PSALM 1 WISDOM Psalm 1 is a Wisdom Psalm, written to teach the community. It is also an Instructional Psalm that focuses on God’s Law. (LSB-Lutheran Study Bible) The Psalm can inform us of how the faithful can approach gun violence prevention (GVP).…

GUNS AND TYRANNY Although we do not have guns in our home and I gave away my .22 rifle 43 years ago, I can understand guns used for hunting, sport shooting and reasonable personal protection. I do take pause, however, with gun misuse…

RESOLUTION POWER The St. Paul Area Synod passed a GVP (gun violence prevention) resolution with over 300 YES votes and only four NO votes. If time would have allowed in the tight assembly, here is the speech I would have given. Gun lethality…

HAIR TRIGGER GUN BILL STAND YOUR GROUND, or “Defense of Dwelling and Person Act of 2017”, or HF0238/SF0292, is a “hair trigger gun bill.” SYG eliminates common law duty to retreat in case of self-defense outside of home. It creates a “presumption…and expectation…that…

TEN COMMANDMENTS REDUX There is a reason why the Ten Commandments ring true in Jewish and Christian communities. They provide an ethical framework for life and a bridge for relationship with God. It is also significant that the frieze above the United States…

TWEET TAKES ATLANTA Lifting both arms and clenching his fists, Tweet addressed the NRA National Convention in Atlanta last evening. His commitment was unequivocal: “The eight year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end. You have a true…

SPEECH TO NO SHOW REP. TOM EMMER Last evening, ISAIAH sponsored a public forum with Rep. Tom Emmer at our church, Our Saviors LC. The only problem was he didn’t show up. He had been invited nearly two month previously. He had been…

GUN LAW REPREIVE? Two dangerous gun bills, Stand Your Ground and Permitless Carry were not added to an Omnibus Public Safety Bill in the Minnesota House. Significant credit for this omission should go to the many gun violence prevention organizations whose supporters consistently…

HOLY WEEK AND WEAPONS OF LOVE Jesus redefines “weapons.” On Maundy Thursday, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke place Jesus in a room where the Lord’s Supper is instituted. The disciples and Jesus ate and drank together with Jesus pulling a “bait…

“DONKEY KING” VS. “GUN KING” – The Choice What kind of king are we seeking? “Donkey King” or “Gun King”? Palm Sunday-Passion Sunday features Jesus entering Jerusalem, the power center of Judaism, on a donkey instead of a white stallion. Humility and nonviolence…