The Hermit and the Blackbird
By Donavon Riley
03/27/26
11mins

The Hermit and the Blackbird

Lent exists because we are forgetful creatures. We forget how hungry we really are.
Getting Over Your Moral Superiority
Daniel Emery Price
Daniel Emery Price
03/26/26

Getting Over Your Moral Superiority

The Pharisee valued fasting and giving tithes, but could not find value in his fellow sinner.
The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew
Magnus Persson
Magnus Persson
03/25/26

The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew

God is not a tool in our hands. He does not exist to serve our goals, our metrics, or our platforms.

All Articles

Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
11/12/15

The Way Things Should Be

I love stories with happy endings! My husband makes fun of me, but he has been known to graciously sit through a variety of schmaltzy chick flicks because he knows how I feel.
Erick Sorensen
Erick Sorensen
11/11/15

The Exhaustion of Outrage

I’m pretty sure that right about now everybody is offended about everything (including this article). At least that’s the way it seems on social media and in various news stories these days.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/05/15

How Do I Know My Name Is Written in the Book of Life?

Our Father does not bid us to turn inward, but outward, to the Son who is himself our unending Sabbath rest.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/05/15

We All Show up Late for Church

When we begin singing the opening hymn, our voices blend with those of angels in heaven, who have been belting out hymns long before we rolled out of bed that morning.
Paul Dunk
Paul Dunk
11/05/15

Identity and Reinvention

Over the course of her career, Madonna has demonstrated an incredible commitment to reinvention, keeping herself relevant under the critical eye that accompanies the culture of constant change in the world of music and art.
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
11/04/15

The Long, Sad Road of an Unrepentant Life

I was recently challenged to write about someone I know. A very specific someone who is extremely flawed and broken, even if they don't know it or care to admit it.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/02/15

Attaching a Résumé to Our Prayers

We are fond of attaching our own résumés to our spoken or unspoken prayers. “I thank you, Lord, that I am not like other men, such as that lying, pathetic, husband named Abraham.”
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/29/15

Please God, Let There Be a Purgatory

We harbor a clandestine doctrine in our hearts: we secretly hope there is a purgatory.
Rick Ritchie
Rick Ritchie
10/27/15

That Sermon Was Perfect For Those People

If there was a proclamation of grace, it was an afterthought, given in the sense of “just in case anyone needs this.”
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/27/15

Kicking God Out of Church

Sometimes the only obstacle to the church accomplishing its goals is when God gets in the way. And he has an irritating habit of doing just that.
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
10/26/15

God: Perfect Father or Angry Monster

Is God the perfect loving father for whom we have all longed; or is he an angry, blood-thirsty deity who can only be appeased by the torture and death of his own child?
Brian W. Thomas
Brian W. Thomas
10/15/15

More than Meets the Eye

Nevertheless, we believe, teach, and confess that this unlikely King advents weekly to meet with His people in the Divine Service through His Word and Sacraments.
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