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On Friday the sun was shining, it wasn’t raining (finally!) and it was gorgeous outside. I spent the day inside on conference center in Minot with no windows, about 300 church folks and a lot to think about. And I loved it. You see, we’re an incredible church with a mission. A bunch of missions really. We’ve been called to take care of each other, and to be cared for. This was the Synod Assembly for the Western North Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. That’s a... more»

“We are called to freedom through the Gospel. What does it mean to be free? What does it mean to live the Gospel? Paul says that freedom is found in becoming “slaves to one another” in love. †   2nd Sunday after Pentecost Galatians1:1-12 June 2, 2013 Peder Stenslie For a preacher – at least for those who dutifully follow assigned readings for a given Sunday – there are some weeks when you pick up the lessons and just groan: “So what am I going to do with that?” Well, I... more»

“Perhaps you too wonder where God is in your world and your life. The teaching of the Trinity reminds us that God is literally everywhere… past, present, future… in creation… in our hearts… binding us one to another.” † The Holy Trinity Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 Romans 5:1-5 John 16:12-15 May 26, 2013 Peder Stenslie When I tell you that today is “Holy Trinity” Sunday and that I intend to talk about the Holy Trinity during my sermon today, I can already see eyes beginning... more»

I have found that so many times in my life I have longed to hear an audible voice of God, especially when I’ve had to make tough decisions, or when someone has died, or when I just needed to know God was with me.  It seems like I have always wanted something more than what I was given, which was mostly silence or something that was rather difficult to decipher whether or not it was God’s voice.  This is why I will never forget the time when I decided that I never wanted a direct encounter... more»