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LEAD LIGHT: Lead Article for this weeks Happenings by Nancy Dyson

Many of us have experienced talking to a friend about a restaurant or type of car and then later see those very things show up on our social media feeds. Someone or something is always listening. Artificial Intelligence collects our personal data from our online activities, social media interactions and our user preferences. AI then analyzes this data and identifies patterns in our consumer behavior. This information is used by companies to create targeted advertisements that resonate specifically to us. In some ways it is good, I guess. I only see what I like, what I mention and what I linger over on FaceBook. Everyone else is only seeing what they are interested in too. We each have tailor-made marketing. You see Nike and I see Birkenstocks. I see ads for gray-covering hair dye and my husband sees videos for metal detectors and gold panning equipment. It is a bit creepy, but I don’t pan for gold, so I am glad I don’t get those commercials. (The fact our personal data is up for sale i...
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SERMON SPOTLIGHT: Palm Sunday. March 29, 2026.

The Rev. Aron Kramer Palm Sunday, 2026 Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 Matthew 21:1-11 Yesterday, we ended up staying in White Bear Lake for the No Kings protest. It was amazing, but as we were chanting and singing, a man drove by with a passenger leaning out his window, yelling at the top of his lungs: Only Jesus is King! I was with some friends who are mostly unchurched, and they asked what I thought. My first response was that he was a day too early, tomorrow, today, is the day he needs to be riding down the street proclaiming Jesus is King. But then my friends asked about Palm Sunday, and I told them: Jesus never wanted to be King, never wanted to function as a King, never behaved as a King. Even this day that we celebrate year after year was not an effort to make himself a King. It was a moment where Jesus was making fun of the empire, making fun of those who desire significant power and prestige. Jesus never wanted to be King. Jesus wanted something else. Which le...
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CONFESSOR'S CONTEMPLATIONS: The Language of God

I have been listening to Harold Kushner's book, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" while I drive into work each day. In the beginning of the book, he quotes a Rabbi, I can't remember who exactly as I write this, but the quote is this: "The language of God is human beings." When we have pain, struggle and strife in our lives, it is people who show up to care for us. It is people who try to support us and share their empathy. This is a very incarnational expression of faith and understanding that I think I find to be core to my own ministry. Last week, we listened and we listened and we listened as Chip read the miles long Gospel story of Lazarus being raised. But it is important to note that when Jesus heard Lazarus had died, Jesus went directly to be with Martha and Mary. He showed, in his actions, what it was to be part of the language of God. In his approach he was chastised and told that had be been there, Lazarus would not have died. This sentiment ...
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Edward's Echoes: The Annunciation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary

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THE ANNUNCIATION Lessons and Psalm Isaiah 7:10-14  Psalm 45 or Psalm 40:5-10 or Canticle 3 or Canticle 15 Hebrews 10:4-10  Luke 1:26-38 Collect of the Day Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. From Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 2024 Today's feast commemorates how God made known to a young Jewish woman that she was to be the mother of God's Son. The Annunciation has been a major theme in Christian art, in both East and West, and innumerable sermons and poems have been composed about it. The term coined by Cyril of Alexandria for the Blessed Virgin, Theotokos (“the God-bearer”), was affirmed by the General Council of Ephesus in 431.  Many theologians stress that Mary accepted her vocation with perfect c...
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A Quick Update on this Blog

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So, I don't function under the illusion that anyone actually reads this blog, maybe someday I will say something that will really force me to be wise and inspirational on a more regular basis. But for whatever reason, I will continue to post and try to create some energy around communicating in this space. Yes, there are better platforms, yes, my blog looks like it has been run over by a truck, but hey, it helps me write, and think, and read and imagine, so I will keep it up. I was thinking about what the schedule is that I have been maintaining and I thought I would come up with some ideas for each days posts. So, what follows are silly titles for the days of the week. Mondays: Sermon Spotlight These will be my sermons, posted for posterity purposes and if I get permission from the person who preached instead of me, I will post their sermon as well. If there is no post on a Monday it is because I didn't preach and the person didn't tell me I could post their sermon. Usuall...
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SAINT OF THE WEEK: Patrick of Ireland

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PATRICK OF IRELAND Bishop and Missionary, 461 Lessons and Psalm  Ezekiel 36:33-38  Psalm 97  1 Thessalonians 2:1-8  Matthew 28:16-20  COLLECT FOR PATRICK'S DAY Almighty God, in your providence you chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle to the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of you: Grant us so to walk in that way that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  FROM LESSER FEASTS AND FASTS 2023 Patrick was born into a Christian family somewhere on the northwest coast of Britain around 390. His grandfather had been a Christian priest and his father, Calpornius, a deacon. Calpornius was an important official in the late Roman imperial government of Britain.  When Patrick was about sixteen, he was captured by a band of Irish slave-raiders. He was carried o...
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Thursday Thoughts on the St Ed Said Blog

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THURSDAY THOUGHTS I have gotten into the habit of bringing the dogs along with me to work. And one might think that the big Black Lab would be the biggest problem. Well, he is actually becoming trained, other than leaping up on people to give them hugs, he's coming along really well. No, the biggest problem of the two canine children is this little bugger.  This is her shortly after she climbed up on my desk, hiked across it to her pillow sitting on the side of the desk. Once there she sits and stares at me. Either telling me that the better place for her would be in my lap, or she's saying, don't move, I'm the boss of you and you must do what I tell you. I am about to go to sleep and if you leave, I will eat your toes. Then se promptly falls into a full body shaking sleep mode where she opens her eyes at every little sound that comes to her ears. Which are always raised and listening, or pulled back as they are in the next picture. Lastly, there is of course, this beas...
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