Uff da!

Sometimes on my way home from church on Sunday afternoon, I catch Garrison Keillor’s monologue (sermon, really) on the re-broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion. I get a kick out of Pastor Liz, the associate pastor at the Lutheran Church in Lake Wobegon. She’s a little…different. She didn’t go to St. Olaf for one thing. And she speaks her mind. That makes folks in Lake Wobegon uncomfortable. A couple of weeks ago. Pastor Liz was preaching on Jesus’ parable of the 99 sheep that were left by the shepherd who went to find the one that was lost, and got so worked up that she started using swear words. That snapped people to attention, you betcha!

Family Ties

I hold some joy in my heart this week over two recent news stories I saw concerning Christian responses to people in need. I was proud to be part of the Christian family when I heard these stories. You know how every once in a while you hear about an awful thing done by so-called Christians — like blowing up a clinic, protesting a soldier’s funeral, or shouting angrily at people who don’t agree with them. When I hear about such behaviors and learn that these loudmouths profess the same faith I do, I cringe.

I just can’t do it, captain — I don’t have the power!

So you want to know how a boiler works, right? I did too, which is why I went to ask the “Gilbert Electrical Technologies” guys while they were outside for their fifteen minute break this past Wednesday.

Church…is like a box of chocolates

I had a birthday coupon that I hadn’t yet redeemed, so this week I finally cashed it in. It was for $30 worth of chocolate at a real live working actual chocolate factory in Waconia — yes, there actually is a small chocolate factory there. I drove up in mouth-watering anticipation, walked in, and I was like the proverbial kid in a candy store…and I mean that literally!! Pastor in a chocolate factory…now that’s just asking for trouble.