Inside the Minds of Valerie and Mike (and Anna)
I write this on the eve of the start of my second semester at United Lutheran Seminary. I started the first semester this past fall with a bit of apprehension, a general idea of a plan, and a good dose of excitement. And the semester started with a pre-semester crash course (also known as an... Continue Reading →
It’s early January, still New Year’s. During the last weeks of the old year and the first weeks of the new year there is always media postings and sharing of new habits, new resolutions, new dreams, new goals. Usually these are worthy aspirations to be healthy, learn something new, to slow down, etc. But sometimes,... Continue Reading →
“Politics is about the organization of society and public affairs” “Basically,…politics is about how groups of people organize themselves…’political’ can be used to describe organizations and the dynamics of relationships of groups” Per Merriam-Webster, origins of “politics” - politikós "of citizens, civic, of a state, political, public" These quotes are from a chapter titled The Bible and Politics,... Continue Reading →
As a bonus, for fun, assignment we were asked to find some artistic (any format) depiction of the story of Abraham and the sacrificing of Isaac. The artist, Domenico Gargiulo, was an Italian painter from the 1600s. He received his training from a battle-painter and his father was a sword maker. This image is obviously not... Continue Reading →
There’s nothing quite like going back to school after decades away than by jumping into a semester long class in biblical Greek and cramming it all into two weeks. I guess this is my “What Did You Do This Summer?” essay. Because that is exactly what I did…started a new graduate degree with what is... Continue Reading →
I’m writing this in the closing hour on the eve of a new journey. Tomorrow, today by the time this piece is posted, is the first day of class…Biblical Greek. Welcome to seminary. Let’s start by learning a new, but ancient, language and grammar that really was glossed over all those years ago in primary... Continue Reading →
Today is Pentecost Sunday, often called the birth of the Church. It is the one day that is focused on the Holy Spirit. A dove is the common imagery used for the Holy Spirit. But today, the imagery is fire. Fire is a tricky thing. Our first thoughts usually, and rightly, turn to danger and... Continue Reading →
Back in April I did something 20-year old me would have never, ever, thought would be a possibility or of interest. My undergraduate years and graduate studies were focused on architecture. As a little girl I loved Legos, model building, and designing. Add to that the fact that my favorite grandfather had helped build the... Continue Reading →
Richard Rohr speaks and writes of an expansive God with many names across the faith traditions and among those who don't associate with any tradition. He often uses the name Love to encompass all. Rohr also speaks of the presence of the universal Christ in all of creation, much like St. Francis spoke of finding... Continue Reading →
There is a trinity of parables about lost items that get found or returned. The common interpretations are that what is lost are those outside the faith community or tradition, or those who have veered off course from the “right” path and that God will seek them out and bring them back into the fold... Continue Reading →
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