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Minnehaha Academy’s relationship with the Adventurous Christians
by Paul Swanson
I met John Patton and Ken (Bos) Bosworth in 1968 shortly after I began teaching at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. They were two young men who loved rock-climbing and had a desire to do youth ministry. They already had chosen the name for their ministry, Adventurous Christians (AC), but had no solid organization nor staff.
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A pilgrimage to Sacred Spaces, experienced through art
by Sandy Nelson
Last summer, I was invited to participate in a “Sacred Spaces” experience on the theme of Pilgrimage at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle—specifically to envision and create a large art installation. The two themes of communion and baptism were suggested to me as a place to start.
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Taste and See
A simple savory slow cooked meal
by Bonnie Sparrman
We were invited for a 24-hour visit to a place I’d never been, with hosts I met only once at a reunion of my husband’s Swedish cousins. I had no idea what to expect. When we arrived, the air was chilly and damp and the salty breeze let us know we were close to the sea. We stepped into a pretty white house and were warmly greeted by Tina, Tomas, and the delightful fragrance of roasting meat that stirred memories of my favorite Chicago barbeque joint. Immediately I knew we had landed in a very good place.
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Growing Hope for 25 years
by Mark E. Swanson
While sitting on metal folding chairs in the back of the sanctuary of Wiley Heights Covenant, just outside of Yakima, Washington, a church I was then pastoring, something “dangerous” happened. In conversation with Jim and Carol Sundholm and a staff member from Growing Hope Globally, I heard about this organization they were so fond of, and it changed the direction of my life and career.
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The Making of a Reader
Codes of the Hebrew Bible, part III
by David Hawkinson
The third part of this series on biblical codes focuses on the Holiness Code. This code originated among the exiled community deported deep into the Babylonian empire. In the previous articles we looked at the Covenant Code and the Deuteronomic Code (Fall/Winter 2023 and Spring/Summer 2024). The series is based upon the scholarship of Edward Feld and his remarkable book, “The Book of Revolutions; the Battles of Priests, Prophets and Kings, that Birthed the Torah.”
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Poetry
Waiting
by Ann Boaden
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Poetry
Silent Retreat at a Trappist Monastery
by Ann Boaden
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What is a hymnal? It’s much more than a songbook!
by Royce Eckhardt
What really is a hymnal? Is it just a songbook that we handle frequently but perhaps with little understanding of its rich contents? Why should we still produce hymnals? In this electronic media age these are appropriate and relevant questions to raise. In a day when some segments of the church may consider the hymnal obsolete or passé, we need to take a fresh and comprehensive look to recover a new appreciation of and affection for this remarkable resource. The hymnal is the repository of a rich treasury of Christian experience, theology, and prayers. What follows here are some of the unique dimensions of this remarkable treasure.
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Strength to meet our trials
by Greg Asimakoupoulos
As I watched the funeral service for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in December 2023, my ears perked up as the choir at the Washington National Cathedral sang “Day by day and with each passing moment,” a contemporary arrangement by Michael McCarthy (b. 1966). The familiar words, translated by the Covenant musician A. L. Skoog, were timely for a grieving nation.
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Who is conservative?
by Phil Johnson
I raise my hand immediately along with a host of democrats and republicans and other citizens and probably you who want to conserve our land and keep our water clean and breathe clean air. We conservatives want this for every citizen of our great country—for the whole world as a matter of fact. We want to preserve these vital treasures for our children.
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How to plan a Swedish Advent service
by Mark Safstrom
Many congregations of Swedish origin across the country have—or at one time have had—one or more of several celebrations or services during the Christmas season, especially Julotta and Sankta Lucia. Due to the busyness of life in the latter half of the 20th century, these congregations usually opted to swap Julotta, or an early Christmas morning sunrise service, for the more mainstream late-night Christmas eve services. It’s hard to compete with a cozy Christmas morning at home, with its stockings and presents. The stalwarts who continue this high and holy practice often have some difficulty finding local people who can read the gospel in Swedish, or even preach in Swedish. (If you have such skills, go seek out a Julotta service near you and offer your talents immediately. They’ll be thrilled!)
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Swedish Julfest
by Winston Johnson
During the Christmas holidays in 1957, a group of Covenant friends enjoyed a Swedish smörgåsbord and fellowship in the home of Dr. and Mrs. Hjalmar Lindberg. During the evening Blanche Lindberg requested that Winston Johnson play Swedish Christmas hymns on the piano. Blanche, her sister Helen Blomgren, and other friends gathered by the piano and sang. At its conclusion, Blanche and Helen suggested that we have an annual tradition of a Swedish Christmas program in our church early in December. This program could include Swedish hymns, anthems, and sermon, as well as a Lucia bride ceremony, with an offering to be received for the church outreach benevolence fund. Following the program, Swedish refreshments could be served in the dining hall.
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Poetry
Light a Candle (“Tänd ljus")
by Bo Setterlind and translated by Mark Safstrom
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Lyssna, Lyssna: Hör Du Änglasången?
translated by Mark Safstrom
Translation of the hymn "Lyssna, Lyssna".
