Ever since I was very young, I’ve had a fear of being misunderstood. I wasn’t very close to my grade school classmates, but I felt that if they just knew me, they would want to be my friend. This fear came with somewhat of a skill, I guess. I was fairly emotionally perceptive. Whenever two people I cared about were …

Young. Lutheran. These two words rarely get placed in the same sentence, or even paragraph, unless someone is decrying the lack of young people in their Lutheran church. No matter your flavor of Lutheran, you’re seldom associated with young people. There’s a reason for this: The Lutheran church has failed the next generation. Young people were looking for belonging. We …

“God isn’t calling gay people to be straight. You’d think He was by listening to the ways Christians try to encourage same-sex-attracted people within, or outside, their local churches. They dangle the possibility of heterosexual marriage above their heads, point to it like it’s heaven on a string, something to grab and get whole with. And though it’s usually well-meaning, …

“Live, Laugh, Love” has gone down in infamy as an example of why Christian bookstores no longer exist. People are tired of trite Christianity with its empty platitudes. I’d like to present a new trifecta. This one isn’t a meaningless phrase. Instead, it serves as a reminder of how our media digestive tract works. Look ⇨Love ⇨ Live ⇨ The …

When I was a teen, my preferences for church music differed greatly from that of my church. Whenever I expressed my point of view, I was usually met with the response “There are more important things to focus on in church than worship style.” They were both so right and so wrong at the same time. Unless you live under …

If you graduated high school this last spring, you’re in the middle of making some big life decisions. Where will you go to college? Should you live on campus? Do you need a bedtime anymore? Where will you work? Who will your new friends be? Striking off on your own is one of the most exciting and terrifying times of …

Hey God, I’ve started this bizarre little Lutheran brand thingy. I want it to make much of you. While my methods may be uncouth and my eloquence lacking, I ask that you use it in some small way to bring glory to yourself. To be honest, I’d really enjoy the renown of building something meaningful or successful for myself. I …