As I’m writing this, we’re getting to host Harvest Fest Christ Greenfield. And I have to confess, it wears me out. It wears out a lot of our staff, too. We want to know the juice is worth the squeeze. We’re putting in a lot to get people to the event. What happens after they show up? We use a simple engagement model: attract, get, retain, disciple, multiply. Attract means people want to know more. Get means they’re willing to try it out. We make a connection so we can follow

We live in a world of remarkable contradictions. Artificial intelligence expands our knowledge, medical technology promises longer lives, and modern conveniences make daily life easier. Yet loneliness and anxiety continue to grow. Meanwhile, some voices warn that world events, especially in the Middle East, are rapidly moving us toward Armageddon. Some even suggest that restoring Israel to its place of biblical prominence and rebuilding a third temple in Jerusalem will hasten

We all have a problem when it comes to truly hearing — internalizing — the gospel. Deep down, we don’t want it to be true. Let me explain. The good news of the gospel is that your sins are already forgiven! (Romans 5:6) God has already done everything needed to reconcile you to Him. As far as He is concerned, you are not a sinner but His beloved child! But there is a big part of me that doesn’t want to hear that. I don’t know what to call this part of me: my shadow side? my o

How do you feel about a “check engine” light on your dashboard? Maybe some mechanics get excited about solving a problem, but most people hate seeing that little amber symbol appear in their car. The light is never a good thing. One person I was working with told me that he has an easy fix involving black electrical tape: just put a little piece over the light, and the light goes away. The “check engine” light is actually a good thing, not a problem. It’s not a problem becaus

I’ve been doing podcasts for some time now. They are fun. I learn a lot, and still have a lot to learn. Sometimes I ask questions that lead people to mention LCMS leaders by name. Sometimes people may say hard statements about others that I’m not prepared to respond to. Sometimes this takes me off guard, and I don’t defend the person being named, largely because I don’t know the person well, or do not know the story behind why the guest has struggled with a fellow brother o

In the final moments of ecclesiastical crisis and despair, this non-denomination-evangelical sensed whispers once again to consider leaving the church—and to finally do it this time! After much struggle and temptation to deconstruct her faith, she instead leaned into Scripture and turned to church history, deciding to reconstruct her faith. Christ met her in this struggle. He provided a preacher, one whom she could hear; a Lutheran pastor was in a coffee shop at precisely th

Last week's blog Bridge Builders and Distinction Keepers & Why We Need Both (Part 1) described the roles of bridge builders and distinction keepers and how the Lutheran Confessions show the need for both. Let's continue the conversation. When distinction keepers go wrong . . . Distinction keepers go wrong when Lutheran doctrine becomes a club for winning arguments rather than a confession for comforting sinners. They go wrong when every local custom becomes a test of orthodo

As the political season of our church body begins to heat up, many of us are waiting for the convention resolutions to come out later this summer. The closer we get, the more the conversations begin: Who are we? What does it mean to be Lutheran? How do we think, vote, speak, serve, and confess together as members of The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod? Those are not small questions. They are not “inside baseball” questions either, though sometimes we pastors can make them sou

Ministry is a grind, and the grind is good. Sundays just keep coming. The youth keep needing you. Families continue to struggle. People continue to get sick and die. Staff continue to fight. You can’t please everyone, yet you’re still called to lead. You think you’ve been clear on the vision, but questions continue to arise. The future is cloudy. The present is shaky. Yet, you—yes, you, church worker—you continue to get up, and show up so that Jesus can show off. There is a

“Living historically” is a phrase I recently heard on a history podcast. The podcaster was making the point that very few of us “live historically” today. We don’t think much beyond our lives. Many rarely even consider the end of their lives. We live for today, for what is in front of us, satisfying the flesh, in our heads, heads down, eyes down, isolated, anxious, angry, numb. I went to the gym today. I needed to pump some iron—get a good sweat on. I conducted an experiment

My family began attending Woodbury Lutheran Church when I had just turned four years old. Prior to that, I had never really attended church and had not been baptized, although my parents did talk to me about Jesus and I knew and loved Him. My parents had attended some other churches, but felt their teachings were extra-biblical or even non-biblical. We moved from Roseville, Minnesota to Woodbury, Minnesota and one of the first people to visit us at our new house was Pastor Pa

I’m an introvert. Like, naturally a crazy introvert. Like, buying-a-cabin-in-the-woods-and-getting-away-from-people, hermit-type introvert. I tell my congregation this, and they argue with me. “No, you’re not, Pastor. You are so friendly, and you talk to so many of us.” Yet it has not always been that way. I remember my supervising pastor during seminary writing in my report that I really did not talk to people—and that I needed to talk to people. Two things changed for me: I

Step Zero – Day 2 – Stuck You’ve got to get yourself together, You’ve got stuck in a moment, And you can’t get out of it. Don’t say that later will be better, Now you’re stuck in a moment, And you can’t get out of it. –U2 “Stuck in a Moment” I wrote about this song a couple of years ago when I was planning my mothers funeral. A link to that reflection can be found here: Hug Your Cactus | Stuck in a Moment: Remembering Mom Part 1. I still cannot hear that song without tearin

“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7 ESV). I remember it like it was yesterday—driving a U-Haul from St. Louis to Albany, New York, with my wife after Seminary. I remember walking into my office for the first time and feeling overall joy and excitement. If there were any negative emotions that were part of that day—or walking into worship, meetings, Bible studies, or any othe

One of my favorite Gospel stories is Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-31. It perfectly illustrates the way I feel sometimes about going to church. (Feel free to pause here and go read the story! I’ll wait for you!) Before we judge the man too quickly, it’s important to realize that he was probably being sincere. He wasn’t lying about his piety. He had kept the law since his youth. In that day, much like in our own, his status and wealth were evidence o

Dear Jesus, You love the LCMS, sinful warts and all. You’ve sustained us since 1847. You’ve sustained us through the chiliasm controversy (look it up) doctrine of election diverse teachings battle over the Bible blunders (Seminex) liturgical style conflicts red and blue and maroon screens and guitars and organs chanting and praising and prancing— oh my— the role of women trust and distrust of leaders church fellowship concerns, and through faithfully conversing on how to

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) is a family of congregations and pastors bound together by confession and mission. The statistics in our official reports can feel like a numbers game, yet behind every digit are saints and shepherds trying to live by faith in Jesus. When we look at the data across the past two decades, some patterns emerge that call for honest reflection, creative planning, and faithful prayer. What the numbers are saying Slow but steady decline in c

A few weekends ago, I sat in a sanctuary full of hope with four LCMS representatives and left with the sense that many of the concerns people brought into the room had not truly been heard. However, I went home with a clearer calling than I had when I arrived. That's not for nothing. But let's back up. The "Listening Event" The Shepherd of the Desert Lutheran Church hosted what they called “LCMS Pastoral Formation Listening Event” here in the Phoenix area, four LCMS seminary

Rebuilding Bridges in the Body of Christ Offered in the Spirit of Confessional Lutheran Fellowship Rev. Dr. Tim Ahlman, Ms. Tania Hilton, and the United Leadership Collective have asked an honest question — how can we do that? — meaning, how do we rebuild the bridge, restore the relationship, and re-earn a place at the table of our shared mission? I offer these thoughts not as an outside observer, but as one who has served within the LCMS community for more than four decades

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog and asked a dumb question: If we have a pastor shortage, why do we seem to be making pastoral formation more restrictive rather than more accessible? The responses were enlightening. Some agreed. Some strongly disagreed. A few politely informed me that I didn't know what I was talking about. That’s okay; I probably don’t, hence the questions! All of which brings me to another dumb question, so please forgive me. Over the past few weeks, I've be