The Annotated Andy

Make God Known

On May 10, 2020

Sermon for Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year A)
Trinity Lutheran Church – Madison, WI
May 10th, 2020

Preaching Text: John 14:1-14

Beloved of God, grace and peace to you from our mothering God and from our comforting Christ. Amen.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places.”

I’ve most often heard these words at funerals. There’s something powerful about hearing the voice of Jesus say, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” – especially in those troubling days.

Plunging into Ministry

By admin

On March 28, 2019

In Essays, What I'm Reading

“Baptismal ministry is to embrace the world of the baptized.”
Rev. Dr. Stephen Bouman, 2019 SCSW LEAD Keynote Address

My experience of ministry has had a baptismal shape to it. Not only have I been called to baptize, but the experience is a kind of dying and rising in itself.

For this reason, I’ve been thinking about this line from Stephen Bouman’s address since my last Sunday as pastor of Orfordville Lutheran Church.

A Ship Called Hope

By admin

On February 23, 2019

In Published Columns

If you were to walk into the sanctuary of Orfordville Lutheran Church (OLC) and look up towards the balcony, you would see a model ship suspended from the ceiling. The Norwegian name for the ship is “Haabet” which means “The Hope.” And across the back of the ship in tall, white letters, it simply says “HOPE.”

The Hope was originally built in 1879 by Peter Kaatrud. He refurbished it in 1892, and it was displayed in the sanctuary from 1892-1912. In 1957, after a 45 year absence, Martin Nelson restored The Hope to its original appearance, and it was again placed in our worship space.

Loved into Loving

By admin

On February 17, 2019

In Published Columns

I’ve always been a fan of Mr. Rogers, and I highly recommend the new documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” about his life.

The documentary includes a clip from Fred Rogers’s commencement address to Middlebury College in 2001. During the speech, Mr. Rogers invited the graduates to think of those people who had believed in them and helped them reach this moment. He reminded the graduates: “From the time you were very little, you’ve had people who have smiled you into smiling, people who have talked you into talking, sung you into singing, loved you into loving.” Then, he allowed a minute of silence for them to think of those special people.

Name-calling and Our True Names

By admin

On February 10, 2019

In Published Columns

I remember learning not to call people names on the playground as a child. A nickname may be okay if your friend likes it or chooses it, but you must stop if they don’t like it. I remember my parents and teachers emphasizing a respect for people’s names.

Did you learn this lesson too? Name-calling has always been a problem, but it seems to be growing – even among adults who should know better.

Always a Student

By admin

On January 9, 2019

In Essays

Post originally published on HECUA blog

My semester in Northern Ireland was transformational. I lived with a community of students who would stay up late into the night discussing all we were doing, reading, and experiencing. We met people who were engaged in the work of peacemaking and who were willing to reflect on that experience with us. It was hard to know when class time started and ended because we were always learning.

A Christmas Reflection

By admin

On December 18, 2018

In Essays

Here’s a picture from our trip to Ireland last summer of Adam Pomeroy’s “The Nativity,” which is on display at Galway Cathedral.

The Cathedral itself is interesting in that it is the youngest of Europe’s great stone cathedrals. It was built a little over 50 years ago on the site of an old city jail.

Kristin remarked that the painting made her think of the women forced by the Church to live and work in the Magdalene Laundries of Ireland. The women were often forced to give up their babies for adoption. With the institutional looking bed and simple clothing – I wonder if this was Pomeroy’s intent. The government inquiry into the Magdalene Laundries would have been very much in the news around the time of its creation. Perhaps this was not intended, but if it were it would add a level of depth and subversion.

“A Ship Called Hope”

By admin

On September 13, 2018

In Music

“A Ship Called Hope”
Music and Lyrics by Andy Twiton

A song written in honor of Orfordville Lutheran’s 150th anniversary. A Haabet (Norwegian for “The Hope”) model ship hangs in OLC’s sanctuary. This ship became a symbol for me of God’s faithfulness in the past and a symbol of hope for the future.

Tell a Better Story

By admin

On August 24, 2018

In Published Columns

I don’t consider myself an expert in many things and few people come knocking on my door asking for my opinion on the news of the day. But I do believe part of my role as pastor is helping people to place their trust in the right things. Often my job is simple: I direct people to trust in the promises of God. But we live in a world of false narratives and empty promises, so the work becomes subtler: We listen for the whisper of God’s true story amidst all the noise.

One of the things that strikes me as I read the Scriptures is that often the most important part of the story takes place on the edges rather than on center stage.

Libraries as Daily Bread

By admin

On August 15, 2018

In Published Columns

I love books, so it was a great joy to join the board of the Orfordville Public Library earlier this year. One of the best parts has been learning about the number of ways our library benefits the community.

As a patron, I knew about some of the services already. I especially enjoy checking out audiobooks to listen to in the car, and I had regular contact with Sarah Strunz, the director, and other library staff and volunteers through the monthly Senior Luncheon program – which takes place at Orfordville Lutheran but is put on for the whole community by the library. But since joining the board, it has been wonderful to learn about the many other ways the library serves the community through access to resources and information and through events and programs.