What does the word “lent” actually mean? Isn’t that funny? I’ve been “lenting” (yes, I made up a word) for almost 45 years, and I have no idea the origin of the word “lent.” My curiosity led me to ask Google. (It’s crazy how quickly we can find answers today.) Let me share what I discovered. The original meaning of the word “lent” comes from the Old English word lencten , which means “springtime” or “lengthening,” referring to the time of year when days begin to get longer.

Alan Kreider wrote a marvelous history of the early church titled The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire , released in 2016. In the book, Kreider documents how patience, possibly unlike any other virtue, shaped the rise of Christianity. It is a thick but accessible read. I highly commend it for those who would like to delve deeper into how the early church exploded in growth. Kreider documents four “angles” for explai

This day should not be. What should be is air in lungs for eternity walking and talking with the Author of days for eternity in what should be but ceased to be when we usurped the Author to linger and listen to the Liar what could be no—what should be broken by a bite. And dusty days began. Dusty days between dusty days leads to this day the dustiest of days. I’m one preaching prophet telling anyone with ears to hear, “Your animated spirit will cease your animated breath wi

Every once in a while, you read a book that resonates deeply, because it names something you’ve seen in the human heart. The Courage to Be Dislike d by Ichiro Kishimi is one of those books. Its ideas about personal responsibility, freedom from people-pleasing, and letting go of control over others’ opinions speak directly to the struggles many people carry. Many of the people I counsel struggle deeply with feeling responsible for everyone’s emotions. They fear disappointi

How do people master a skill? I once thought someone had to “put in 10,000 hours” to master a skill. I once thought people primarily learn through reward reinforcement. I once thought rote memorization and repetitive practice would produce the best results in skill improvement. New research from the “Beyond Reward-Based Learning” study out of UC Berkeley reveals a slightly different reality. I learn something new everyday, and this may be something new for you. Learning

There’s a chart making the rounds that shows membership trends across major U.S. denominations since 2000. It’s not a pretty picture. Most churches are shrinking, some rapidly. But three denominations stand out in green: the PCA, the ACNA, and the Assemblies of God. They’re not just surviving. They’re growing. Meanwhile, the LCMS is down roughly 34%. So the questions are obvious: What do those growing churches have in common? & What might the LCMS be missing? What the Growing

I know better. I really do. I’ve read Luther. I’ve taught Romans. I’ve wrestled with Law and Gospel. I’m still learning how to apply theology in real life, not just talk about it. And somehow… I still managed to get myself completely stuck in the Law. What made it worse is that I couldn’t even see it. I knew the theology. It just wasn’t applying to me. Somewhere along the way, I swam too far out into the deep water of theology and didn’t have a life vest. I was reading Paulso

“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations ! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Rev. 15:34) January 6 marks the 12th Day of Christmas and the beginning of the season that we call Epiphany. Epiphany marks the journey of the Magi, or Wise Men (almost certainly not Kings or only three), f

On November 12, 2025, the Pastor Formation Committee of the LCMS released new Policy Requirements for the SMP (Specific Ministry Pastor) program. These new requirements have created a bit of a stir as the LCMS continues to address the challenges facing both a shortage of pastors and a variety of approaches on how to best move forward. Having gone through SMP myself, but also having completed both Masters and Doctor of Ministry degrees, I believe that I may offer some unique p

A Demographic Moment We Cannot Ignore Over the next one to two decades, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is likely to experience a significant, but temporary, surge in estate and bequest giving. The reason is straightforward: the LCMS is older than the U.S. population as a whole, with a large concentration of Baby Boomers entering the final chapters of life. When people age, estates are settled. Giving rises, and then inevitably, it falls. What matters most in this moment i

The New Year has a way of stirring something deep in us. There’s something about turning the calendar that invites reflection—sometimes hopeful, sometimes heavy. New workout plans, new healthy diet plans, new resolutions that this time we will stick to! We talk about fresh starts and clean slates, but for many, January also brings a quiet inventory. Goals we didn’t meet. Conversations we wish had gone differently. Decisions we second-guess. People we hoped to serve better.

Isaiah 9:6 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Who is this child? He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through hi

Leadership is hard. Problems are always present. People present problems. There are so many people, so many problems. I sound a little fatalistic—a little nihilistic. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit hyperbolic to make a point. I am a preacher. We make hyperbolic statements sometimes for shock value. Nonetheless, I’m not wrong. People present problems. Leading people through problems is hard. I was speaking with a long-time school leader who is nearing retirement. I asked, “Are

In the first release of this piece, I made a methodological error by taking total institutional cost of education and treating it as if it were an annual per‑student cost . That was careless. I own that mistake without qualification, and I regret the confusion it created. I am grateful to those who challenged the data directly and forced a needed re‑examination. This revised version now relies strictly on ATS‑reported “Cost to Educate per Student” annual figures , which are

On September 28th, Bethel Lutheran Church in Dallas, Texas, experienced something very rare for a church—a double ordination. Two men—Walker Nery and Jonas Ntagawa—became pastors in the LCMS to serve at Bethel Lutheran Church in Dallas. Two ordinations in one day at the same service is rare enough, but there were other circumstances that made this day extra special. For one, the service was in three languages: English, Spanish, and Kinyarwanda. Walker, originally from Brazil,

On September 17-19, 2025, three of us from the ULC Team, Jack Kalleberg, Tim Ahlman, and myself, attended the Loved + Sent Summit at Christ Memorial Lutheran Church in St. Louis. I first found out about this gathering last May when I presented with Jeff Cloeter, the Sr. Pastor at Christ Memorial during the Multiethnic Symposium at Concordia Seminary. While there, Jeff and I realized that we have a common passion for a more culturally diverse church body. Both of our churches

Attention is slipping in our culture. We have increasingly short attention spans. Thanks, internet and social media. Thanks, cell phones and notifications. Thanks, sin. Sin steals our attention of what matters most. It shortens our attention span toward God. God’s gaze is fixed on us. His gaze of love fuels His delight in us. He’s wondering if we’ll return the gaze—become transfixed by His Word, His presence, His indwelling Spirit, His love. Sin steals my attention toward Go

Pressed— Pressure mounting chest tightening overwhelmed unsure what to do some applaud others boo motives questioned God knows. Pressed Pressed— Feeling stuck wanting release. Feeling dark wanting light. Feeling alone wanting Him. Feeling seen wanting that to be enough. Pressed Pressed— Big dreams more need Him. Remove barriers all things all people. Release them to reach them. God’s mission. Pressed Pressed— A real tension no compromise. Truth unchanging clear proclamation.

Leading Like a Woman in the Church: If God Can Use a Donkey, He Can Use You

There is some discussion today in the LCMS on maintaining our “Lutheran Identity.” I believe there will be some resolutions calling for...