As I said goodbye to my friend Sanjana this Thanksgiving, I was filled with sorrow to part ways, but also grateful for the beautiful friendship I am fortunate to have. This friendship is one I never would have expected and has truly been a blessing i…
A few weeks ago, Pastor Marty shared the story of the rich man and Lazarus. When the rich man died, he arrived to torment and pain. God told him that it was because he failed to share his good fortune with others, including Lazarus. When the rich man…
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It is easy for me to let the discord and strife in our country cause me to become worried and sad. Not only do we, as a nation, not agree on important issues like immigration, gay rights, constitutional checks and balances, the erosion of the middle…
Advent is the celebration of Christ become human, His birth heralded by angels. I have witnessed the presence of Christ and of angels through hundreds of days recently spent with my beloved partner in his residence, the Alzheimer’s unit of a local nu…
I lived in Spencer, Iowa, for most of my growing up years. My family attended Bethany Lutheran Church, and the church was an integral part of our lives. Attending church was very important to my parents. Even when we were traveling, we always found a…
As a person who has lived his entire working career outside, it’s obvious that light is a very important commodity to me and everyone around me. People use light in many different ways. We keep track of how long the sun will be up every day. When we…
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I have often been drawn to the way different words bring on certain feelings and emotions. Language is such an integral part of everything we do. Simply mention “hot chocolate,” and you can immediately make someone feel warmer or cozier. While just d…
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And to think – Ron Huber was not always going to be a pastor. Losing his father at age 15, Ron felt a sense of responsibility to his family farm in rural Minnesota. After farming with his uncle for a few years, a local pastor who had became like a su…
It’s edgy riding a mountain bike trail in the deep dark forest with only the bike’s handle-bar-mounted headlight pushing its single beam through the nighttime darkness. Edgy for the rider whose eyes are straining to follow the never straight but alwa…
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Art by Sheila Mesick, given to raise money for clean water in Tanzania. One task I remember my grandmother attending to each morning was lifting up the window shades. The sunshi…
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This fall marked the passing of U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings. Rep. Cummings was born a poor black son of sharecroppers in 1951, who went on to become an attorney and politician. Starting at age 11, he dedicated himself to desegregation and civil rights….
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As a young boy, I dreaded going to bed. My imagination ran wild as I laid in bed conjuring up when and how the monster under my bed or in the closet would strike next. The darkness paralyzed me with fear. By morning, with the sun’s magnificent streng…