Connecting with God Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayWhen one of us whom God has brought into existence connects meaningfully and compassionately with another, God is glorified. I see this happening with great frequency around me. A cancer survivor prays with a hospital-robed friend immediately before he goes into surgery. A writer whose computer was stolen is quickly surround by friends and acquaintances […] Read More
Enough is Enough Pastor Dean“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in […] Read More
Ascension Day Pastor DeanI was part of a “round table discussion” at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, WI. The discussion centered on a project (still in process) by St. Paul artist Sam Robertson. He’ll combine over 250 hand painted illustrations with the King James text to create an “Illustrated Old Testament.” The artist was there […] Read More
“We had hoped …” Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayLuke tells a story about to followers of Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-25). The story takes place on the day of the resurrection, continuing the story of certain women and their encounter with Jesus. Those women, Mary, Mary, and Joanna, ran excitedly to the other followers of Jesus to announce that […] Read More
The Super-Ultimate Question Pastor DeanMartin Gardner wrote about an emotion that comes over certain people at times when they reflect on the fact that anything exists at all: “Why should there be something rather than nothing? Obviously we have no way to answer…” If you try to answer, “God created something,” “the question can be asked again: Why does […] Read More
Lenten Cleaning and the Circular File Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayOur theme as we enter into Lent at Grace is going deeper. This is a time deepening our relationships with each other by sharing steps on our life journey that have made a difference to us. We go deeper through swapping stories. But another way of going deeper occurred to me when reading something by […] Read More
90% Pastor DeanWoody Allen once quipped: “90% of life is just showing up!” It was one of those light-hearted comments that express unexpected wisdom. People have since suggested words other than “life” – 90% of helping is just showing up; 90% of loving is just showing up, etc. Well, what about witnessing to God’s presence? Lutherans tend […] Read More
Noticing. Naming. New noticing. Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayWhat we notice makes a difference in our lives. Naming what we notice deepens that difference. And if what we name matters, we become more likely to notice it the next time around. Pam was going through a hard time. Yet she vowed to look for blessings in the midst of the mess. She noticed […] Read More
Life’s Journey Pastor DeanIt’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” – Bilbo Baggins in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings It’s been nearly four years since I arrived for my “three-year appointment” here at Grace […] Read More
God Works in Small Spaces Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayI have just returned from my trip to the Holy Land. I went and saw places where Jesus and those who accompanied him through life lived. I walked the same beach where he called the disciples at the Sea of Galilee; I saw the excavations of Peter’s mother-in-law’s home in Capernaum; I stood in the […] Read More