Associate Pastor at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Husband to Oby Ballinger. Progressive. Math nerd. Gustavus Adolphus College and Yale Divinity School alum.
Jesus doesn’t stay far off, looking down at the people from a distance, but is down at street-level in the midst of it all. Not above the fray but up close and personal with the crowds, proclaiming blessing to those who come with all their problems and hardships. … More Into the Crowds
In God’s eyes, there are no insiders and outsiders. God doesn’t favor some over others. God simply isn’t interested in how we’ve chosen to place others outside the realm of God’s grace. … More No Insiders or Outsiders
The work of God is taking what’s empty and useless and transforming it into abundance, overwhelming us with goodness. … More Emptiness into Abundance
I wonder whether children might be the ones best equipped to show the rest of us where God is at work—the ones who are least committed to the status quo, least beholden to established patterns and expectations about how things are supposed to be done. … More A Child Shows Where God Is at Work
Exile is an experience that is familiar to many of us. The word of God that came to John in the wilderness is the same word that finds each of us in our wilderness today: Our exile is about to be over. Soon we’ll be on our way back home. … More Your Salvation Is at Hand
