Author: LAMPomrenke

Read Mark 16:1-8 The end. I think it is obvious why most of us prefer John's account of the resurrection instead of this one. If we, with these women who were closest to him, thought that following Jesus was going to give us hope in a way that feels triumphant and victorious, that idea ends… Continue reading Sermon on the Day of Voting to Close

(An edited version appeared online in Fidelia's Sisters, the publication of Young Clergy Women International.) When I let it slide in conversation that I am a pastor, the natural follow-up question is, “Where's your congregation?” For me right now, the answer requires extra explanation. I am a “pastor in the pew,” a phrase I am… Continue reading Pastor in the Pew

Every year when our Vikta's birthday arrives, so does another milestone: The anniversary of when we first knew of our daughter. We received her referral document on her 2nd birthday, and 2 photos of her the next day. That was 5 years ago! Today, I'm remembering the adoption process, the waiting, the love and the… Continue reading 5 Years In…

“Keep Minnesota passive-aggressive! (Or not, whatever you think is best.)” I laughed out loud when I read that t-shirt slogan, and told my husband about it when I got home. Minnesotans have a set of character traits that we - and others - claim define us, and they tend to be synonymous with Lutherans, a… Continue reading Embodied Stereotypes Instead of Theology

(Based on my previous post, a classmate from my Collegeville Institute course challenged me to find a current news hook and submit something perhaps as an Op-Ed to the Star Tribune. This is what I wrote, but it wasn't picked up. There were many urgent issues for comment this week.) Take this theological concept outside,… Continue reading Would a Spirit of Adoption Make Us Relate?

Preach about my family this Sunday! (Maybe not by name, because you probably have adoptive families or adult adoptees in your own congregation, and they should be the ones you consult and name.) But trust me, we have some serious lived commentary on the “spirit of adoption” in Romans 8:12-25 (the Epistle reading in the… Continue reading Preach on Us

Did we start yet? Was that part of it, or just a note before we began? Should we be walking reverently or can we keep chatting? The ritual began casually, setting the tone it would carry throughout. Several times I was unsure if we were participating in an official action, or speaking off the cuff,… Continue reading A Ritual to Define the Culture (of a Collegeville Institute workshop)

We need a new church. The majority of Millenials are not going to church, even those who grew up in a church. Seminary enrollment is down, which means that young adults are largely not considering careers serving the Church. That doesn't mean that this generation doesn't have faith, or don't want to live out their… Continue reading Non-Profits as Faith Communities?