Journey Story
Easter service was exactly as one would expect, uneventful even, for most of those gathered that morning. As I joined my congregation early that day, I was greeted with the traditional “Alleluia! Christ is risen!” and the blast of the organ and choir singing, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” I took a breath, binding…
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Across the U.S., Christian colleges and universities are filing for exemptions to Title IX, a federal law that makes it illegal for schools to discriminate against students because of their gender. College was never something I thought a lot about growing up. I came from a background with an ingrained understanding that school was where…
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Today’s Ash Wednesday. Wait! What? Already? I still have to put some boxes of Christmas decorations back in the attic. Lent begins early this year—probably about the earliest that it can be. But, truth be told, Lent always kind of creeps up on me. I never seem ready to begin 40 days of fasting, prayer,…
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When he conducted the funerals, Tom Bonderenko tells me, he always wore his priestly garments and white stole. Even when no one showed up for the graveside service. “It was important to show dignity and respect,” Tom says. He taps the coffee cup in his lap nervously. “I’m sorry,” he says. He clears his throat…
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Every year, I try my damnedest to get excited for the holidays. I really do. I listen to holiday music for .5 seconds, consider buying the packaged eggnog at the local grocery, and panic about the gifts I haven’t bought—usually to no avail. No matter how hard I try to enjoy them, the holidays still…
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The season of Advent guides us on a journey from darkness to light, from recognizing our great need for God to finding God’s love born in a manger. When I read Advent hymns and carols I’m deeply struck by the groans and pains of humanity crying out for the living God. Crying out for justice,…
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When I was 15, my parents took me to the basement of a church in my western hometown for “therapy.” The “therapist,” Michael, was an older, pale-faced man with graying brown hair. His office was painted sky blue and decorated with white-framed pictures of his family sitting on hay bales, grinning at the camera. The…
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Five years ago, at Christmas, I went home for the holidays and announced to my family that I was planning on going to seminary. For the most part, my family was excited and supportive of my decision to pursue ordained ministry, but a few were resistant. As it turned out, they felt that my being…
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The Lakota creation story has the People springing forth from a hole in the ground somewhere in the Black Hills. That idea resonates with me, perhaps because there are many holes in what I know about my heritage. A hole in the ground is as good a place as any; I am very rooted to…
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I wouldn’t say I grew up very religious. In fact, I don’t believe in God in the traditional sense. I do, however, believe in something greater than ourselves and so often, in our day-to-day world, this is something we tend to forget. When I moved to New York City from Seattle I was scared that…
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