Category Letter
Telling the Story
What makes the Bible holy? I would answer, that in and of itself, the Bible is just a book. Words on a page, not unlike any other collecting dust on the shelf. But when the stories within are told they…
The Mutual Conversation and Consolation of Believers
Martin Luther once said that the gospel comes to us in five ways: through the preaching, the sacrament of baptism, the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, through confession and absolution, and through the mutual conversation and consolation of believers. Several…
Parking Lot Team
For the last few months, a team of people from our congregation has been meeting monthly to research and problem solve our parking lot problems. What is the problem? On some Sundays (especially festival Sundays and/or Sundays when there’s special…
Lent Letter – 2026
Lent is probably my favorite season of the Church year. Easter Sunday is my favorite day, but Lent is my favorite season. As a kid (and still as an adult) I loved gathering for a midweek service that was short…
Epiphany
Epiphany is a season of light. It is this season following Christmas that builds in brightness and revelation until the Transfiguration. In everyday language, epiphany is used to describe the arrival or manifestation of an idea. It’s the light bulb…
A Good Problem to Have Is Still a Problem
You may have noticed that there are Sundays when it’s a challenge for people to find parking. None of us could have imagined that four years after building a bigger sanctuary and significantly expanding our parking lot that we’d be…
The Freedom and Power of the Gospel
Pr. Taran Writes: I recently chatted with someone who wanted to know what made Christianity, and our “flavor” of it, unique. It’s a good question. For me, the simplest way to explain it is that the story of Jesus (God’s…
Advent Letter – 2025
Christianity is so countercultural. The world celebrates success, strength, money, power, fame, etc. Jesus says blessed are the poor and poor in spirit, the meek, and those who mourn. Our society started decorating for Christmas the day after Halloween. The…
Likened to Airplane Oxygen Masks
Somebody recently asked me about the developments in the ministry over the nearly 25 years since I’ve been at St. Luke. When I came to St. Luke there were plans to build a new sanctuary but that got derailed in…
Looking Ahead to Sabbatical 2026
The word sabbatical comes from the Hebrew word, Sabbath, meaning “to rest” or “to cease.” In scripture, the Sabbath is a holy day of rest, and every seventh year was a “sabbath year,” when even the land was given rest.…