Cultural Studies… Ozymandias 26 Feb 2023 By Kim Longden Ozymandias is one of my favorite poems to use as an interpretive reading exercise with the kids. In it, a traveler describes the ruins of a statue…
Cultural Studies… Why I Owe My Faith to the Jews 2 Dec 20223 Dec 2022 By Kristeen Bruun When I was in my twenties and very definitely searching in my faith life, I spent several years working in New York City. I loved my time…
Cultural Studies Your Eternal Life Starts Now 8 Nov 20229 Nov 2022 By Justin Rossow In his famous allegorical narrative, The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis has his most reliable character say: “Both good and evil, when they are fully grown, become…
Cultural Studies… Holiday Prep with Lüthla and Güthla 2 Nov 2022 By Katie Helmreich Don't panic, but it's November. Blink and it will be Thanksgiving. Blink twice and it will be Christmas! THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO!! When Elise, my…
Cultural Studies “Jesus wept.” 17 Oct 202218 Oct 2022 By Rachel Hinz Six years ago my mom died. That’s not how I usually say it, though. I’ll say something like, “My mom got to see her Savior.” Or, “My…
Cultural Studies Don’t Wear the Gorilla Sweater 11 Oct 202212 Oct 2022 By Katie Helmreich I just finished knitting a cardigan for a gorilla. It wasn't exactly what I was going for. I thought I was following the pattern, but somehow things…
Cultural Studies Great (and Not-So-Great) Expectations 17 Aug 20221 Nov 2022 By Ted Hopkins Expectations are a funny beast. On vacation this summer, we ate at a restaurant that was a bit sketchy when we first walked in. They had open…
Cultural Studies… Mary and Martha, GPA or GPS? 28 Jul 20222 Nov 2022 By Justin Rossow (with Valerie Matyas) A couple of weeks ago, I got to lead a Next Step workshop at a congregation outside Buffalo, New York. As part of the…
Cultural Studies… Take My Moments and My Days 8 Jun 20221 Nov 2022 By Katie Helmreich My alarm went off at 5:50 this morning. I hit snooze a few times, but then I remembered today's the day I'd arranged to swap kid-free hours…
Cultural Studies… Helpless Waiting 2 May 20222 Nov 2022 By Justin Rossow This Easter I was struck by a detail I don’t remember seeing before. In fact, I didn’t even see it this year until my second or third…
Cultural Studies… Change? Who Said Anything about Change? 26 Apr 20221 Nov 2022 By Ted Hopkins Almost every Lutheran knows the old joke about how many Lutherans it takes to change a light bulb. “Change? Who said anything about change?” After an initial…
Cultural Studies… Getting to the Heart of the Matter 25 Feb 20222 Nov 2022 By Justin Rossow I recently heard my good friends Steve and Jamie from Breathe Life Ministries lead a presentation on noticing yourself with God. As part of that workshop, they…
Cultural Studies… A Field Guide to Humans 10 Dec 20212 Nov 2022 A Field Guide to Humans: Their Limitations and Glory By the Archangel Michael (transcribed by Conrad Gempf) My fellow angels! How resplendent you all look! Can I just say, I…
Cultural Studies… I Long to See You Face to Face 29 Oct 20211 Nov 2022 It’s been a rather confusing year for worship. We’re called to stay focused on relationship. By Justin Rossow As COVID-19 drags on (and on, and on, and on...), our novel…
Cultural Studies… Social Media and a Sense of Play 16 Jul 2021 An interview with Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller In this special episode of the Next Step Podcast, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Senior Pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas talks to…
Cultural Studies World Travelers 1 Jun 20211 Jun 2021 By Rachel Hinz “We are in the world; but not of the world.” Did your mom ever say this to you? Mine did. I thought of it recently when I…
Cultural Studies Creator Spirit 24 Mar 2021 By Justin Rossow As a nation of shepherds and farmers, the ancient Israelites preferred solid ground beneath their feet. The dark, churning waters of a storm-tossed sea took root in…
Cultural Studies 10 *Good* Things about Daylight Savings 13 Mar 2021 By Katie Helmreich My Facebook memories lately have been full of my chronic complaints about Daylight Saving Time. Normally, I'm a fairly optimistic person so I challenged myself to find…
