: Lutheran missions in Jim Crow days and on the rez, ‘marked by parsimony and limited to acts of mercy’
Sundays@6: Lutherans in the Civil War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzSFgOSeqxs Satirical song about Germans commanded by Union Gen. Franz Sigel of St. Louis. Two things stand out in Jemar Tisby's treatment of the Civil War in The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church's Complicity in Racism. The first, and most obvious: It was always about slavery, and that fact "has not … Continue reading Sundays@6: Lutherans in the Civil War
‘Sumud’: The political gets personal — and spiritual — with a Lutheran social justice program in Palestine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-_CBFUiWeQ Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNDmVwhz-M36yL2radQv-Ol6p_b5ZnA-Y We're halfway through Lent already, but I'm adding another Lenten meditation to my reading list. It's put out by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, in cooperation with its counterpart in Palestine, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. It's called Sumud, an Arabic word that translates as "steadfastness." … Continue reading ‘Sumud’: The political gets personal — and spiritual — with a Lutheran social justice program in Palestine
Sundays@6: How the Lutherans’ first African American pastor in Philly got shafted by the church he loyally served
Link HERE to order Jehu Jones icon by Mary Button. Lightly edited copy of a blast email Debi and I sent out to participants in Sundays@6, our online adult faith formation group at Peace Lutheran Church, Springfield, for the fourth session in a book study on “The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American … Continue reading Sundays@6: How the Lutherans’ first African American pastor in Philly got shafted by the church he loyally served
How white churches (including most Lutherans) split on slavery and self-segregated as the Black church grew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwWqkk4Ha70 Black History in Two Minutes (or so), narrated by Henry Louis Gates Jr. Lightly edited copy of a blast email Debi and I sent out today to participants in Sundays@6, our online adult faith formation group at Peace Lutheran Church, Springfield. Sunday will be the third session in a book study on “The Color … Continue reading How white churches (including most Lutherans) split on slavery and self-segregated as the Black church grew
Sundays@6: ‘Caste,’ apartheid, Jim Crow and military occupation, in the US and the Occupied Territories (week 5)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa6igKc1M9s Christmas Lutheran Church, where Debi and I attended services (al-Jazeera). Lightly edited copy of a blast email Debi and I sent out to members of our congregation, Peace Lutheran Church of Springfield, in advance of the fifth meeting an adult faith formation book study, “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson. We … Continue reading Sundays@6: ‘Caste,’ apartheid, Jim Crow and military occupation, in the US and the Occupied Territories (week 5)
Citing Luther’s Small Catechism, Missouri Synod president condems white Christian nationalism as ‘evil’
#MAGA Hat Jesus, Jan. 6, 2021 (photo Tyler Merbler, Flickr/Creative Commons) Edited copy of a blast email I sent to participants in "Sundays@6," an online adult faith formation group that Debi and I facilitate for our ELCA Lutheran parish church about the Missouri Synod's official statement on white Christian nationalism as contrary to Christian doctrine … Continue reading Citing Luther’s Small Catechism, Missouri Synod president condems white Christian nationalism as ‘evil’
‘I will arise and go to Jesus’: Seeking a personal God for a dark February twilight of the soul in Ilia Delio’s christology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0vo43hu_HQ Virtual Choir, FAPCinNYC, Sept. 27, 2020 There's an image in Gary Snyder's "How Poetry Comes to Me" that I like very much. He compares poetry, the creative impulse, to a wild animal that comes up to his campfire, but stays just out of range at the edge of the darkness. So, says the poet, … Continue reading ‘I will arise and go to Jesus’: Seeking a personal God for a dark February twilight of the soul in Ilia Delio’s christology
Of the Holy Trinity, the presence of Christ in faith and the stories we tell
Luther's Small Catechism, 1529 (Wikimedia Commons) God for us, we call you Father. God alongside us, we call you Jesus. God within us, we call you Holy Spirit. —Richard Rohr OFM The Holy Trinity landed in my inbox this morning and told me a story. Well, that makes it sound a little too dramatic and … Continue reading Of the Holy Trinity, the presence of Christ in faith and the stories we tell
Lovely, beautifully filmed airing of Paul McCreesh’s Praetorius Christmas Mass on Mezzo, the French TV channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkfkLxmMm3Y Posted to YouTube channel Felices Cantus Baroque, Aug. 5, 2022 Found, while I was looking for something else (which is the way I find some of my favorite videos), a new performance of Paul McCreesh conducting the Gabrieli Consort and Players in the Praetorius Christmas Mass that McCreesh reconstructed out of 16th- and early … Continue reading Lovely, beautifully filmed airing of Paul McCreesh’s Praetorius Christmas Mass on Mezzo, the French TV channel
Ringing in the new (church) year on St. Andrew’s Day with the daily prayer and meditation on an Irish Jesuit website
Pietro da Cortona, 'Calling of St. Peter and St. Andrew,' ca. 1626-30 (Wikimedia Commons) One of the few things I remember clearly from my confirmation classes 50-plus years ago in an Episcopal church is the date of St. Andrew's Day. Somehow it lodged in my preadolescent brain, when I wasn't wisecracking about the wives of … Continue reading Ringing in the new (church) year on St. Andrew’s Day with the daily prayer and meditation on an Irish Jesuit website
It’s beginning to look a lot like Advent — what better time for Christmas chorales, Praetorius and family heritage?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9a3tBYXFNE TENET Vocal Artists et al. of San Diego, in concert in New York City, Dec. 14, 2013 Last year I mentioned to my cousin John that I had downloaded the mp3 files of Praetorius' Mass For Christmas Morning performed by the Gabrielli Consort and conducted by Paul McCreesh. They came, of course, without liner … Continue reading It’s beginning to look a lot like Advent — what better time for Christmas chorales, Praetorius and family heritage?
My soul doth magnify my Anglican/ Lutheran heritage: Growing up with the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BNYxujthUA Festival of Lessons and Carols, St. John's Episcopal Church, Ithaca N.Y., Dec. 23, 2018 Maybe it's serendipity. Or maybe it's because God has a wry sense of humor. But I've spent the past week reconnecting with the Anglican tradition in which I grew up. Not because of any discernment or intention on my part, … Continue reading My soul doth magnify my Anglican/ Lutheran heritage: Growing up with the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams
‘The word of God … does not sit on coffee tables’: An old English major’s reaction to a New Testament course for lay ministers
Byzantine-era synagogue at Capernaum, 2012 My inner child was an English major, and he's had a run of good luck lately. (I blogged about some of his other recent adventures HERE, reading a French postcolonial author, no less.) Well, my inner English major got lucky again Saturday morning at the first meeting of an adult … Continue reading ‘The word of God … does not sit on coffee tables’: An old English major’s reaction to a New Testament course for lay ministers
‘Conviviality at the Crossroads’: Open-source studies from Malmö on creolization, hybridity, etc.
Link here to open-source copy on Springer Nature Switzerland AG website Woo hoo! I found a new book. It's available online under a Creative Commons license, and finding it was like Christmas in July -- with Easter, St. Paddy's and the annual Jordbruksdagarna (ag days) festival at Bishop Hill, Illinois, all rolled into one. Forgive … Continue reading ‘Conviviality at the Crossroads’: Open-source studies from Malmö on creolization, hybridity, etc.
Sundays@6: ‘Reclaiming L-Word’ (i.e. ‘Lutheran’) book study; Dwelling in the Word discernment practice
Editor's (admin's) note. Lightly edited copy of a blast email I sent to members of a parish book study group I co-facilitate with Debi. Saved here for future reference, since our current book, Reclaiming the ''L'' Word: Renewing the Church from Its Lutheran Core by Kelly Fryer, takes kind of a Lutheranism 101 approach. The … Continue reading Sundays@6: ‘Reclaiming L-Word’ (i.e. ‘Lutheran’) book study; Dwelling in the Word discernment practice
Pastoral letters clarify — US Supreme Court’s anti-abortion ruling denies moral agency to people of faith
Linked to my parish newsletter this week was a pastoral message from my bishop -- Bishop John Roth of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America -- spelling out the church's position on the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the US Supreme Court, "as we strive, as God’s church, to … Continue reading Pastoral letters clarify — US Supreme Court’s anti-abortion ruling denies moral agency to people of faith
Promo for a parish book study — what things matter most in a time of declining mainline church membership?
Editor's (admin's) note. Lightly edited copy of a blast email I sent out promoting a new book study that my wife and I are co-facilitating for an adult faith formation group in our ELCA Lutheran parish. While the book is about "renewing the church from its Lutheran core," and it quotes Martin Luther extensively, its … Continue reading Promo for a parish book study — what things matter most in a time of declining mainline church membership?
Spiritual direction, June 2022 ** UPDATED **
Editor’s (admin’s) note. Lightly edited copy of an email I sent to my spiritual director in advance of our monthly meeting for June. I email her every month, mostly to focus my mind before we meet, and I archive them here so I have a record of issues I’ve dealt with over time. Being able to … Continue reading Spiritual direction, June 2022 ** UPDATED **
John C. Mehrling, 1941-June 11, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90GonV40di8 St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, Saint Thomas Choir School, New York City, 2011 My cousin, John Calvin Mehrling of Waynesville, N.C., died unexpectedly Saturday, in a one-car accident on his way home from a live steam train outing across the mountains in Tennessee. Our extended family is scattered over two continents and … Continue reading John C. Mehrling, 1941-June 11, 2022
Proclaiming the ‘E Word’ on the Z App — walking the talk as the SARS-CoV-2 variants shape an uneasy new normal
Debi and I recently finished co-facilitating a six-week book study on evangelism for our parish church -- over Zoom no less -- and it was a pleasant surprise. The book, Reclaiming the 'E' Word: Waking Up to Our Evangelical Identity, is by Kelly Fryer, an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America who … Continue reading Proclaiming the ‘E Word’ on the Z App — walking the talk as the SARS-CoV-2 variants shape an uneasy new normal
‘Let’s take care of it’: (Mostly) Lutheran resources on Laudato Si’ and ELCA’s 1993 statement on Caring for Creation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vjxWnFnKFo (YouTube, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Nov. 5, 2021) The power of God is present at all places, even in the tiniest tree leaf. Do you think God is sleeping on a pillow in heaven? ... God is wholly present in all creation, in every corner, behind you and before you. -- Martin Luther … Continue reading ‘Let’s take care of it’: (Mostly) Lutheran resources on Laudato Si’ and ELCA’s 1993 statement on Caring for Creation
Fukuyama on Russia, Trump, ethno-nationalism, religion and other threats to the liberal world order
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwuMMmUCw98 Last month I posted a rather incoherent item saying: (a) I thought some important tectonic plates were shifting with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Ukrainian resistance to being reabsorbed into a post-Soviet Russian empire; and (b) it might somehow provide a context for writing up some of the historical research I've done in … Continue reading Fukuyama on Russia, Trump, ethno-nationalism, religion and other threats to the liberal world order
Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend / ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now’
d r a f t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j219xJKXydg Detleff Korsen Text: Wilhelm II von Sachsen-Weimar (?) 1648, Strophe 4 Gotha 1651, Melodie: Gochsheim / Redwitz 1628, Görlitz 1648, Evangelisches Gesangbuch Nr. 155, aufgenommen in der Kirche St. Cosmae und Damiani in Hassel. Wikipedia has background "Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend" at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herr_Jesu_Christ,_dich_zu_uns_wend Also a digital … Continue reading Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend / ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now’
DRAFT ‘Now rest beneath night’s shadow …’ DRAFT
d r a f t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKyiGWYOQLU St. Thomas Boys' Choir Leipzig, 2016 (CHOR GESANG - Das Musikmagazin). "He who sings prays twice" -- St. Augustine (Catechism of the Catholic Church) Maybe I shouldn't admit this in public, but I've had prayer at the top of my B list for quite a while now. After a … Continue reading DRAFT ‘Now rest beneath night’s shadow …’ DRAFT
‘A child is born in Bethlehem’: New life in an old carol for postmodern, independent cats and misguided sheep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRyiOB4as9c DR Pigekor (Danish National Girls' Choir), dir. Philip Faber, 2021 Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art. -- Charlie "Bird" Parker (Wikiquote). … Continue reading ‘A child is born in Bethlehem’: New life in an old carol for postmodern, independent cats and misguided sheep
Stray thoughts on original sin, Franciscan spirituality and a painting of the Garden of Eden by Jan Brueghel the Elder
Jan Brueghel the Elder and Pieter Paul Rubens, Fall of Adam and Eve (Wikipedia) When God closes a door, as an old saying down South has it, God leaves a window cracked open somewhere. We may have to exercise a little creativity to find it, but there's always another opening. Another old saying, one I … Continue reading Stray thoughts on original sin, Franciscan spirituality and a painting of the Garden of Eden by Jan Brueghel the Elder
Notes & quotes — Augustana Synod and ecumenical relations
Two very useful articles on the subject: Allan Pfnister, "Augustana College and Theological Seminary: A Brief History," AHA, Spring 2002, 6-9 http://augustanaheritage.augustana.edu/aha_spring_2001.pdfvery clear on help Esbjorn got from president of Knox College, Passavant, p. 7-8 2. Derek R. Nelson, "Unity, Ecumenicity, and Difference in the. Augustana Synod," Lutheran Quarterly, 24 (2010) http://augustanaheritage.augustana.edu/Nelson_on_Unity.pdf This same theme, that of affi rming the validity … Continue reading Notes & quotes — Augustana Synod and ecumenical relations
David Brooks (and Martin Marty) on shared stories, the facts of history and American civil religion
In a remarkable op ed piece heading into the 4th of July weekend, at a time when Americans can't agree on factual matters as whether the 2020 election was fraudulent (spoiler alert: it wasn't) or scientific matters like whether vaccination can wind down the Covid-19 epidemic (it can), David Brooks of the New York Times … Continue reading David Brooks (and Martin Marty) on shared stories, the facts of history and American civil religion
Notes & quotes: ‘How Our Lady of Guadalupe Became Lutheran’
Luisa Feline Freier, "How Our Lady of Guadalupe Became Lutheran: Latin American Migration and Religious Change," Migraciones internacionales [Tijuana], 5, no. 2 (July-Dec. 2009) http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1665-89062009000200006. xxx [Luisa Feline Freier is a Professor in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at Universidad del Pacífico in Lima, Peru. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from … Continue reading Notes & quotes: ‘How Our Lady of Guadalupe Became Lutheran’
Minnesota Lutherans — Vasa and church in north Minneapolis profiled in Star Trib
[No byline -- reads like it may have come from a press release] "Lutherans work to shed stuffy image and kick-start change," Minneapolis Star-Tribune, July 3, 2017 https://www.startribune.com/lutherans-work-to-shed-stuffy-image-and-kick-start-change/432012663/. Redeemer Lutheran Church is not your typical Lutheran outpost. Summer means the bike store and coffee shop are humming, kids camp and Zumba classes are in gear, … Continue reading Minnesota Lutherans — Vasa and church in north Minneapolis profiled in Star Trib
‘Life and Letters of W.A. Passavant’ — Notes & Quotes
Internet archive: Full text of "Life and letters of W. A. Passavant, D. D." https://archive.org/stream/lifelettersofwap00gerb/lifelettersofwap00gerb_djvu.txt We have thought it well to give this sketch of Scandinavian church history because of the deep and abiding interest which Mr. Passavant took in these Lutherans from the Northland. He had made himself thoroughly acquainted with the character, 206 … Continue reading ‘Life and Letters of W.A. Passavant’ — Notes & Quotes
Samuel Schmucker, ‘Definite Synodical Platform’ (1855)
[Samuel S. Schmucker,] Definite platform, doctrinal and disciplinarian, for Evangelical Lutheran district synods: constructed in accordance with the principles of the General Synod (Philadelphia: Miller & Burlock, 1855), 4-5. Concordia Electronic Books https://digital.palni.edu/digital/collection/copebooks/id/803 and https://digital.palni.edu/digital/collection/copebooks/id/804. [...] Whereas the entire Lutheran Church of Germany has rejected the symbolical books as a whole, and also abandoned some … Continue reading Samuel Schmucker, ‘Definite Synodical Platform’ (1855)
Scratch outlines (Jan. 25 – ) ‘Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden’
Working title?: Swedes in Roger Williams' Garden: Church, State and Lutheran Theology Community in Swedish Immigrant Churches, 1848-1860 Link HERE for earlier (Oct. 23-Jan. 24) outlines and notes. *** Scratch outline for discussion chapter [March 20] Andersonville - Ebenezer and Immanuel on North Side – Augustana in Andover (2017 service, capsule history of Aug., orphanage … Continue reading Scratch outlines (Jan. 25 – ) ‘Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden’
Notes & quotes: ELCA teaching document on civic engagement, church-state relations; background in 2014 article
D R A F T A couple of resources that are right down my alley as I struggle with the conceptual framework for an expanded study of how Swedish immigrant churches in Chicago and the upper Midwest adapted in the 1850s to an essentially Protestant American culture where churches were voluntary associations not supported by … Continue reading Notes & quotes: ELCA teaching document on civic engagement, church-state relations; background in 2014 article
Krister Stendahl’s ‘holy envy,’ who gets to go to heaven and Luther’s dear angels in 19th-century Chicago: New perspectives on an ongoing research project
D R A F T Krister Stendahl prays at U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, April 22, 1993 (C-SPAN). As I move on from my presentation on 19th-century Swedish immigrant churches for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, I've been cleaning my office -- sort of like clearing the decks for a sea battle in the … Continue reading Krister Stendahl’s ‘holy envy,’ who gets to go to heaven and Luther’s dear angels in 19th-century Chicago: New perspectives on an ongoing research project
ROFLMAO — what would Luther’s 95 Theses sound like in an corporate office email memo to all staff?
Luther posts the 95 Theses, by Ferdinand Pauweis (1830-1904). Wikimedia Commons. Posted today to the "Daily Shouts" section of the New Yorker's website, a humor piece by Patrick Crooks, a contributing writer who also describes himself as a "Creative thinker. Strategic problem solver. Administrative professional." He's certainly creative, and he's obviously written an administrative office … Continue reading ROFLMAO — what would Luther’s 95 Theses sound like in an corporate office email memo to all staff?
Scratch outline — ‘Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden’ (pinned here for easy reference, other posts below)
Rough notes and outlines for a research project ... Working title?: "Swedes in Roger Williams' Garden: Acculturation Inclusion and Community in Swedish Immigrant Churches, 1848-1861″ -- or -- "Luther’s Dear Angels in Swede Town: Acculturation in Immigrant Churches, 1848-1860-1861″ ... potentially expanding the presentation I gave at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in … Continue reading Scratch outline — ‘Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden’ (pinned here for easy reference, other posts below)
No Norwegian Jesus in Pastor Lenny’s decolonized Lutheran church? Uff da!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APMu32sC2nM&t=5s So we're reading the Rev. Lenny Duncan's Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the US for an online book study group in my ELCA parish. We're the "whitest denomination" of his title (although I have to wonder if the Old Order Amish aren't kinda white, too), … Continue reading No Norwegian Jesus in Pastor Lenny’s decolonized Lutheran church? Uff da!
Debriefing ‘Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden’ — notes and a copy of the script for my Oct. 7 ALPLM presentation on acculturation and creolization
Presenting my paper to ALPLM's virtual Conference on Illinois History. Some ideas and observations that came to me presenting my paper, "Swedes in Roger Williams' Garden: Acculturation in Immigrant Churches, 1848-1860" at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum's annual Conference on Illinois History. Plus a couple of pictures -- including a very nice picture … Continue reading Debriefing ‘Swedes in Roger Williams’ Garden’ — notes and a copy of the script for my Oct. 7 ALPLM presentation on acculturation and creolization
‘Swedes in Roger William’s Garden’
Proposal for the paper I'm scheduled to present next month at the 22nd annual Conference on Illinois History sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Conference program and registration information are available HERE. Sessions will be conducted by Zoom, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My session will be from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 … Continue reading ‘Swedes in Roger William’s Garden’
‘Dear Church’: A tapestry of discipleship and a call for white folks to ‘do good white folk work’ to help dismantle racism
What can the "whitest denomination(s) in the US" do about institutional racism in this time of pandemic and racial reckoning? Quite a bit, actually. At least more than you'd think, according to the Rev. Lenny Duncan of Vancouver, Wash. Mission development pastor at a Lutheran church in Vancouver, Duncan is the author of Dear Church: A … Continue reading ‘Dear Church’: A tapestry of discipleship and a call for white folks to ‘do good white folk work’ to help dismantle racism
Augustana: Notes, quotes and a 5-paragraph theme-style outline
Jenny Lind Chapel, mother church of Augustana Synod, Andover, Ill. I write because I don't know what I think until I say it. -- Flannery O'Connor xxxx Scratch outline Intro: What do the ethnic synods have to teach us in the 21st century? Folk church -- Swedish example Luther -- prince's responsibility to subjects, Christmas … Continue reading Augustana: Notes, quotes and a 5-paragraph theme-style outline
Notes for future reference on AHMS book on Scandinavian free churches, perceived ethnic traits
Notes from an 1884 book by an official of the American Home Missionary Society who wanted to solicit immigration from Scandinavia -- it came to me in a pretty roundabout way, a summary in the JSTOR Daily newsletter by free-lance writer Livia Gershon, "How Churches Helped Make Scandinavians 'White',” JSTOR Daily, June 30, 2020 https://daily.jstor.org/how-churches-helped-make-scandinavians-white/ … Continue reading Notes for future reference on AHMS book on Scandinavian free churches, perceived ethnic traits
‘Dinner church’ pastor: When you can’t go to church, look around you
Emily M.D. Scott, "If the Church Door Is Closed, Find the Sacred on the Road," New York Times, 19 July 2020 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/19/opinion/if-the-church-door-is-closed-find-the-sacred-on-the-road.html Excerpts: Priests and pastors across the church have been grasping for metaphors to help us make sense of this time away from the table, and one another. Some have framed it as a … Continue reading ‘Dinner church’ pastor: When you can’t go to church, look around you
Swedish Lutherans: Synodical and congregational minutes on baptism and membership in the 1850s
Selected Documents: Dealing with the Organization of the First Congregations and the First Conferences of the Augustana Synod and their Growth Until 1860, Vol. 1, ed. I.O. Nothstein, Augustana Historical Society Publications, 10 (1944): 92. Chicago-Mississippi Conference Minutes, Chicago, January 4-9, 1854. 90 [92] Thereupon the following question was acted upon: "What shall be the … Continue reading Swedish Lutherans: Synodical and congregational minutes on baptism and membership in the 1850s
Jante laws: ‘Don’t get above your raisin’.”
This morning when Debi and I were going over the end-of-chapter questions for Debby Irving's Waking Up White, the Jante laws came up. Pronounced "YAN-teh," they're a series of 10 tongue-in-cheeck observations on small-town life in Scandinavia. Small-town life anywhere, as far as I'm concerned. If they can be summed up in a word or … Continue reading Jante laws: ‘Don’t get above your raisin’.”
Phillip Cary on Luther — sola scriptura with a twist of performance anxiety
Now here's a guy who's on my wavelength ... Phillip Cary, who teaches philosophy at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pa., has a book out with the somewhat daunting title The Meaning of Protestant Theology: Luther, Augustine, and the Gospel That Gives Us Christ. I hadn't heard of him before, but I saw a review … Continue reading Phillip Cary on Luther — sola scriptura with a twist of performance anxiety
Of outward signs, inward grace and Pastor Nadia’s prayer for a time of pandemic when the sacraments can’t be celebrated
Screenshot from Pastor Nadia's FB post. Click HERE for permalink. Click HERE for text. Sometimes you find exactly what you need at exactly the right moment, and you don't know why. Serendipity? Coincidence? The Holy Spirit at work? In 12-step recovery meetings, sometimes you'll hear the old-timers say a coincidence is what you call it … Continue reading Of outward signs, inward grace and Pastor Nadia’s prayer for a time of pandemic when the sacraments can’t be celebrated
Presiding Bishop Eaton’s pastoral message for Sunday (Lent V): 1. These dry bones will live. 2. Stay home. Shelter in place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzrxzAPeu2g Bishop Eaton | March 28, 2020 | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Food for thought (or, better yet, for prayer and meditation). Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit this month in full force, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has been posting homilies, or messages, to YouTube. This one, addressed … Continue reading Presiding Bishop Eaton’s pastoral message for Sunday (Lent V): 1. These dry bones will live. 2. Stay home. Shelter in place.
Can’t take communion in the time of coronavirus? Pray. Can’t go to church? Pray. Be persistent in prayer.
How do you do church when you can't go to church? Before the COVID-19 outbreak came to town, I didn't realize how much of my spiritual life centered on going to church. Now, after two weeks of "social distancing," it's causing me to reassess. As usual, my first reaction to social distancing was a wisecrack. … Continue reading Can’t take communion in the time of coronavirus? Pray. Can’t go to church? Pray. Be persistent in prayer.
ECLA Presiding Bishop Eaton: Pastoral message on COVID-19. ‘Absence makes the presence of God more profound’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Nd_T4R_EY&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2NSxvIH88LJ6QYNjqj7b5-KUVGhF27KWf4NvGOKFxVNy50G755RFoJeag&app=desktop Bishop Eaton on COVID-19 | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | March 12, 2020 YouTube blurb: In her message to this church about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said that even though “this is a time of disruption. It is also a … Continue reading ECLA Presiding Bishop Eaton: Pastoral message on COVID-19. ‘Absence makes the presence of God more profound’
Eric Norelius — Civil War reminiscences (notes & quotes)
Eric Norelius (26 October 1833 – 15 March 1916) was a Swedish-American Lutheran minister, church leader, and author.[3] ... Eric Norelius was born on 26 October 1833 in Norrbäck, Hassela parish, in Nordanstig Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden. He received his early education at Hudiksvall's general school. In 1850, at the age of 17, Norelius emigrated to the United States. In May 1851, he accompanied Lars Paul … Continue reading Eric Norelius — Civil War reminiscences (notes & quotes)
For flatlanders, too: ‘What We Lost When We Lost Our Hymnals’
I saw this article -- "What We Lost When We Lost Our Hymnals" -- on the Appalachian Magazine website, where an anonymous editor or webmaster recalled, with a real sense of nostalgia, "... the sight of my mother holding up a raggety old red hymnal and singing to the top of her lungs the songs … Continue reading For flatlanders, too: ‘What We Lost When We Lost Our Hymnals’
A Bonhoeffer moment and a barstool conversation between Luther, Bonhoeffer and a Finnish theologian — links and quotes for future reference
This article in Sojourners magazine -- "Is Today a Bonhoeffer Moment?" -- appeared last year in February, but I never got around to reading it. Then it popped up today on my Facebook timeline. I'm excerpting it and parking here for future reference. (Something I may want to keep in mind, also for future reference: … Continue reading A Bonhoeffer moment and a barstool conversation between Luther, Bonhoeffer and a Finnish theologian — links and quotes for future reference
Herding cats: Not just for cowboys and ad agencies — it worked in Copenhagen for pastors and music directors, too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=60&v=vTwJzTsb2QQ&feature=emb_logo So when I should have been working on my article about church polity in Swedish-American Lutheran congregations in the 1850s, or thinking about getting it off the back burner at the very least, I drifted into one of those clickbait websites for animal lovers (called Pawpulous), and got to watch what I think must … Continue reading Herding cats: Not just for cowboys and ad agencies — it worked in Copenhagen for pastors and music directors, too
Was Luther a mystic? It all depends …
... on (a) who you ask; and (b) what you mean by "mystic." "Mystic" has always been one of those words I've been suspicious of. It sounds New Age-y to me, or it reminds me of those desert monks who used to sit on top of a pole for years. I wasn't quite certain what … Continue reading Was Luther a mystic? It all depends …
Mindfulness: Notes on a Zen breakout session at an ELCA synod meeting
I like the way this guy operates. He's Travis Fitzgold, a Lutheran pastor and director of the Zen Learning Project (ZLP), a spiritual practice community in Austin. Texas, and he helped me figure out what this blog is about (even though I've never met him and I'm sure he's never read it). You might even … Continue reading Mindfulness: Notes on a Zen breakout session at an ELCA synod meeting
Notes on a ‘Lutheran-Buddhist [identity] within the liminal and relational hyphen between traditions’ at a Jesuit college
Sound like anybody around here? When I was searching online for information about Lutheran-Buddhist relations, I found an article by Michael Reid Trice in Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education on the outlook for ecumenical relations. Along the way, he said: For Jesuit colleges and universities, this is a very bright moment. The decrees of General … Continue reading Notes on a ‘Lutheran-Buddhist [identity] within the liminal and relational hyphen between traditions’ at a Jesuit college
Seeking the holy in a trad Irish music festival video from Derry, a 10th-century Irish poem and choir practice at a Lutheran church in downstate Illinois
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpYuSmDbxnA Paddy Callgahan, "Be Thou My Vision," Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Derry, 2013 So a couple of weeks ago I posted an update on my prayer life, which stalled out recently as I navigated a welter of day-to-day crises, to the blog. And a fellow retired English professor named Elizabeth, who blogs on WordPress at … Continue reading Seeking the holy in a trad Irish music festival video from Derry, a 10th-century Irish poem and choir practice at a Lutheran church in downstate Illinois
A joyful South African freedom song (by way of Sweden) of Word, sacrament and witness for Pentecost XVII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSqvj9d1VgQ 'Haleluyah Pelo Tsa Rona' sung by the Concordia College-New York Tour Choir and the Mt. Lebanon [Pa.] United Lutheran Church Chancel Choir, March 2013. Jason Thoms, Director. Sunday's gospel reading at Peace Lutheran was from St. Luke. “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be … Continue reading A joyful South African freedom song (by way of Sweden) of Word, sacrament and witness for Pentecost XVII
Krister Stendahl — a Swedish theologian on salvation, eternal life and the ‘coughing [of] mosquitoes’
Normally I don't get my spiritual direction and theological tips from the New York Times, not even back in the day when I thought Sunday mornings were for curling up with the Week in Review section instead of going to church. But I was caught up short the other day when I was tracking down … Continue reading Krister Stendahl — a Swedish theologian on salvation, eternal life and the ‘coughing [of] mosquitoes’
‘Build Us Up, Lord’ — swinging into a new parish church year at Peace Lutheran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkenPwCU-Q8 "Build Us Up, Lord," by Mark Glaeser and Donna Hanna (ELW 670) MaryRuth72 One of my favorite things about August, along with the State Fair, yellowing corn- and beanfields beginning to dry before harvest, shorter days and cooler nights, is choir practice. It's like a little foretaste of the feasts to come, as we … Continue reading ‘Build Us Up, Lord’ — swinging into a new parish church year at Peace Lutheran
Of the St. Louis Jesuits, the liturgical renewal movement and an ecumenical hymn on Reformation Day
James Martin, editor of America magazine, shared a tribute to the most influential 20th-century American musicians you've probably never heard of. It's by staff writer Jeannette Cooperman of St. Louis Magazine, and it was picked up by the National Catholic Reporter. Unlike most media profiles, it gets into the craft -- and the musicality -- … Continue reading Of the St. Louis Jesuits, the liturgical renewal movement and an ecumenical hymn on Reformation Day
File under Kierkegaard (?)
Seen Thursday in the Dispatch-Argus, the daily newspaper in the Illinois Quad-Cities, a quote from Kierkegaard that I hadn't seen before (and haven't been able to find in a cursory Google keyword search). It was in a column picked up from the Los Angeles Times news service: The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard famously observed that … Continue reading File under Kierkegaard (?)
Ordinary Time 