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How to heal the world? One person at a time

Friends, if you want to make a difference today -- right now! -- seek out the people in your community who feel unseen, unsafe and alone … and pour your heart into them. If you are a Jesus follower, empty yourself as Christ did, for the sake of their and your community’s wellbeing. Twice in the past week as a pastor, I’ve been approached by people who are terrified. People who have every reason to worry about their own and their loved ones’ safety, given the recent treatment of people on the margins. As their pleading eyes bore into me, they implored me to answer why God ...

Recycling Q&A

I recently had the chance to chat with nearly 400 lively 5th and 6th graders from southwest Minnesota about recycling. We jazzed things up with a Q&A game featuring the ever-popular Plinko — because who can resist those bouncing discs? Now, let’s see if our local folks can outsmart these bright young minds by tackling the questions we threw their way. We started with some easy questions and had to throw in a few harder ones to challenge our students. Answers are at the end — no peeking allowed. Can you recycle a paper shopping bag? Can you recycle newspapers? Ready for a ...

Closing it out

While the first frost of the fall doesn’t necessarily signal the end of the openwater fishing season, it provides a hint of what’s to come and a signal that it’s time to start preparing for autumn’s hunting seasons. With the cold autumn rain that wiped out my Sunday hunting plans, I repurposed those hours with the annual inspection and storage of my openwater fishing rods and reels for the cold weather season, save for a couple I keep ready for some fishing on the power plant lake north of my home on those warmer winter days that allow for it. For the rest, however the offered ...

Getting and giving

Any idea how many times you’ve gotten something and given something? Of course, that’s almost impossible to answer, however, it forms the structure of our existence. We get many things while here on earth, but it’s very important for us to give, too. “Oh gosh, what have I gotten so far on this journey of mine?” you might ask yourself. The answer will blow your mind. Well, to ease your anxiety, I’ll pass on a few of the items I’ve received. How about we begin with life? Thank you, parents! Maybe it’s good health. You may have gotten the need to be medically treated. ...

Enjoying Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is a Bavarian word. The “okto” part means eight, “ber” means cold, and the “fest” part means beer. Oktoberfest thus translates to “eight cold beers” which is pretty much the focus of that type of gathering. New Ulm is purported to have one of the best Oktoberfest celebrations in the nation. My wife and I decided to motor to New Ulm to assess this matter for ourselves. The first stop on our investigation was the August Schell Brewing Company. The Schell brewery is located near New Ulm and is perched on the bluffs of the Cottonwood River. It’s an ...

On the Porch

Last Tuesday, Mica Anders presented on “Tracing African American Legacies in Minnesota.” Anders is a professional genealogist specializing in African American genealogy. She earned the Minnesota Genealogical Society’s Pioneer Award for her work on researching early African American communities in Minnesota. Her program on Tuesday was about African American life in Minnesota when it was still a territory, through early statehood, and through the late 1800s. Her presentation explored stories of communities and individuals who contributed to the region’s early development. She ...