In September 1981, the church building in Sandnes, Norway, reopened after several weeks of being closed. While I was serving as minister, the church received a donation that allowed the church...

When my daughter was turning five, she wanted a rainbow-themed party. A few weeks before the celebration, during bedtime prayers, she asked God to show her a real rainbow. On the...

I thought I knew well the story of God’s promise to Abram from today’s reading — that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Yet I...

When I was 10 years old, I went on my first plane ride and fell asleep during the flight. To my surprise the landing was a bit rocky. I awoke in...

Whenever my life takes a rough turn, I often dwell not only on the current source of my frustration but also challenges I have faced in the past. During one of...

Whether at home or at work, most of us have a to-do list of tasks that must be done. Though necessary, they are often tedious and certainly not fun. How we...

Cumin, curry, and Ethiopian berbere spices mingled with wood-fire smoke and dust in my nostrils; bartering voices and foreign words filled my ears at the Mercato in Addis Ababa, one of...

We were in the Easter season. I was planting a new rose bush when I snagged my finger on one of its many thorns. With greater care and watchful of those...

On the Saturday before Easter I woke up in tears, feeling completely overwhelmed. I had just given up a job that gave me worldly success so that I could live a...

My young grandson, Luka, and I settled into our seats in church on Good Friday evening. As the service began, we gazed up at the black-draped cross in the sanctuary. Various...