From where I stand, spring should soon be on the way. But given that I stand in the beautiful Twin Cities of Minnesota, spring might not actually come for another month or more. That’s because, obviously, we live in the Upper Midwest, with an emphasis on “upper.” But when I remember that there are whole countries further north of me – Canada immediately, Norway, Finland, and vast portions of Russia further away, I both keep my delayed-spring complaints in check and, frankly, give thanks I’m not living even further north. Of course, if I did live further north, I might from time to time have a chance to witness...

Make that “Pictures of the Week”! Whatever claims Memorial Day may have to marking the beginning of summer, to me it doesn’t really seem to get going until the first week of July. So much of what is quintessentially summer – from picnics and fireworks to sporting competitions – seems to take place this week. So here are five pics that hardly tell the full tale of this first full week of summer — I mean, no European Cup, Olympic Trials, or Wimbledon! — but nevertheless certainly hint at all that’s been going on. I hope you are having a grand summer! July 3, 2012. Fireworks light up the sky...

Like much of the country, we’ve had a mild winter and, recently, unseasonably warm weather that has ushered in an early spring. Unlike much of the country, that means that spring is coming not just a week or two early, but about six weeks early! Last year, we didn’t have consistent temps in the 60s until May, with snow flurries on the 1st and 2nd of that month. So it’s an understatement to say that we are rejoicing to have spring-like weather on the first day of spring rather than having to wait until May Day. The photo below, of the Jefferson Monument viewed through Cherry Blossoms, captures a traditional herald of spring...

“For God so loved the world…” We’ll hear this familiar and beloved verse again this Sunday. But do we stop to consider what it means? For God so loved the world, the whole world, and everyone in it. This picture of residential buildings in a district of the Chinese city of Qingdao reminded me of an experience I’d often have as a kid while driving down the interstate at night in my parents’ car. I’d watch all the headlights whizzing by and wonder how on earth God could know all these people, listen to all their prayers, and love them all. It was mind boggling. And it still is. Yet that’s the...

I spend a lot of time thinking about the state of the church in North America. What’s going right. More often, what’s going wrong and what we should do about it. For that reason, it’s incredibly helpful to remember that Christ’s Church is a lot bigger than I am, or my denomination is, or even all the churches in my continent are. Jesus said (and we will hear these words in a couple of weeks) that when he was lifted up he would draw all persons to him (John 12:32). When I see a picture like this one – of a young woman in Hyderabad, India, offering prayers with her community – I am reminded, humbled, and...

When I first think about how Carnival has evolved over the years into the massive pre-Lenten party it’s become around the globe, I’m tempted to wonder what happened: how did the Feast before the Fast get so out-of-control? But then I think about Jesus – the guy who was notorious for frequenting with the heavy party-goers and -throwers of his generation and think that perhaps we can and should look for God in both Feast and Fast, laughter and lament, delight and self-denial. In any event, it’s difficult not to be taken in by the exuberance of the smile on the face of this Brazilian dancer. I think Jesus would have...