Ordinary Voices

A progressive educator and company commander in the U.S. Army National Guard reflects on life - education, equality, justice, service and faith

Miles McGuire, a high school graduate, defers college to take a “gap year.” What did he learn from the experience and what can we learn from him.

Emily Bright-Krusack describes the poetry of listening. Her description is woven into her life's journey. On this trek, she discovers the intimacy of interviewing and the gift of hearing others speak.

Finding Joy in Chaos: Humility

Music, scripture, and sermon from

Worship from Advent United Methodist Church,, Eagan, MN

We don’t like to think of our faith community in corporate terms, but even in faith, it is important to know your mission. Luke 4:18ff is called “Jesus’ Mission Statement.” It provides readers a clear and concise declaration of who Jesus is and what he will do. As believers, we are the body of Christ. Our mission is make Christ known. We make Christ visible when we live out the mission Jesus placed in our care.

We set out to preach a sermon series on our mission in light of Jesus’ mission statement found in Luke 4:18. We thought it would help us understand ourselves as a congregation and as Christian people as we head towards future decision in the United Methodist Church. In the midst of the message, we were interrupted by a pandemic. The pandemic has not changed our course, matter of fact, it is heightened the need for missional grounding.

Famed Explorer, Will Steger shares his views on leadership to help better equip young people to be leaders in the 21st Century. The interview was made possible by a grant from Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Duluth, MN. Leaders in the congregation desired to provide camp staff continued their professional development beyond the summer camp experience. The interview opportunity was set-up by Joel Abenth, executive director of Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry, Cook, MN.

Famed Explorer, Will Steger delivered this lecture in early July at Vermillion Community College, Ely MN to a group of summer camp staff from Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry, Cook, MN, and local residents. The lecture was made possible by a grant from Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Duluth, MN. Leaders in this congregation wanted to provide young people serving in camps tools to equip them to be leaders in the 21st Century. This is part 1 of a two-part series. Part 2 will be a one-on-one interview with Will on leadership.

A Senior Ecologist Project Manager discusses the environment, faith, justice and restoration ecology.

As a boy, Casey Cooper grew up along the Mississippi River in LaCrosse, WI. The river was his playground and he dreamed of canoeing it. A tragic death of his friend’s mother changes his life. A life-long encounter with death pushes him towards life. He decides to take three months to canoe the entire Mississippi River by himself. In his head, he has one shot. How will it turn out?

A pastor walks into the Bierman Field Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota and discovers a profound expression of grace. Listen to how one man, Peyton Owens III, breathes his core value of grace into every aspect of his life.

Drug addiction is having a dramatic impact on the American landscape. However, addiction recovery, often overshadowed in the war on drugs, is having an equally powerful impact on college campuses. Listen as Patrice Salmeri Executive Director of Recovery Advancement at Augsburg University in Minneapolis describes how we can help students find new life.

People on the outside of America’s school system view education through the lens of their own experience. This is natural because it is often our only point of reference. However, today’s education system does not look anything like education in the ’70s or ’80s, let alone earlier. The difference makes people think the situation is worse. It is not worse, matter of fact, it most likely is better. However, better does not mean without challenges.

The wisdom of Millennials is constantly under attack. Perhaps their wisdom is hard to hear because it reflects our younger selves, the young adult we used to be. Maybe an authentic conversation with a Millennial could help us connect with our younger self. Just as a conversation with someone more mature connects with wisdom we are yet to discover. This dialogue may help us live better today.

Kristi, the Director of Canoe Country at Camp Vermillion (MN) shares with us the lessons she has learned from traveling deep into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Northern Minnesota. Her words and reflections may help you discover a new outlook and ways to embrace a living hope.

Author Daniel D. Maurer shares the story of his disease, addiction, and how it crashed his life while serving a congregation as a Lutheran (ELCA) pastor. In the collapse, he found sobriety and spiritual renewal. He then discusses the power of story to help those who do crash find new life and how that story is worth telling.

Worship Service for April 15, 2018

Emergency Medical Service workers are the first to address the aftermath of every human tragedy. They don’t prevent, they don’t arrest, they respond. They will need to look beyond the tragedy itself to deal with the immediate circumstances. Speed is of the essence, but it cannot compromise the best response. How many times have ever you thought about EMS workers? Have you ever considered the toll this job takes on them? This show explores the life of a paramedic's life in an ambulance.

An interview intended to educate listeners about food production, farming and the life of a farmer gets thrown a curve. Nostalgic perceptions of farmers conflict with the realities of the 21st Century. The "Next Generation Farmer's" approach to farming is corporate, scientific and Millennial. The one consistency is a sense of stewardship for land, life, and blessings.

Six years ago, Jason Atkinson, accidentally discovered he had a life-threatening heart disease. A disease, which left undetected, would have killed him without notice. However, since its discovery, life has become a daily battle to survive and adjust to his new circumstances. We're invited to listen what he has learned about his life now. Photo by Oliver Cole on Unsplash

Michael, a lawyer living in Brooklyn, NY, shares with us his journey from St. Lucia to Spanish Harlem to Madison, WI and back to Brooklyn. Ultimately, he found a unique spiritual home in a dinner church and a garden project. As he reflects on his search for community, he shares wonderful insight on the dynamics of community life.

A conversation with a young man who went to seminary to be a priest and ended up an atheist. How did he go from one extreme to the other? And what can we learn from his journey?

On April 8, 2011, Liv Rosin’s life was interrupted by an unexpected journey into the wilderness. Six years later, Liv and I meet to talk about her recovery from a brain hemorrhage and what what amazing lessons she learned along the way.

PART II: A young woman shares her story of the difficult journey to be a mother. It was supposed to be easy and natural. In the end, it took 17 years, multiple miscarriages, surgeries and medical treatments and the death of two baby boys for her to become a mother again. Through the sharing of her story she expands our understanding of choice – the choices she makes and the ones made for her.

A young woman shares her story of the difficult journey to be a mother. It was supposed to be easy and natural. In the end, it took 17 years, multiple miscarriages, surgeries and medical treatments and the death of two baby boys for her to become a mother again. Through the sharing of her story she expands our understanding of choice - the choices she makes and the ones made for her.

Mr. Knobbe shares what he learned about government by running for public office. Do you find yourself frustrated by all the political hatred? Considering un-friending someone on Facebook, or, getting off it all together? Take a moment to listen to this show. A conservative banker speaks with a liberal leaning pastor about government and actually find common ground.

Reflections from two 30-something people asked to imagine what their Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future might show them and what we, the audience, can learn from it.

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 16th, I received the news of my nephews death. Lost in grief, I turned to the writings of Henri Nouwen to find comfort. Reading Nouwen's book, "The Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World," I wrote a series of reflections to process my pain. These reflections were written for cousins and all the other Beloved people coping with death and the struggles of daily living in a secular world.

One Wednesday evening, Joel, Amie, and their children Ella and Isak go to Park Point, Duluth,MN for one last outdoor worship service. As Joel is setting up, Amie, Ella, Isak and a friend go to the beach to wait. There the routine of the day is broken. A freak accident leaves Isak on an operating table and his parents helpless and vulnerable searching for hope. Listen as Amie and Joel share where they found strength, hope and how it changed their view of the world around them.

On the 11th Anniversary of his father’s death, Mikah Meyer stepped into a van and launched on a tour. His publicized objective was to be the youngest person to visit all 412 sites managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The first to do it in one continuous 3-year trip. But, it’s also a resurrection trip, done in honor of his father, to bring a sense of new life out of his death. I interviewed Mikah at Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp in Amery, WI, three months into his journey. We talked about his father, Pr. Larry Meyer, the trip and faith. As you listen, you’ll discover why the landscape of Mikah’s life is easily defined as This is My Father’s World.

Part 2 of my conversation with my therapist friend, Margy. During our interview we got into a really interesting conversation about confession and forgiveness. Both as it relates to psychology and faith. Her thoughts made me think about how I present this issue as a pastor. Guilt will dwell within us whether we do anything about it or not. We might as well find a place to give those wounds some relief.

A friend who is a therapist posted an article on Facebook from another therapist talking about how much he loved his job. Frankly, I never heard a therapist talk so enthusiastically about their job. The article, though, touched on how much people feel they are a burden, or ashamed about seeing a therapist. So, we just talked about therapy and ti felt really good.

Carl was spending 9 months of the year working with homeless youth on the street. The other 3 months, he did video production for ESPN's X Games. He needed to make a decision, a full-time career in video production or continue to work with the homeless. Carl decided to remain working with homeless youth. This show explores his decision.

If human life is so rare, why do we treat it so poorly, crudely, and violently? I thought I might start exploring issues of life by looking at birth. This show is about what nurse learned about life from working a birthing unit of hospital. Picture Courtesy of Danielle MacInnes at Unsplash.com

In the comic books of my youth, good and evil were simple, clear cut issues. Good fought for truth, justice and the American way. Bad guys were really bad. In today's comic books, good and evil are much more complicated issues. I asked a comic book enthusiast to help me understand the transition. From this conversation I hope to discover a better understanding of good and evil.

I invited a friend to use the Lectio Divina Method of reading scripture. Lectio Divina means Divine Reading. It was developed by Benedictine monks to mix scripture reading with meditation and prayer. So you’re not trying to studying Scripture, but feeling it, talking with God about it and encountering the Living Word. Then listen to find out what direction that Divine Reading took her.

What started out to be a thoughtful conversation about race turned into a reflection on a community — Painesville, Ohio. How that community made us all - Black and White - thoughtful about race.

Easter Sunday is when a wide variety of lost souls gather to worship. People who stopped attending church are not the only questioning the authenticity of the Church. Many people on the inside have the same questions and struggles. I interview a person who remains emotionally connected, but physically distant from Church in hopes of shining light on the meaning of faith.