By Hillary Asbury - The catacombs of Rome are a vast, labyrinthine network of passageways. They are cavernous: dark, cold, bleak, and eerie. Death lingers there. In the stillness and quiet of the depths, you can feel it. Long after the tombs fell into disuse, forgotten for centuries, they still whisper of finality… as though … Continue reading Art Underground
By Cindy Koch - It’s pretty common. Shopping for clothes. Haircuts and maybe a pedicure come spring. We have a routine of upkeep to present ourselves to the world. Even on my most fuzzy days when the babies had kept me up all night and I had to run out to the grocery store, I … Continue reading Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Not Beautiful
By Ross Engel - I always wanted to be an astronaut. My childhood bedroom was decorated with space memorabilia. As a teenager, I had a full size wall mural in my bedroom of the Space Shuttle Columbia orbiting the earth. I collected shuttle mission patches, built model rockets, and stared at the stars. I watched … Continue reading Space Force Chaplain
By Paul Koch - There is great comfort found in the traditional liturgy of the Church. When you wander into a congregation gathered around the gifts of Christ, the liturgy of their worship provides a rhythm and focus to the things that are happening. There is a movement and purpose that aids in carrying the … Continue reading A Liturgy of Doubt
By Joel A. Hess - A young pastor was enjoying a children’s message with a bunch of elementary kids (if you can’t handle pastors talking to little kids in the Divine Service, please exit). He asked the kids, “What do you think Jesus said when He rose from the dead?” One girl responded, “Tada!” Everyone … Continue reading Beware of the Peace Snatchers
By Cindy Koch - I know I’m guilty. Keys in hand, given even to me, this is my responsibility. It’s a habit now to double check every last door handle as I walk by, pulling just a little bit to make sure no one can get in. It’s part of the culture of the church, … Continue reading Locking up the Church
By Joel A. Hess - “For they were afraid!” That’s the end of Mark’s gospel. After being told that Jesus had risen from the dead, they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone—for they were afraid! The last words of Mark are … Continue reading For they were afraid! Happy Easter
