Cultural Studies Great (and Not-So-Great) Expectations 17 Aug 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…
Exegetical Study The god in My Pocket 15 Jun 202214 Jun 2022 By Justin Rossow A friend of mine has a collection of artifacts from the Holy Land in his office, including a woven basket full of household gods. These crude figurines…
Exegetical Study… It is Finished; and … 6 Apr 202213 Apr 2022 By Justin Rossow The last words of Jesus on the cross hold deep comfort and promise. And Jesus is still at work, for us. I recently received some concerned feedback…
For Me… Star Day! 11 Jan 2022 By Katie Helmreich I mailed my sister some star-shaped post-it notes this week. A package with a shiny star garland will arrive at her house tomorrow! My brother-in-law is out…
Advent… O Holy Night 18 Dec 2021 The Next Step PodcastSeason 3: Light in the DarknessEpisode 8: O Holy NightDate: 18 December 2021Guest: Jamie Wiechman, Cofounder of Breathe Life Ministries Also available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts,…
For Me… Ivy for Dana 10 Sep 2021 By Kristeen A. Bruun I attend a lot of funerals. Partly, as I age, I of course know more people who die. But also, I grew up in a small…
For Me… The Christ in the Mouth of My Brother or Sister 7 Sep 20217 Sep 2021 By Justin Rossow Our youngest daughter started high school today. Oof. I remember my dad dropping me off for my first day of high school, so it was an honor…
For Me The Moors of March 26 Mar 202126 Mar 2021 By Katie Helmreich I love winter, spring, summer, and fall! But March always catches me off guard. For my entire life, it's come right after February and before April. And…
Uncategorized Our Family Covid-versary Meal 23 Feb 202123 Feb 2021 By Heidi Goehmann This last week, I noted to a friend that I could feel the ghosts of grief clawing just at the corners of my psyche. It wasn't that…
Cultural Studies… Loss of the Familiar 20 Feb 2021 By Jamie Wiechman Do you remember what it was like before life started throwing us so many curveballs? When work, school, sports, restaurants, churches, etc. were a standard part of…
For Me There Won’t Always be Candles in the Fireplace 18 Feb 202116 Feb 2021 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah…
Discipleship Tools… The Ash Cross of Ash Wednesday 16 Feb 202117 Feb 2021 By Justin Rossow Even as a kid I loved the quiet, dark, and solemn mood of the Ash Wednesday service. And I’ve always loved receiving the sign of the cross…
Cultural Studies… Hope-Filled Speech 14 Jan 202114 Jan 2021 By Sam Fink If you’ve known Jesus for more than about 15 minutes, you probably know, or have at least heard a sermon on 1 Peter 3:15. When I was…
For Me Mom’s Trash Can 15 Dec 202015 Dec 2020 By Kim Longden My mom went to be with the Lord six months ago, and one of the things we brought from her kitchen to ours was her trash can.…
Cultural Studies… My Identity, On Deposit 4 Dec 2020 By Justin Rossow I’ve been struggling a lot lately with the question of identity. Well before COVID made working from home a common, cultural experience, I left a job and…
Discipling Leaders… It is Well With My Soul 26 Aug 202026 Aug 2020 The Next Step PodcastSeason 2: Ponder AnewEpisode 12: It is Well With My SoulDate: 26 August 2020Guest: By Rev. Dr. Theodore Hopkins, Concordia University, Ann ArborAlso available on: iTunes Professor…
Discipling Leaders The Greatest of These Is LOVE? 26 Aug 202026 Apr 2022 By Rev. Dr. Theodore Hopkins Editor's Note: The following sermon was preached on February 3, 2019 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Milan, Michigan. The text was 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13.…
For Me… We Will Rise Up from These Ashes 9 Jul 20209 Jul 2020 By Miriam Rossow It has been almost eight years since we moved to Michigan. We moved in December, had a house to sell in Texas, and so moved into my…
