This Summer I have officiated several small weddings. For the final meeting before one wedding, I met with the couple, Jim and Angela, around their kitchen table. In so many ways it was the perfect spot to work out the final details for their big day. Details like: who would read what, who would stand where and…
I love potluck picnics. There is always so much variety in the foods like calico beans, chicken, buns, brownies and chips. My very first Sunday with the church I served for 30 years included a potluck picnic and worship service while sitting in the gardens of Enger Park. Ever since that day the church has…
Oh, how I love to fish. There is something so calming about just sitting on the water waiting for your line to dip down. Last week I joined a friend on Sawbill Lake in the BWCA to do just that. It was exactly what I needed as I was living between two very big life…
On Thursday I took my mom a dozen yellow roses. My dad often gave her yellow roses. The solstice would have been their 65th wedding anniversary. My dad died in 1984 leaving her a widow at the age of 48. She never remarried. Their marriage had its ups and downs, but what I remember most…
Several days ago, Tim and I hiked part of the Superior Hiking Trail in West Duluth. We walked several miles with good friends. They picked wild ramps along the way, filling up two zip lock bags. I chewed on several as we made our way along the trail. The taste was a combination of onion…
Chum’s 50th Anniversary — A Reflection Offered at the Service of Thanksgiving on June 4, 2023 When I moved to Duluth in 1991 to be the lead pastor of Peace Church I heard right away about Chum. My first thought though was what a weird name for a social service organization. When I hear the…
Monday morning I officiated at the burial service for a sweet man named Lyle. It was a foggy, gray morning, and the grass was wet as we walked quietly to the grave. His nephews carried his casket and placed it gently between his brother’s and his mother’s markers. I had done their funeral services too. There were…
Most days Tim and I wake early to walk along the Shores of Lake Superior. There is something sacred in being able to stroll together silently and watch the sun rise over this incredible lake. It is our prayer time on the Lake Walk. In eighth grade earth science at Lincoln Park Middle School the…
In February we went to Arizona and for the first time in my life I saw the majesty of the Grand Canyon. We got to the park late and so couldn’t see anything in the dark. We got up before dawn and made our way to the rim. The sunrise was amazing as we watched…
Our daughter Hannah is doing one of her last clinical rotations as a physicians associate at St. Luke’s Ob/Gyn here in Duluth. She is learning so much from this all woman team of health care providers. Hannah works both in the clinic and in the hospital’s birth center. It’s the same birth center where she…