When I was a kid, I looked for Waldo. That guy with the red hat, red-striped shirt, and hipster looking glasses. He was elusive, but I was Sherlock. I would scan the overcrowded picture from top to bottom, left to right, and look for anything that was red. Some pages… Read More

Jesus promised his followers that if we abide in his Word, it will set us free. But free from what?  And what does it mean to abide? This series of articles explores how the truth of Jesus’s Word can free you. Start from the beginning here. As I… Read More

When we’re young, the wealth of time and energy most of us enjoy makes us capable of heroic things. For instance, during high school I can remember getting up every weekday morning at 4:30 to read a little Scripture. Now I am incapable of staying conscious at that hour unless… Read More

This two-part series explores the mystery and wonder of the Christmas story from the perspective of angels. This Christmas, as we gather with family, sing Christmas songs, and open presents under our trees, we might find an angel ornament hanging from a branch or perched at the top of… Read More

This two-part series explores the mystery and wonder of the Christmas story from the perspective of angels. Each year, I try to keep the Christmas story fresh by approaching it from a different perspective. This year, join me in considering the version in the Gospel of Luke from the perspective of… Read More

Growing up in New England, my family would drive out to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, each year for our two weeks of summer vacation. I have many memories from decades of these vacations, and most of them are “sense memories”—the smell of the salty breeze, the feel of the sand under… Read More

As autumn moves along, do you find yourself bracing for the dark days to come, as I do? Encroaching darkness It’s early December in northern Minnesota. I love this state, but its bleak landscape seems to mirror my dread of the coming winter. The relentless flatness of the prairie gives… Read More

The word “Thanksgiving” has taken on a whole new meaning since the Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated together in 1621. Since that first Thanksgiving, we Americans have layered the word with thoughts of turkey roasting in a warm kitchen, pumpkin pie piled high with whipped cream, and families gathering. We… Read More

Cruising along in Hebrews 11, the famous “faith” chapter, I am struck by verse 6: “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (NIV). Now that statement stops me in my tracks. If faith is that important to God, it should be important to me. Is faith something more than… Read More

The psalms are poetry, and understanding poetry often happens in stages as we grapple with its language, images, forms, and rhythms. If a poem expresses paradox, or communicates the reality of living with ambivalence, or traces the hazy outline of mystery—we are likely to be put off, confused, or terrified. Read More