The title, “Thin Places,” refers to those sites, sounds, and encounters where the veil between inner/outer, earthly/spiritual, mundane/ magical seems to dissolve. Artists have been grappling with this topic to produce work for this, Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church’s 10th annual art show, which opens Saturday, March 16, at The Johnson Heritage Post. Work by local artists and by... READ MORE >
As I drove down the hill Sunday, a huge full moon rose out of the lake; I turned the other way to see the sun setting, orange waving through turquoise water. Touched by the beauty; I felt pulled outside myself. This pull of the “beyond” may come in many ways— “Christ plays in ten thousand places” as Gerard Manley Hopkins... READ MORE >
This has always been one of my favorite expressions. So ludicrous—a mom or dad washing a baby, and then looking at the bath water: “Ick…this water is dirty…” Out on the back porch and heaving away the filth, and the baby flies out, too! Ridiculous! No one would do that. Ridiculous, and yet I suspect we all do it. I... READ MORE >
We are now in the season of Epiphany. From January 6th (the 12th day of Christmas) we celebrate Epiphany until Lent begins. What is Epiphany? Literally, from the Greek, it means “look upon” or “reveal.” On a most basic level, Epiphany celebrates the wise men coming to “look upon” Jesus. But the church came to see the Magi’s visit as... READ MORE >
This year, for Spirit of the Wilderness’s 10th annual art show, our topic will be “Thin Places.” Each year, our committee—Ellen Stubbs, Bonnie Gay Hedstrom, Mila Horak, Maggie Anderson, Greg Mueller, Hannah Laky, and Mary Ellen Ashcroft—offers a topic that focuses on the overlap between creativity and spirituality. We ask artists to ponder the topic and to create art in... READ MORE >
Who knows what this year will hold? Will the stock market continue to fluctuate? Will our country continue to be so divided? Will my friend who is sick get better or worse? Will my grandson’s autism be helpfully treated? No shortage of unknowns—that’s for sure. Most of us never thought we’d see a time when children were taken from their... READ MORE >
For centuries, people who called themselves Christian lived happily with slavery. We were discussing this extraordinary blind spot in a class I taught recently. How could people point to the Bible to support slavery for so long? And then, how could they change their minds, so that even those most thoughtless of the vulnerable poor today condemn slavery? My students... READ MORE >
One of the best parts of my summer has been guiding people into the Boundary Waters. These “Mindful Paddles” (organized through Points Unknown Dog-Based Adventures) are only four hours long. People who sign up for them are from all over—Iowa, Delaware, Illinois—all inexperienced. They’ve heard of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. They are curious—they want to see for themselves... READ MORE >
Jeff Sessions quoted the Bible to support breaking up families at the border. When I heard that news, I guessed what passage he must have pulled out. It had to be Romans 13, where Paul writes about obeying the law, since “the powers that be are ordained by God.” Of course, Sessions quoted that passage – always a great favorite... READ MORE >
The Minnesota Orchestra concert in Soweto, South Africa, opened with the South African national anthem: “Nkosi Sikelelel’ iAfrica,”—“ God Bless Africa.” With different verses, voices shifted between official languages—Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Afrikaans, and English. Then a drum roll, and the orchestra started to play The Star Spangled Banner. Voices: “Oh, say can you see?” The words caught me. “Oh, say... READ MORE >
