The sky gets dark at five o’clock in the afternoon. The middle school kids ring the Salvation Army bell in front of the crowded store. Colorful lights decorate houses and trees. Ads about Black Friday clutter the newspapers and televisions.…

Dear Water’s Edge Family – Throughout our short history as a church, I have observed so many people demonstrating great acts of faith: Serving children and youth even though they were overwhelmed by the thought of volunteering with creatures this…

The weather is cold. A group of hedgehogs crowd together to share each other’s heat, which they need to survive. However, their closeness causes them to bump into each other and they experience pain from each other’s sharp spines. This…

I got an email yesterday from a denominational person asking for some information ASAP. I have never been a fan of the phrase. But this request was pretty cringeworthy. Here is how I read it: So and so #1 is…

(Short on time this week. Here is a column I wrote on October 20th, 2016 – three years ago. I know there was a presidential debate last night. Here is why I didn’t watch three years ago and why I…

Being grateful is better than being envious and taking things and people for granted.

I was hiking through Platte River State Park last Saturday morning. Such a beautiful place. The park is peaceful and quiet early in the morning. The animals move through the forest as the sun rises. Some playing. Some searching for…

It was 3:00 on Saturday afternoon. A giant knot stamped out its authority on my stomach. I sat with about 2,500 people in Skoglund Auditorium. 750 of them were incoming freshman class at St. Olaf College. They arrived the day…