Jason Lief

This past week I set aside my academic work, picked up a flat bar and needle nose pliers, and set to work ripping up old carpet.  Our house was built in the 2310's so we figured there was some wood beneath the ugly green and…

Watch Where Soldiers Come From - Trailer on PBS. See more from POV.     Why don't presidents fight the war, Why do they always send the poor? System of a Down - BYOB Where Soldiers Come From is a PBS documentary that was aired…

Last Friday at 1pm my body was in Sioux City but my mind was up north in Sioux Center - the home of Dordt College.  I knew there was a celebration...a gathering of the Dordt faithful for an important announcement.  But I wasn't there.  I…

"You sure as hell can't talk about hell unless you use the word hell."  Thus saith Bart Simpson (or something like it) in the car, explaining to his mother why he used the word hell.  You know the episode - Bart is in Sunday school…

A friend made an interesting comment a few days ago - suggesting that it seems people get bored with Christianity.  Not in a "religion vs. faith" sort of way - you know, the "I love Jesus but dislike the church" - or the "I'm spiritual…

  About three or four years ago my good friend - a tall, lanky Dutch Canadian - road along with me out to Montana where I spoke at a youth convention.  (We have quite a few Canadians out here on the prairie and I enjoy…

I missed it.  I'm not sure what I was doing but when I sat down to watch what remained of the Grammys my wife let me know I missed it.  The Foo Fighters had won best rock performance and Dave Grohl, the lead singer and…

I've got nothing.  Sorry to disappoint - I'm sure you were expecting some creative, insightful, reflection.  I sat down this morning trying to think of something to write and... nothing.   I thought I might write about my first day of CPE (I'm doing chaplaincy…

He's going to kill me, I know it.  It's not his style.  My suspicion is he wants to ride off, not into the sunset, but to some cabin in northern Minnesota where he can write without having to think about grading papers or going to…

  There were some excellent posts this week - some real heavy hitters.  Theresa's post on vocation was excellent, so was the Michelle Bachman piece.  I do, after all, live in Iowa and we've had our fill of Michelle Bachman.  Minnesota can have her back.…