Celebrating 65 years of marriage

 

This past Saturday I had the privilege of celebrating with many others my parents’ 65^th wedding anniversary. The 65^th wedding anniversary is known as the “blue sapphire” anniversary which symbolizes wisdom, loyalty, and an enduring, deep-rooted love. Only 1.8 percent of couples who are married reach their 65^th wedding anniversary. Part of this is because of age. When someone asked my dad this past weekend what is the key to 65 years of marriage, he replied, “not dying.” And this is true, of course. And it is true that no one can live with another person without wisdom, loyalty and an enduring, deep-rooted love.

 

At their celebration at Chatauqua Park in Worthington, my daughter, Hannah, did a terrific job of sharing some of the highlights of my parents meeting and of their wedding. I’ve shared some of these highlights at the bottom of this blog.

 Both my wife, Amy, and I are extraordinarily fortunate to have parents who enjoyed long marriages. Amy’s parents will celebrate their 70^th wedding anniversary this fall.

 My parents never argued in front of me when I was growing up. The first time I saw them argue was when I was in college. And after seeing them argue I wondered if they were going to get a divorce. Keeping their disagreements behind closed doors provided a foundation for our family. My sister and I never questioned whether my parents would be together. In retrospect it probably would have been healthier for them to argue more in front of my sister and me as we would have learned at an earlier age that this is what families do.

 

My parents lived into the idea of two becoming one. They did everything together. They attended all of the activities that my sister and I participated—sporting events, musical concerts, church gatherings, other events. And they always attended together. I don’t ever remember them coming to one of our activities by themselves. This past Saturday, my niece Elizabeth remarked that my parents came to many of her high school activities. And they always came together.

Even with my dad eighty-five and my mom eighty-seven, they still care for each other. Recently my dad and I were talking about the challenges that my mom’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis presents. He shared with me that he took a vow at his marriage to be with her in the good times and the bad. And though he probably wouldn’t describe this part of their journey as bad, no one would have chosen for her to live with Alzheimer’s. So he perseveres with love while remembering his vow during this season of their life.

 I can only wish that every couple who gets married in their twenties will celebrate sixty-five years of marriage. The world would be a better place.

 

Here are some stories of my parents’ dating and marriage.

Their first date was January 15, 1960 in Mankato. They met through the Mankato student Christian federation. They saw the movie, “the Wreck of the Mary Dear.” My dad wore a tie and a suit coat. The weather was below zero. The two walked from the lower Mankato campus to downtown. After the movie they had pizza at Pizza-kato. My dad smoked a post pizza cigarette.

On the second date my dad asked my mom if he had permission to kiss her. They kissed in front of my mom’s dorm.

They were married in Mantorville, MN at the congregational church on the afternoon of Saturday, August 5, 1961. My mom got ready in the Old Mansion and rode to the wedding in her grandfather Walter’s car over to the church.

The bridesmaids were Clare (Zeller) Field and Pat Harris. The groomsmen were Duae Moore and Lee Hilman. Del Matheson and Jerry Harris were ushers.

My grandfather, Vinton, my mom’s dad, was miffed that another couple was married in the church and used the décor/flowers for their wedding.

My dad and mom left the wedding in a 1957 Two door Chevy that my dad bought a week before the wedding in Fenton, Iowa.

The wedding reception was at Michael’s in Rochester. The two drove to Winona and arrived at midnight with no reservation. They eventually found a room in Fountain City, Wisconsin.

The next day me dad and mom went to church. The minister announced their presence by yelling, “This is a newly wed young couple from Minneapolis.”

They drove to the Wisconsin Dells to attend Tommy Bartlett’s water ski show.

The two had jobs as teachers in Paulina, Iowa. My dad was a high-school English teacher, and my mom was an elementary-school teacher. After the honeymoon the two stopped in Mantorville to get their wedding gifts which had been unwrapped by Maxine, my mom’s mom, and Pat, her sister while my parents were away. When my dad looked at the gifts he said, “well it looks like we got everything except for a toothpick holder.” A week or so later one arrived in the main from Blanche Harris, my mom’s grandmother! 

 

 

Yes I do love Jesus and you might be surprised why

Because I am a pastor people are going to assume that I love Jesus. And this is true. I truly aspire to love Jesus with all my heart, soul, and mind. I can say unconditionally that Jesus is my Lord and Savior.

I’m guessing that some might be interested in how I developed my beliefs about Jesus. So I want to share in this blog some stories that influenced my love for Jesus and my relationship with him. And hopefully these stories can be helpful to all people—those who have a strong relationship with Jesus and those who are cautious but still interested in Jesus. And perhaps helpful to those who hardly think about Jesus.

One of the first stories I remember about Jesus happened during worship at Westminster Presbyterian church in Worthington, Minnesota. I was probably under five. For whatever reason I was sitting in the back row of the sanctuary with one of my parents. I think we got there late that day and the back row was the only place we could sit. I usually was bored out of my mind at church, but for some reason that day I listened to the New Testament reading that was about Jesus. I don’t remember the specific story, but I do remember that it was a story where Jesus stood up for an outsider. Maybe it was the woman caught in adultery, or maybe it was the Samaritan, or maybe it was Mary Magdalene. The thought that went through my mind was, “Wow, he really cares for that person and that surprises me.” And then the story went on to share that a leader in the religious community didn’t care for that person. Which made me wonder why Jesus would care for this outsider and the religious person wouldn’t. My five-year old mind thought that it would have made more sense if the religious leader cared for this outsider. Isn’t that what religious people are supposed to do? Jesus did care, and my very young brain understood that there was something special about Jesus.

Even though church was boring, I was always interested when I went to church to hear a story about Jesus. These stories surprised me—they caused me to think—they made me wonder what Jesus would say to people if he was alive today. He frequently contradicted what I thought he would do—and that made me curious.

Because of my experience in living for three summers and a school year in inner-city Kansas City I came to believe that Jesus has a special place in his heart for those who are poor. And he would have high expectations for those who have wealth. He would want those who have resources to share with those who don’t. For me this is not a political statement—it’s a moral belief that comes out of the stories of Jesus.

Early in college I read the Sermon on the Mount for the first time. I saw a vision for the world that Jesus wanted to create—the Kingdom. It is a vision where the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed. In this vision people shared their inner light with others with humility and authenticity.

As I started being called into religious ministry, I became aware that I wanted to share the love that Jesus had for people. One of my hopes for myself is that I will "love like Jesus loved." In fact if I died and people authentically shared at my funeral that I loved like Jesus, then I would deem my life as a success. 

The love of Jesus is very special. It was shared without conditions. For a newcomer to faith it’s easy to receive. 

The love of Jesus is challenging. For a person who worships often his love can seem demanding--demanding in a way that can force a person to shed the parts of their life that need to be shed. The longer a person is in relationship the more challenging the love of Jesus is to follow.

The love of Jesus is needed. Jesus shared a morality that is essential for the world. This morality is centered on his love. His love is simple and yet very challenging. 

When I first started at Chain of Lakes someone shared that they hoped that Jesus would be mentioned at least once during every worship service. That is no problem for me. I want to talk about Jesus. I enjoy talking about Jesus; I enjoy praying to Jesus; I enjoy reading and learning about Jesus; I enjoy trying to discern what Jesus wants me to do. I’m not trying to earn any “Jesus” points from anyone about my own love for Jesus. I share my love for Jesus with a deep sense of humility. I don’t claim any special privilege because of my relationship to Jesus; in fact being with Jesus prompts me to want to serve in a humble way.

A lot of damage has been done by the church in the name of Jesus. This damage causes me a high level of pain. I believe that Jesus would be appalled at the behavior and teachings by people who claim his name. But this damage does not deter me from talking about Jesus or wanting to communicate his love.

I’ve read the stories in the gospels about Jesus hundreds of times—maybe even thousands of times. And I still find them interesting; they still challenge me; they still provide a role model for me in how to act. When I find myself in a difficult situation I ask myself how Jesus would respond to this situation. This is often my prayer.

No one forced me to fall in love with Jesus. This happened through my own process of discovery. This is what some might find surprising. I never thought I would be a pastor when I was young. And if my parents hadn't taken me to church, I'm fairly certain that I would not be going to church today. My skepticism would have won out. Even though I'm very skeptical, coming into contact with the stories of Jesus helped me love him. 

But I'm not skeptical about Jesus or what he would want to do today. I love Jesus because I believe that the love he demonstrated truly represents the best hope for the world. I've never encountered anything better!

Following Scottie Scheffler at the 3M Open in Blaine

 

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the final round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities golf course in Blaine. As I’ve written before, it’s amazing that a PGA TOUR event happens right here in Blaine. This is an opportunity that many Metro communities across the United States don’t have. Though I’ve never golfed on the course, I’m familiar with it as my local Rotary club met in the clubhouse of the TPC for many years. And I attend the tournament every year. 

The people of Chain of Lakes Church have worked the concessions stands at the 3M Open as a fundraiser for many years. We had so many volunteers this year who signed up that there were no openings left for me. I ended up not working at a concession stand. A big thanks to the large number of folks from Chain of Lakes who were there. Appreciate you all!

I watched the tournament on television on Friday and Saturday. I thought about avoiding the heat on Sunday and spending the afternoon in front of the television. But I couldn’t resist the opportunity of being there in person.

My wife, Amy, and I had friends who came up to the tournament with plans to go to the concert on Saturday night. Everyone who attended that day could go to the concert by Andy Grammar for free. Our friends spent most of the day on Saturday sitting in the covered stands on hole 18.

But there was no opportunity to sit in a covered stand on Sunday. The crowds were ginormous. The presence of Scottie Scheffler significantly increased the number of people who attended. In the past I could park at the parking lot at the Blaine Sports Center and get a bus in that parking lot. But that parking lot and many others were full. I ended up parking in a space on the southwest corner of Radisson and 105th Ave and walking a half mile to get a bus.

Amy was volunteering at the tournament on Sunday. After touching base with her when I arrived, I went to hole 4 and saw Jackson Koivun. Koivun had a birdie on hole 4 and looked confident—ready to win the tournament.

I thought that maybe I would find a hole on the back nine and watch all the golfers come through. But having the opportunity to see Scottie Scheffler pulled me into that pack of fans who followed him. And it was a pack. I started watching him on hole 8 and stayed with him until he finished on hole 18. 

Scheffler had an outstanding round on Sunday. After sinking his third birdie in a row at hole 12 he was only three back. But to have a chance Scottie needed Jackson Koivan to make some bogeys. And Koivun didn't make any bogeys. Scottie would have had to shoot a 60 for a tie. He missed a seven-foot putt at hole 14 that would have put him two back. But the reality is the initial deficit that Scottie faced on Sunday morning was too big to overcome.

The pack that I was in could not get enough of Scottie. Most of them were on a first-name basis with him, “Come on Scottie, Go Scottie, You got this, Scottie.” The large crowds were there to see him win.

The heat was a burden. Afterwards in a press conference I watched, Scottie (I guess I'm on a first-name basis with him too) said that the players were prepared for the heat. Through their conditioning the golfers could golf in 98-degree heat with dew points in the 70’s. Who says golfers aren't athletes? Even though I run three times a week, the heat was bothersome for me as I walked with the pack. The 3M Open has many concession stands, but because of the large crowds they always had lines. And the golfers don’t waste time. To stand in line for fifteen minutes would have meant falling a hole behind.

Once Scottie finished it was obvious that he wasn’t going to win. And when I saw the somewhat short line for the bus, the lure of getting cool led me to leave before Koivun was done. At that point it was obvious that he would win.

Scottie had a terrific tournament. He has raised the expectations for himself to such an extent that finishing second seems like a defeat. He lost the tournament when he hit the ball into the water on hole 14 on Friday. If he had parred that hole, the competition on Sunday would have been much different.

What a treat to have the 3M Open in Blaine. If Koivun does go on to become a Hall of Fame golfer, I can say that I was at the first tournament that he won!

Already looking forward to next year--and definitely hoping for cooler temperatures

Do I have to be Presbyterian to join Chain of Lakes Church?

 

When Chain of Lakes was started, I was encouraged to gather the Presbyterians in the community. Seven families were initially gathered. I was able to gather a few more. 

It soon became obvious to me that we wouldn’t build this church by gathering the Presbyterians. There weren't enough to build a congregation. We didn’t ultimately even put the term “Presbyterian” in the name of our congregation, which is Chain of Lakes Church. We didn’t put the term “Presbyterian” in our Purpose Statement or our Core Values. We weren’t trying to hide from the reality that we are a Presbyterian congregation. But in our mind being Presbyterian really wasn’t that important to people not connected to a church.

Our denominational identity is a balancing act at Chain of Lakes. We are Presbyterian, but we’re not trying to make someone become a Presbyterian. What we really want to see happen for newcomers is the person flourishes in faith, develops meaningful friendships, and connects to the community in ways that brings tremendous value and purpose.

And I love being Presbyterian. My family of origin is as Presbyterian as you can get. My parents have been Presbyterian their entire adult life, my sister is a Presbyterian pastor, she is married to a Presbyterian pastor. It’s not surprising when we get together, we talk Presbyterian. I’ve been a Presbyterian pastor for 33 years. I’m currently the Moderator of the Presbytery of Twin Cities Area. We have passion for what happens within the Presbyterian church.

To help with this balancing act, I developed and have shared often a talk about what it means to be Presbyterian. The metaphor that guides my talk is a car. All of us are on one journey of faith, and we ride in different cars. At Chain of Lakes church we ride in the Presbyterian car. So even though we are not trying to make someone Presbyterian, I believe it’s important to know what is in our car.

In my talk I shared twelve parts that I believe are part of the Presbyterian car. I could add some or take some out down the road. I'm always willing to talk about them. If someone wants to talk more about them, send me an email at pastor@colpres.org. 

In no particular order in order of importance, here are twelve parts that make up the Presbyterian car.

A commitment to Jesus Christ connects Presbyterians together
The foundation of Presbyterians is Jesus—his birth, birth, life, death, resurrection and teachings. This is more important than anything else.

Elders lead the Presbyterian church at all levels
Presbyterians are led by Elders. My title as a pastor is Teaching Elder. A person who serves on the board or Session of a Presbyterian congregation is a Ruling Elder. Both Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders have to be voted upon by their congregations. No one is every appointed to serve. Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders work together at every level of the PC(USA) to discern where God is leading.

God alone is Lord of the Conscience—Presbyterians are not Subscriptionist
I talk about this frequently. No one has to subscribe to a particular view to be a Presbyterian. No litmus test exists. Anyone who is part of Chain of Lakes is encouraged to form their own views. When I preach and teach I share what I think and then encourage people to think for themselves.

Worship revolves around the Word
Worship revolves around Jesus and what he would have us do in our own lives and in the world.

Presbyterians celebrate two Sacraments, Communion and Baptism. Infants are baptized.
At Chain of Lakes we celebrate Communion once a month. We baptize infants and don’t believe that people have to be rebaptized when they connect to our congregation. When people ask me about rebaptism, I share that I believe God did a terrific job the first time, so no need to redo what God has already done.

Presbyterians are committed to the Reformed Tradition of theology

We’re Protestants—one of the three branches of the church. The other two branches are Catholic and Orthodox.

Women are leaders at all levels

Presbyterians celebrate the gifts and ordained leadership by women. Full stop. Just as a woman was the first to share the message of the resurrection, a woman can preach with a clerical collar in a Presbyterian congregation.

Congregations can ordain and install people from the LGTBQ+ community and celebrate their marriages

This might be the most controversial part of the Presbyterian car. Since 2010 Presbyterian congregations can have people in the LGTBQ+ community serve as pastors (Teaching Elders), lead on the Session, and serve as a Deacon. Presbyterian congregations aren’t forced to ordain and install people from the LGBTQ community, but most do. And yes I’m familiar with the six passages in the Bible that condemn these relationships. I’m more interested in what Jesus would have us do. I believe Jesus would be applauding Presbyterian congregations for being affirming.

Presbyterians are engaged in the wider community
I would guess that a hundred percent of congregations in the PC(USA) have some involvement with their local Food Shelf. Presbyterians are known for being engaged in their community.

Presbyterians are a connectional denomination where authority flows both ways. 
It’s hard to put this in a short paragraph. The PC(USA) has four governing bodies—a Session (which leads a local congregation), Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly. The four governing bodies are made up of people who are elected to their positions. The three wider governing bodies (Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly) can’t really order a local Presbyterian congregation to do something, but they certainly have influence. 

Presbyterians are informed by the Book of Order & Book of Confessions
The Book of Order is like a manual of operations for Presbyterian congregations. We’re informed by it. You can read the book of Order at: 2025_0724_Book_of_Order_Interactive_2025-2027.pdf
The Book of Confessions is a gathering of theological statements that the church has made throughout history. You can read the Book of Confessions at: Microsoft Word - File 01 Front Matter.doc

Presbyterians are ecumenical
Presbyterians are always interested in partnering with other denominations to do ministry. I’m married to a Catholic. She is the Administrator of the Catholic church in Lino Lakes. I cantor there about six times a year. When our daughter, Hannah, was baptized, a Catholic priest and Presbyterian pastor officiated at her baptism in a Presbyterian worship service. That was a glorious day!

Others might add or subtract to this list. Share your thoughts!
 

 

Reunion!

Reunion! This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend my 40^th college reunion at Carleton College. Fortieth college reunion? Am I really that old? As I learned in my student years at Carleton, facts don’t lie.

At Carleton reunions are shared for classes in five-year increments. This past weekend the class of 2021, 2016, 2011, 2006 ... (you get the idea) gathered. Carleton invests in reunions because a lot of money is raised for the school. It was announced during the large gathering this past Saturday morning, that the class of 1976 had given 28 million to the college. A significant chunk of that give came from estates. Carleton has a source of important funding because of Reunion. That kind of financial giving makes it apparent that the college wants to have Reunion go well.

This was the first college reunion for me in ten years as COVID prevented an on-site reunion five years ago. I've attended almost every reunion of my class since I graduated in 1986. 

Reunion at Carleton is like a weekend, summer camp. Many stay in the dorms; kids have planned activities; meals are provided; a significant number of activities happen during the day. I live about a hour from Carleton, so I didn't stay on campus. I ended up driving three times from Blaine to Northfield and back to enjoy the festivities.

My wife, Amy, was gracious to join me for one day of Reunion. But to be a spouse at Reunion is very difficult—the ultimate third wheel experience. Amy decided to attend as she enjoys meeting Carleton alums. And Carleton alums are very interesting people. All of them are intelligent, most are on the liberal side of the political side, and all will share their opinions. We are Carleton students—we were educated on how to develop and share opinions!

For me a meaningful part of Reunion was participating in an outdoor remembrance gathering for people in our class who have passed away in the past five years. I think there are fifteen people who have passed. At the remembrance gathering many people came forward to share memories of the deceased. I only knew a few of the people who have passed, but listening to these stories was very moving.  One person who I did know was Lauris Heyerdahl. I played football with him for four years. Football players develop a brotherhood that is special. A woman who was a friend of Lauris shared beautiful stories about Lauris and their friendship. I felt like I was in heaven during the remembrance gathering. Time seemed to stop, the setting and weather was almost perfect, and everyone who attended paid close attention. The collective spirit of all of us who were present was full of compassion and care.

Attending a gathering organized for football alums was also special. Coach Tom Journell did a terrific job of welcoming the football alums who attended and sharing a talk about the state of the football program. I can hardly wait to watch a game at Sullivan Field in Laird Stadium this fall.

One lovely tradition of Reunion is the parade of classes. Each class walks from the Bald Spot on campus into the chapel. When the people older than us pass our group it’s almost impossible not to realize that this is how we are going to look like in five, ten and fifteen years; when we pass the classes who are younger than us, it’s almost impossible not to think about how we looked when we were that age. In one short parade we see the future and remember the past.

Alison Byerly, President of Carleton, shared a talk about the college when everyone was gathered in the Chapel. She talked about the difficulties the college encountered this past year, especially with the ICE raids in Minnesota. She also talked about the challenges that AI present to colleges. She did note that in being a small college, Carleton is better positioned than large colleges to be able to recognize student work that is generated by AI.

On Sunday I had the opportunity to speak during the chapel service. Normally I share sermons at worship, but I wasn’t asked to preach. I was asked to share a reading. What reading do I share at an alumni chapel service? I asked my Facebook friends and others for suggestions. Nothing resonated with me until I went to the bookstore on my first day of Reunion and saw a book of poems by Mary Oliver. The poems gave me something to share. I ended up sharing the poems, “Invitation" and "Mindful.” And now I’ve made a new commitment to myself to read one Mary Oliver poem a day.

Reunions are intense—they require that our brains pay attention and listen closely to the people with whom we hold conversations. We have our brains opened to remember stories that happened many years ago. We are reminded of the identities we carried in college. Many people shared with me their memory of me being the captain of the football team and concertmaster of the orchestra. These identities are like old clothes--some fit, others don't any more. I am inspired to keep playing my violin. Thankfully I have opportunities. 

Because of their intensity I don’t need to go back to Reunion for another five years. Until then I’m looking forward to being in contact with the people I saw this past weekend.  I don’t think the word, “Tribe” completely describes an alumni class, but it's close. The people with whom I graduated are my people. Not that I own them, but I belong to them. We have common experiences that always connect us. And because of Reunion we have the opportunity to take steps deeper into friendships that were forged when all of us were much younger.

My recent experiences with hate speech

I don’t know if hate is increasing in our culture. I did a simple google search on the question, "is hate increasing?" The search led me to the FBI web site which reported in August 2025 that in 2024 there were 11,679 hate crime incidents involving 14,243 victims for calendar year 2024. This compares to 11,862 incidents in 2023 with 14,416 victims. About the same. The link to these statistics is here: https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics.

The United Nations commissioned a report that said there was an exponential increase in hate speech. The report covers the whole world and includes convincing statistics.

I’m most interested in what is happening in our local community, Is hate speech increasing here? I’ve had three incidents in the last two weeks that makes me wonder.

On Sunday, May 24 we had a full house at Chain of Lakes during worship. The music was beautiful, guests came, the sermon seemed to connect. We had a wonderful day. I greet everyone who comes through the door and before worship I greeted two young, Caucasian men. They seemed interested.

After worship I also greet people as they leave. And it took a long time for these two gentlemen to leave. I was interested in talking to them and learning their story. Finally they approached me. They asked me about the flag on the north side of our building. I told them that it is the rainbow flag. They asked me what Jesus would think of this. I shared that I thought Jesus would applaud our congregation for flying the rainbow flag as he frequently reached out and cared for people on the margins. They then pulled out their Bibles and asked me if our support of LGBTQIA+ people was biblical. I then realized that these two men did not come to worship to check out our congregation. They were there to let us know that our views on LGBTQIA+ issues were not biblical and morally wrong.

 I’ve had these conversations with many people over the last 33 years of ministry. I’ve lead Bible studies on this issue; I’ve given talks on this issue; I’ve attended many, many meetings where people have shared different views on this issue. I’ve seen our Presbyterian denomination split because of this issue. A few years ago I shared a short video on how I came to my own views. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=600056857967631

This is a hard issue. We have people at Chain of Lakes who hold the traditional view about LGBTQIA+ issues. I let them know that they are very welcome in our congregation. I will welcome them and care for them. But most of the congregation at Chain of Lakes is not in this place. I don't argue with people who have connected to Chain of Lakes who hold the traditional view. 

But I won't let two young, Caucasian men who were guests instruct me on the Bible after a powerful worship service. They wanted to talk about 1 Corinthians 6. I shared that I’ve read 1 Corinthians 6. I’ve read through the Bible at least five times, I’ve preached on the Bible for 33 years, and I read the Bible every day. I told them with all due respect that I know the Bible very well. 

To me what matters most is how Jesus would respond, and I believe he would accept and love the LGBTQIA+ community. I asked these men if they believed in child abuse, as part of Leviticus supports child abuse. I asked them if they support slavery, as part of the Bible supports slavery. I'm not going to hate on a group of people because of six passages in the Bible. And I especially won't when Jesus taught and always displayed that what is most important is to "love God with our heart and soul and mind and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves." I’m part of a denomination that ordains the LGBTQ+IA community. We’ve had people from that community serve on the Session at Chain of Lakes. The first marriage at Chain of Lakes was a gay marriage.

I am still a bit taken aback that these two young men came to Chain of Lakes. Their words would not be “hate speech,” but they were quite bold and even aggressive in their approach. I had and still have a lot of questions about the faith community that formed them. Do they feel they have the right to come in as guests to the faith community I serve and tell us that we are wrong.

 This past Saturday, I attended Anoka Pride. I went by myself. In the past we’ve had a group from Chain of Lakes attend. The celebration was even bigger than last year. It is now taking place at Riverfront Memorial Park. There were many booths and food and music—the celebration was beautiful.

 And there was a man with a sign. The picture of the sign is here. The picture is hard to share.

I chose not to engage this man as I’ve had too many conversations like this in the past. I’m not going to change this man’s mind. Though I’m very disturbed when a person represents faith in a way that is quite judgmental and certainly hateful.

 A person from our congregation shared an encounter she witnessed of another person with this man. 

“Early in our interaction this man had obviously decided that I must be gay, fine. He then proceeded to tell me that I am a sinner, I am going to hell, I don’t deserve to live in this world and he could save me if only I were to repent and come to Jesus. This was after several minutes of arguing over the teachings of Jesus that I learned. I was exhausted by this, asked him to leave several times and eventually security came to “help” him out.”

I have so many questions about this encounter that I could probably blog every week for a year. But how does a person become so full of hate? How has his faith community taught and even encouraged him to treat people so terribly.

After the sermon this past Sunday I shared my story of being at Anoka Pride with the people gathered for worship at Chain of Lakes. I shared that I understand that people can land in different places on the LGBTQIA+ issue. But most people at Chain of Lakes have chosen acceptance. 

People don’t choose their sexual orientation. As one of my favorite people at Chain of Lakes has often said, “who in their right mind would choose to be discriminated against, attacked, and fearful because of their sexual orientation?” At Chain of Lakes we will land on our Core Value of acceptance, “we will welcome people as Jesus welcomed them, with open hearts and open minds.”

 After worship this past Sunday a person from Chain of Lakes shared their experience at Pine City Pride. This was one of the first Pride festivals. I was shown a picture of men dressed in T-Shirts, wearing masks, and carrying flags—one of the flags was upside down.

I was a bit scared just looking at the picture. I was told that one of the messages this group  communicated was they want to take American back. My question is “take America back to what?” Times when people lived in the closet because they were afraid for their safety?

 Where do people get these ideas that they can show up at a festival and try to intimidate other?

 I’m a white, male, straight guy—my privilege has not led me to be concerned for my safety. But as a white, male, straight guy I’m always going to stand up for those who are forced to live on the margins. 

We still have a long way to go in our area in celebrating the diversity of creation.

People can have different views on issues, but the approach of intimidation, bullying, and judgment must be countered. Hate speech has no place in our country.

 

Presbyterian church growth conference

 

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a Presbyterian Church Growth Network (PCGN) regional conference that was held at Copper Creek Church in Champaign, Illinois. I’ve talked before about the decline in people among the Presbyterian Church, PC(USA). Every year my daughter, Hannah, has been alive the PC(USA) has experienced a decline in numbers—and my daughter is now in graduate school! The formation of the PCGN was a grass-roots response to this very serious problem. 

I’ve participated in what has become the PCGN since a group of us started having Zoom calls about two years ago. Unlike previous attempts by organizations committed to church growth within the PC(USA), the PCGN is committed to the welfare of our denomination. I joined the board when the group was founded in May 2025. None of us on the board want to see churches leave the PC(SUA). And we’re committed to inclusion of all people as Teaching & Ruling Elders. The charter document of the PCGN shares all of this. Check it out at: https://www.pcgrowthnetwork.org/whoweare The website of the PCGN is here: https://www.pcgrowthnetwork.org/ The PCGN has two open Zoom calls a month and a very active Facebook page where people can ask questions and receive responses. 

Even though the conference last week was only one day the presenters shared meaningful content that is helpful for people who want to see their congregations grow in size, vitality, and impact. 

One of the special parts of the conference was the beautiful hospitality shared by Copper Creek Church. This Presbyterian congregation was started in 2007 as a satellite campus of First Presbyterian Church in Champaign, Illinois.  They became a separate congregation and today have over 700 people part of their congregation. They offer three services and are in the preliminary stages of a large capital campaign.

 Scott Keeble and his wife, Melissa Keeble (both pastors at Copper Creek) shared hospitality in an extravagant way. When I arrived on Wednesday, Scott asked me if he could make me a latte. And he did! And then he offered to make a latte for every person who came. How many pastors of churches that size are willing to share hospitality in such a beautiful way?

Scott opened the conference by talking about vision casting. He described vision as a description of a congregation’s preferred future, a picture of something that doesn’t exist. He shared some of Copper Creek’s story. When they launched they identified themselves as a church for those who had a hard experience in churches—the de-churched. They did a lot of research on this group. Because they believe the de-churched is skeptical of highly programmed congregations, they decided to have a stream-lined approach to programming. The congregation focuses on small groups as the central part of their discipleship.

After a break Kim Adams shared a talk on worship, music, and the Sunday morning experience. One takeaway from the workshop is the decision congregations make about style of worship. Typically we think that we have to choose between a traditional or contemporary style. Instead people in the workshop talked about deciding if your style will be formal or informal. It’s possible to have an informal traditional service, and it’s possible to have a formal contemporary service.  

Josh Erickson gave a beautiful talk on church development and church size. I spent most of my time in Illinois hanging out with Josh. We rode together from Chicago to Champaign and back and even found time to attend a Cubs game. Josh just finished a sabbatical where he finalized a book he is writing on church size.

Scott Lyon shared the last workshop of the day on the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI). I admit that this is an area that I have very little training. But I’m interested in receiving more training. It was shared during the conference that knowing how to use AI is like having an intern. I’m ready for that.

This conference is something that could be replicated across the country. People organizing these could find speakers on these topics. Though the attendance at this conference was not overwhelming, I’m confident that most people left with at least one idea that can be implemented. My idea is increasing my own use of AI. 

A big thanks to Josh Erickson and Scott & Melissa Keeble and their team at Copper Creek for all their work in organizing this conference. These types of conferences can help main-line and Presbyterian people imagine the day when our denominations are growing in size, vitality, and impact!

This is a sad and difficult story--abuse by Cesar Chavez

On Wednesday, March 18 I was asked to share my story in a brief presentation with my local Rotary club. Everyone during the year is asked to share a five minute talk about their story. As part of my presentation I talked briefly about my experience with the farm workers and Cesar Chavez. I shared the picture below taken in La Paz of Cesar and others (me included.) 

Later that morning, my phone started blowing up with questions from my friends about sexual abuse by Cesar Chavez. I was shocked. 

The New York Times reported that morning that Cesar sexually abused young girls and raped and impregnated Dolores Huerta. The article said that three woman had accused Cesar of abusing them. The article is here: nytimes.com/2026/03/19/us/what-to-know-cesar-chavez-sex-abuse.html. 

A Wikipedia page has been set up about the abuse, which is here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Chavez_sexual_abuse_allegations

I’ve read everything I can about these allegations and listened to a radio interview that Dolores gave. I believe Dolores and the allegations that are in the New York Times piece. I never had any inclination when I worked for the farm workers or since that this abuse took place. No matter how hard it is to know this happened—and for me it is very hard, it’s essential that the truth is shared.  

I worked for the farm workers in two different stints. I first worked for them in Los Angeles right after graduating from college from August 1986 to August 1987. Most of the work I did then was to travel to churches and synagogues and share a video about the grape boycott that was happening. I lived in community with others at a place called the Harvard House in Los Angeles. I was a full-time volunteer—living on $32 a week.

It was an incredible learning experience. Until that time I knew hardly anything about the farm workers. I poured myself into learning about the history. I read everything I could about Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. I occasionally interacted with both of them. I frequently traveled to La Paz, the headquarters for the farm workers. I learned so much about organizing and about how I—a middle-class, white guy—needed to listen to the stories of farm workers and others.

During my first year of seminary at Union seminary in New York City I became very active with the farm workers again. During the school year of 1988-1989 I helped organized fast chains among the students at Union. This was in response to the thirty-six day fast of Cesar’s. In the spring of 1989, I organized a march of about 500 people in the Upper West Side of Manhattan during Cesar’s first trip to New York City after the fast. In the summer of 1989 I was asked to come work for the farm workers again, and I did. I left school and went back to California and worked for them until August 1990. During that time I organized a speaking tour for Cesar that raised over $50,000 for the Union. And I remember once driving Dolores from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for a conference where she spoke. For a while I considered working permanently for the farm workers, but decided to go back to seminary.

To me Cesar Chavez was a transformational leader who did something that no other person has ever been able to do—organize farm workers into a Union. Many, many other people helped him do this, including, of course, Dolores Huerta. And, for sure, Dolores has not received the credit she deserves for her work and accomplishments. I was especially captivated by Cesar’s call to non-violence and his intent for people to live in community who worked for the farm workers. Working for the farm workers wasn’t a job—it was being part of a larger calling. We lived in community, were poor ourselves as we hardly made any money, and did all we could to support La Causa. It was not surprising to me at all that Dolores wouldn’t share her story until near the end of her life because she did not want to hurt the movement. People who worked for the farm workers cared very, very deeply.

When I worked for the farm workers I always heard stories about Cesar’s power and the dissidents who left the UFW. I never experienced that power myself. Like many, I didn’t see myself as working for Cesar; I saw myself as working for the movement. We wanted to bring justice to farm workers, the poorest of the poor. I heard but never experienced the dark side of Cesar.

All over the country, many are changing the Cesar Chavez celebrations that would have happened tomorrow, March 31, on his birthday. I understand why these celebrations won’t happen. I myself took down my picture of Cesar that has hung next to a picture of Dolores Huerta on my office wall. Dolores’ picture still remains.

As I said above, it’s imperative that the truth come out.

It’s hard for many to overstate the connection that the Latino community has had to Cesar Chavez. When I worked in Los Angeles I got to know many Latinos. Almost all of them had a picture of Cesar in their home.

The importance of organizing farm workers has not changed because of what has come forth about Cesar. Every time I purchase grapes in the store I think about the brown hands that picked them near Delano, California. These unknown hands and their welfare is what is most important. People will eventually sort out the legacy of Cesar Chavez. But the welfare of farm workers—their pay and working conditions must always be lifted up for all to know. 

This is a very sad and difficult story. 

For me working for the farm workers was a privilege. I will always look at it with appreciation. I still have friends in the movement. I will always support the United Farm Workers and have deep respect for the difficulty and importance of their work.

Blizzard!

 

This past weekend, the state of Minnesota experienced a blizzard. It’s the first for a while, and it seems that our area has not had as many blizzards in the past. Paul Douglas, well-known meteorologist in the Twin Cities, wrote that the Twin Cities has only had four blizzard warnings in the past twenty years. startribune.com/douglas-a-lot-of-snow-cold-and-then-the-thaw/601598959

And for those reading this blog who need definitions, the National Weather Service defines a blizzard warming as 1) Snow and/or blowing snow reducing visibility to 1/4 mile or less for 3 hours or longer AND 2)  Sustained winds of 35 mph or greater or frequent gusts to 35 mph or greater.

During the winter I check the weather forecast for the upcoming Sunday on Monday. I want to know if weather is going to impact worship. This past Monday, I saw that the weather forecast shared that our area was going to get hit by snow on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Not good for worship.

And we had big plans for worship this past weekend. We had invited the Eggroll Queen Food Truck to come to worship and encouraged people to “Invite a Friend.” We’ve gotten into a routine of doing our best of having “Invite a Friend Sunday on the third Sunday of every month. And at least once a quarter we try to do something very special on those Sundays.

We had weather during the week, so the weather forecasters really didn’t focus on the weekend weather until late Thursday/early Friday. But when they did the message was consistent—the Metro area was going to get hit by a blizzard.

Less than five times in my thirty-three years of ministry have I had worship canceled because of weather. For a long time, my attitude was—“I will make it to worship even if I have to take extraordinary efforts. And whoever wants to come will be welcomed.”

However with Livestream so easily done, this attitude of doing whatever-it-takes to worship seems antiquated. If the weather is going to be really bad, why not just do a video. And that’s what we did. We did the Live Stream on Saturday at 5pm. We encouraged people to watch the Live Stream or the video. And many did. The number of people who was twice as high as normal. We did the Live Stream with five people (including me) present.

And for those who want to watch the video of worship at Chain of Lakes, go to vimeo.com/manage/videos/1171773895

The first flakes of snow started falling as we were doing the Livestream.

In advance of the blizzard, I saw a listing of the top snowfalls in the Twin Cities area. The link is here: dnr.state.mn.us/climate/journal/top_twenty_snowfalls.html

I remember many of those blizzards. I was not in the area during the infamous Halloween blizzard of 1991, but during many others I was. I went through the list and remembered stories from many of those blizzards. I remember getting stuck in a car in a blizzard many times as a boy. Certainly not something I recommend!

The biggest blizzard I remember happened January 1975. It didn’t make the top list of blizzards in terms of snowfall, but it’s the one I remember as being the strongest. We were let out of school early. The wind was fierce and it was very, very cold. I remember walking half a block and pulling out icicles from my eye lashes. It was also known as the Super Bowl Blizzard as the Vikings lost to the Steelers that weekend. According to the Famer’s Almanac web site, fourteen people died in that blizzard and twenty-one more died from heart attacks. The link to a further description of that blizzard is here: www.farmersalmanac.com/the-super-bowl-storm-of-75-18109?fbclid=IwY2xjawQlRPNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFmc3dLaFZ1SkJ1a3h6NnRZc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkC4suTD80DrT4P5hW5-RgSJo3P1AqE3dMM2Bdgi3v36oBcg7clgolotIGDO_aem_D07LtsfGfVhFLfw5VhAdTA

The blizzard this past weekend paled in comparison to that. We did receive about eight inches of snow in Blaine (my estimate with my eye.) I didn’t leave the house from Saturday evening to Monday morning except to blow snow. I ended up blowing snow twice and shoveling once. Thank, God for snow blowers! Parts of southern Minnesota received about twenty inches of snow.

Most of the snow will be melted by this Sunday—when we will have the Eggroll Queen at Chain of Lakes. Even though the temperature won’t get above twenty today, a lot of snow is melting because of the high angle of the sky.

Anyone who has lived in Minnesota for an extended period of time has a blizzard story. Consider sharing a story in the comments.

Is the war with Iran a just war?

 

“War itself is, of course, a form of madness. It’s hardly a civilized pursuit. It’s amazing how we spend so much time inventing devices to kill each other and so little time working on how to achieve peace.” – Walter Cronkite (Journalist, 1916 – 2009, USA)

Walter Cronkite’s quote can apply to the current war that the United States, or should I say President Trump has waged on Iran. Since “Operation Epic Fury” was started the human and financial cost has been very high. A lot of people have been thinking in the past month how to kill “the enemy.”  

Yesterday in worship at Chain of Lakes Church yesterday I shared a sermon on the Sermon on the Mount. (the sermon starts at the 18 minute mark at this link: March 8, 2026, Worship Service). I believe the words that Jesus shared on the Mount of Beatitudes make up the greatest sermon ever. The sermon speaks directly into our human condition. Who doesn’t struggle with worry or anxiety, who doesn’t struggle with forgiving others, who doesn’t want to shine light. Jesus shared a grand and glorious vision that can inspire and teach us as individuals and as faith-filled people in community.  

At the start of the sermon Jesus shared nine beatitudes. The beatitude, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9) is relevant when we think about the United States war with Iran. Just as relevant is Jesus' section in the antitheses section when he said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44-45a)

The word “blessed” that described peacemakers in Matthew 5:9 is plural. Jesus was not telling his followers in this verse about individual peace or serenity. Jesus was saying that communities are blessed when they identify as peacemakers. The world is blessed when faith communities live into this calling of Jesus and advocate for peace.   

The statistics about the war are startling. According to National Public Radio, more than 1,200 people have been killed in Iran, more than 400 in Lebanon and eleven people in Israel. One-hundred-eight-five children reportedly were killed in Minab, Iran, in a United States air strike on February 28. Seven United States military personnel have died.

The financial cost of the war is also startling. Reports have estimated that the war is costing the United States a billion dollars a day. Each tomahawk missile that explodes costs at least a million dollars.  

Now is the time for leaders in the church to follow the teaching to be peacemakers that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. We’re called to speak out. To speak we must discern what Jesus would have us say. I think and wonder what Jesus would say if he was in meetings in Washington DE when the Administration decided to go to war with Iran. It’s hard for me to believe that he would support this war.

If there was ever a time to apply the criteria of a Just War, it is now. According to a Wikipedia page on the topic, the idea of a Just War was started by Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, before being developed further by Augustine.

I’m not convinced that Jesus would be in favor of the Just War Doctrine—as I believe that Jesus would be against any war. However the church has developed five criteria to help people decide if a war is just. 

The criteria are:

Is the war a just cause

Is the war a last resort

Is the war declared by a proper authority

Does the war possess the right intention

Is the end proportional to the means

It’s worth applying each of these criteria to the war with Iran.

Is the war a just cause?

I think a person could make the argument that if Iran was about the fire a nuclear weapon at the United States then the war was just. Presdient Trump justified this current war by arguing that Iran was going to attack the United States. However no information was shared to back up that claim. The United States bombed Iran this past summer. President Trump claimed that  and claimed that Iran’s nuclear arsenal was completely and totally obliterated. Does this war make the claims to success in that bombing campaign a lie? Until the Administration publicly and openly makes the case with evidence that Iran was going to attack the United States, the answer to this question is “no.”

Is the war a last resort

If the United States or its military was on the verge of being attacked, then the war could be declared a last resort. The leaders of the United States could have gone through the painstaking process of making the casse to the allies of our country to join the United States in the war. It’s not clear if this happened. We know that most of the allies of the United States are not in favor of the war.

I would have much more comfortable if a group of allies of the United States had joined in declaring war. President George H Bush spent a lot of time lining up support among the allies of the United States before the first Iraq War.

It seems that the answer to this question is “no.”

Is the war declared by a proper authority

Congress has the authority to declare a war in the United States. And Congress still has not passed a resolution declaring war. Once again the Executive branch has bypassed Congress in declaring a war. Many Presidents of each political party have done this. The answer to this question is a definite, “no.”

Possess the right intention

What is the aim of this war? Is it to wipe out the nuclear capacity of Iran? Is it to overthrow the government? Is it to remake the Middle East? The words of the United States leaders and the actions of our country seem to indicate that some combination of these three make up the aim. Certainly, the aim is more than wiping out Iran’s nuclear capacity. If this had been the case then the United States would not have bombed a school in Minab, Iran that killed almost two hundred children. It is a huge mistake not to communicate consistently the intention of the war. Until the public is told the same message about the intention of the war, it's hard to even answer this question. Right now, it seems that the answer to this question is "no.”

The end is proportional to the means

The continued bombing of Iran and the Israeli bombing in Lebanon does not seem to be proportional to the end—certainly not the end of destroying Iraq’s nuclear capabilities, if that is the intention of the war. Again the answer to this question is “no.”

The answer to these five questions that make up the Just War Doctrine are all “no.” This was is not just.

What can we do?

Public Opinion in the United States is against the war. According to Real Clear Politics, the aggregate of polls about the war show that 49.2 percent are against the war while 42 percent are in favor. With the absence of any mass protests against the war, it’s important to keep speaking up. Hopefully the bombing will end soon. I have no idea what the end game for this war will be. The United States does not have a strong track record of leaving countries in peace—look at Iraq and Afghanistan. With this war seemingly so hastily started, I’m not encouraged that a solid end game plan exists.

Whatever our view about this war and whether it is just, we can all pray for peace. I am praying every day for peace in Iran and minimal casualties on both sides. 

It has not been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon

It has not been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, aka Minnesota. In fact it’s been a terrible week in Minnesota; it’s been a terrible January in Minnesota; it’s been terrible in this state that I love ever since Operation Metro Surge began in December. 

I’ve had many friends from across the country who have reached out to me to ask how I am doing. For me, it’s going well. I’ve had zero contact with ICE; I went to a press conference of religious leaders earlier this month; I attended a march of tens of thousands of people this past Friday; I’ve mentioned the invasion during every sermon and prayer during worship at Chain of Lakes church every Sunday I've led worship in January. 

My privilege has protected me so far. Many are not that fortunate.

I’ve written often in this blog about my thoughts about undocumented people being in the United States. Many years ago when I worked for the farm workers in California, I met and came across people who were not citizens. They were decent people trying to create a better life for their families. They were not a threat to public safety. The agricultural industry in California could not operate as they do without workers who are not citizens.

This is how I view people who live in Minnesota who are not citizens. I am not afraid of them; I do not think that public safety is significantly diminished by their presence; I believe that many companies could not operate as they do without their presence. My personal dream is an Immigration Law will be passed that offers a way forward towards citizenship for those who are not citizens. 

To see ICE agents come into Minnesota with the purpose of ridding our state of dangerous undocumented people seemed to me a solution looking for a problem. I do not see this group of people as dangerous. Of course, people who commit crimes—whether the person is a citizen or not—should be punished by the laws that are established.

If the purpose of Operation Metro Surge was to make the Twin Cities Metro safer, then that purpose has failed miserably. I’m guessing that most people in the Twin Cities feel less safe today compared to the day when Operation Metro Surge began.

But the ICE operation stopped long ago from being an initiative that makes people in the Twin Cities Metro safer. It became an example of the Federal Government and some leaders wanting to display force and power. This ICE operation is not something that respects laws and constitutional norms of our country. The respected police officers of our community would not operate as ICE agents have.

When did it become a good idea for the Federal Government to jam a policy down the throat of a state that doesn’t want that policy?

I haven’t done much to respond, but I want to respond. On Friday I decided to participate in the march from the Commons, a beautiful park near US Bank Stadium, to Target Center. I knew about the demonstration at the airport that morning where clergy were arrested. I couldn’t have gone to that as I was enjoying the morning with my granddaughter. I probably wouldn’t have decided to be arrested, though my heart was with my clergy colleagues who were.

When I approached the Washington Ave exit off of 35W I started to get the sense that this rally could be very large. The line of cars to exit was very long. When I turned off of 35W I immediately looked for parking and fortunately found it. I arrived at the Commons to see that this rally indeed was very large. Tens of thousands of people were there. I looked for some clergy colleagues, but the number of people made finding a colleague like finding a needle in a haystack.

The mood of the marchers was joyous. People carried unique signs; they chanted slogans that made most laugh. Many of the chanted words were ones I would never repeat in church. People offered handwarmers and food to anyone who wanted something. I did not see a police officer, but felt no need for their presence (though I’m guessing they were present). I’m glad that no ICE agents were present as the crowd might not have been so magnanimous.

When I reached the end of the march at Target Center, I decided to leave. I would have enjoyed the rally that took place there. But I didn’t have a ticket and didn’t feel like convincing anyone that I should attend the rally. So I started walking back towards my parked car. I walked at least a half mile before seeing no more people marching. 

Did we accomplish anything in the march? We demonstrated that tens of thousands of people can gather peacefully against an invading force.

And that is what ICE feels like. It feels like our state is encountering an invading force. Minnesota has been invaded! Lake Wobegon has been invaded! A year ago those two sentences would have received a laugh in a deft presentation by a comic. Today they are not a joking matter. 

If ICE was doing their job with professionalism and decency we wouldn’t be marching with such incredible numbers. The shootings of Rene Good and Alex Pretti are the worst examples of unprofessionalism and lack of decency. But every day incidents are shared in the media of ICE agents acting inappropriately and in ways that are not consistent with the Constitution. The local police would never act like ICE agents have. 

I have especially been taken in by the story of Liam Ramos. This five-year-old boy was taken away by ICE even though his parents are in the process of becoming citizens. Dueling narratives about what happened to Liam quickly appeared. I have a hard time believing the government’s narrative. Why couldn’t the ICE agents let the school officials who were present take Liam. And even if the government’s narrative is true, no reason exists for this little boy to be in a detention center right now. He poses no threat to public safety! Release him immediately!

The killing of Alex Pretti this past Saturday has magnified the injustice. Once again dueling narratives exist. I have only watched the video twice as I am a wimp when it comes to watching people be killed. I close my eyes when someone is killed at the movies, so I’m not going to watch this injustice.

What is particularly chilling is how the government has responded. They quickly labeled Alex Pretti as a terrorist. Really? A nurse who bent down to help a woman who had been pepper sprayed. A man who was shot while pinned to the ground is a threat to others. Yes, Alex Pretti had a gun, but he had been disarmed before he was shot.

What happened to decency? What happened to kindness? What happened to compassion?

I would have loved to read a press release from ICE saying that the killing of Alex Pretti was a tragedy and the thoughts and prayers of every ICE agent in Minnesota went out to his family. Instead his death has become another sorry example of government representatives acting defensively and with no heart.

I'm glad the family of Alex Pretti quicly put out a statement after he was killed.

At my core I am naively optimistic, and it does seem that this story of invasion has turned in the last 48 hours. Some Republicans are saying the invasion has gone too far. President Trump and Governor Walz actually talked on the phone today. Tom Homan, President Obama’s border czar has been sent in by the government to manage the operation. (Hopefully this means that Greg Bovino, who epitomizes heartlessness, will leave our state.) 

I believe that something is going to break soon. For the reality of the last week is untenable. No one ever thought that this type of madness would come to Lake Wobegon. Something has to change!