If you happen to be in or near the Twin Cities September 30 or October 1, I want to invite you to Mount Olivet Lutheran Church (5025 Knox Ave., Mpls) for several events featuring Dr. Timothy J. Wengert, Emeritus Professor of Reformation History at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Beyond being a world-renowned Reformation scholar and the author or editor of more than 20 books, Tim is one of the finest teachers in the church today. He was my advisor and mentor while I was a student at LTSP and the most important and influential teacher in my career. If you’re in the neighborhood, I hope you’ll come by. And feel free to...

My teacher and mentor Timothy Wengert started a blog not too long ago that offers weekly meditations on the Psalms. Except these aren’t just meditations. In 2001, Tim and his wife Barbara discovered that Barb had terminal cancer. Throughout that year and the next, before Barb died in May of 2001, they would read a Psalm together each night. And each morning the next day, Tim would send an email to their daughter Emily, who was away at college, with the Psalm and his reflections. Now Tim is posting those reflections on his blog once a week in relation to the Sunday reading of the Psalm in the lectionary. Which is what makes these...