Reflections on my first Father’s Day- Love and gratitude, calling out evil, and our need to change.

To all dads, fathers, grandpas, and anyone who has shown or shows fatherly love and care, Happy Father’s Day! If you read this blog at all, you know that I am a relatively new parent. So new, that this is my first Father’s Day as a dad actually. I am deeply in love with our darling daughter Caroline. I couldn’t be more blessed and grateful … Continue reading Reflections on my first Father’s Day- Love and gratitude, calling out evil, and our need to change.

Stewards of God’s Love for the World: The Relationship of Deacon and Stewardship

I have been reading and gaining insights from the great academic and ministry journal, Currents in Theology and Mission for a little over a decade. While in college, I read a number of articles and cited them in my religion capstone. Later in seminary, it was a go to source of insights and the references these articles cited helped in crafting and strengthening my thesis. … Continue reading Stewards of God’s Love for the World: The Relationship of Deacon and Stewardship

Why I Started Wearing a Stole

One of the joys of my call as Nebraska Synod Director for Stewardship is to be out in the 245 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregations across the state. I do this simultaneously with my consecrated and rostered ministry as a Deacon in the Church, one called to “Word and Service” ministry. I love this call, and I love this ministry. Being able to: … Continue reading Why I Started Wearing a Stole

This Week’s Links

Tuesdays on the blog mean that I have the pleasure of sharing some links to things that I have found interesting and thought provoking over the previous week with all of you. To help make sense of all that I have read, I have grouped these links by the following categories: Church and Ministry Thought & Practice; Cross-Sector Collaboration; Leadership Thought & Practice; Millennials; Neighbor … Continue reading This Week’s Links

This Week’s Links

Tuesdays on the blog mean that I have the pleasure of sharing some links to things that I have found interesting and thought provoking over the previous week with all of you. To help make sense of all that I have read, I have grouped these links by the following categories: Church and Ministry Thought & Practice; Cross-Sector Collaboration; Leadership Thought & Practice; Neighbor Love; … Continue reading This Week’s Links

‘Turn, then, and live’ – an invitation to abundant life & our response to God’s Work & Word

I had the great privilege of being home at Salem Lutheran in Fontanelle, Nebraska today (October 1, 2017), and was invited to preach on stewardship by my wife, and the congregation’s pastor Allison. What follows is the majority of the manuscript I preached from, which was based on the revised common lectionary readings for the day (Lectionary 26, Pentecost 17A): Matthew 21:23-32, Philippians 2:1-13, and … Continue reading ‘Turn, then, and live’ – an invitation to abundant life & our response to God’s Work & Word

This Week’s Links

Tuesdays on the blog mean that I get to share links to things that I have found interesting and thought provoking over the previous week with all of you. To help make sense of all that I have read, I have grouped these links by the following categories: Church and Ministry Thought & Practice; Cross-Sector Collaboration; Leadership Thought & Practice; Neighbor Love; Stewardship; and Vocation. … Continue reading This Week’s Links

To Take Up the Cross and Follow

Today I had the privilege of sharing the message at my congregation, Salem Lutheran Church in Fontanelle. My wife (the congregation’s pastor Allison Siburg, at the far left in the picture above) invited me to preach on the lectionary for this week, so what follows is the majority of my manuscript that I preached from, based on Matthew 16:21-28 and Romans 12:9-21.  Grace and peace … Continue reading To Take Up the Cross and Follow

Beyond Grateful

The month of May marks one year of serving in my current call. As I think about this, there are two words that surmise how I am feeling a year in. Beyond grateful. Serving as the Nebraska Synod Director for Stewardship is a blessing. Each day is new and exciting. Each day brings new experiences, new learning, new conversations, new ideas, and new stories. Serving … Continue reading Beyond Grateful

How are you #Called?

As part of my Lenten journey this year, I will be blogging daily using the themes or words created by the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin in partnership with other ELCA synods for “Lent Photo a Day.” The word for today, March 2nd, is “Called.” On this second day of Lent, now that the ashes have been washed from our foreheads, I am thinking about what … Continue reading How are you #Called?