Mercy & Grace
“Hell-oween:” Scaring the Hell out of People
Monday, October 31st, 2011Last week, I got this query: Hello Anna, As I walked to work this morning I saw posters for a “Hell-oween” event…I called the number on the poster and learned that it is going to be a haunted house similar to “Hell House” which highlights “real-life” terror such as abortion, suicide, homosexuality, etc. I am concerned, and frustrated. You [...]
Rogue Waves
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011The other day, my good friend told me that she’d watched a show about the Rogue Wave Phenomenon. I’d never heard of the things, but wowza. You don’t want to meet one in a dark alley, or anywhere else for that matter. Here are several links to give you an idea about why a whole [...]
On Else’s Birthday: Of Knowing History and Hope and Peace in a Bundle
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011Eight years ago yesterday, daughter Else was born. A baby’s birth isn’t just the event itself, but is a symbol of new beginnings, of uncountable possibilities, of history and hope and peace in a bundle. Else was almost Petrea. Petrea was my paternal grandmother’s sister’s name, and is the middle name of my sister. In [...]
“It took me a long time to learn…” Mulling Niemöller on 9-16
Friday, September 16th, 2011“It took me a long time to learn that God is not the enemy of my enemies. He is not even the enemy of His enemies.” The late Martin Niemöller said these words after eight years of concentration camp imprisonment, and friend Kirsten Mebust reminded me of them on a facebook post of hers on [...]
Can Grace Really Be Pulled out of the Fire? Scary Matthew 13.
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011Anna- curious of your understanding of Matthew 13:36-43. Is this really telling of a one time judgement and not an eternal one? I was thinking of our conversation at Outlaw Ranch this past week. It sounds pretty eternal to me. Dang. There’s always gotta be one in the crowd who listens and then in their [...]
“Rarely, will anyone die for a righteous person.” The Impracticality of Jesus’ Death
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011The problem I see every day amongst Christians is the inability to find a more practical explanation to those of us who don’t quite understand the meaning of giving up your only son to save a bunch of sinners. Why would anyone do that? And worse: no matter what kind of crook you’ve been your [...]
Crazy
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011Well, if you can read this, you too have not been raptured. Turns out, nobody has. Or at least, no one whom anybody has noticed is gone missing. Which you have to grant would be discouraging even in absentia. To some, this threatened doomsday of May 21 might be old news. But I’m still thinking it’s [...]
Bonhoeffer: Assassin (wannabe) and Patron Saint of Lutheran Ambiguity
Friday, February 4th, 2011Today is Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s birthday. I was reminded of this on today’s Writer’s Almanac by Garrison Keillor. We wake up at 6:00 a.m. to classical public radio in my family, and at 6:15 Garrison lulls us right back to sleep with his tales and poetry and voice. But it’s worth your time to look up [...]
