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...

An Open Letter to the Current Board and Constituents of United Lutheran Seminary Dear Colleagues, I have been incredibly hesitant to comment publicly on United Lutheran Seminary’s recent controversies and actions out of respect for current leaders there and because I am standing at a distance. Yet because events there have been not only heartbreaking but also, I believe, detrimental to the status and standing of Lutheran theological education in the Northeast, I have chosen to share some of the questions I have. They are, I want to emphasize, questions. This tragic series of events has reminded me to avoid rushing to judgment and to give...

A number of folks have emailed me of late with requests for resources for their congregations during this turbulent time. At this point, it’s hard to answer all emails (though I try!), but I will share when I can things I’ve found or created. Below is a prayer we used in our congregation last week that I modeled after St. Francis’ “Peace Prayer.” Use and/or adapt it as you find helpful and, as always, feel free to share resources you’ve found helpful in the comments.   A Prayer after Charlottesville, based in part on St. Francis’ “Peace Prayer.” Lord God, we pray that you would arm us with...

Dear friends, Like you, I have been shocked and saddened, grief-stricken and outraged, by the violence in Charlottesville and, increasingly, around our country and globe, the “normalization” of extreme and bigotted rhetoric, and the rise of neo-Nazism and white supremacy. Again like many of you, I have wondered how, beyond prayer and lament, to respond. Toward answering that question, I’ve put below a statement I’ve written with Prof. Rolf Jacobson, my former colleague at Luther Seminary and good friend. You can access and sign the actual petition by clicking on this link. It is addressed to Lutheran clergy not to...