Extravagant Grace
I can still remember the panic I felt looking at the receipt in my hand: “INSUFFICIENT FUNDS.” Standing in front of the ATM machine in the large lobby at my place of work, I stood in disbelief. I had attempted to make a withdrawal from my checking account, and this was what I got instead of the $20 bill I was expecting.
Claimed
A number of years ago, I witnessed the baptism of a little boy named Jacob who appeared to be about 2 1/2 years old. The church had a small platform with a couple of steps that could be pulled over to the baptismal font for children who no longer needed to be held in...Life-giving Waters
Ten years ago, I stood in the waters of the Jordan River at the Yardenit Baptismal Site, located just south of the Sea of Galilee. My husband and I were among a group from Bethlehem Lutheran in south Minneapolis traveling through Israel and Palestine with our pastor, Beth Warpmaeker, as our leader and guide.
An Epiphany Blessing
January 6th marked Epiphany, the day that Christians around the world remember the Magi (or wisemen) who followed a star to find God’s love revealed in the flesh and blood of a little boy named Jesus. (The story can be found in Matthew 2:1-12.)