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A compelling devotional by Day1 host Peter Wallace, designed to help people of all ages connect meaningfully with God as revealed in the Psalms.

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Latest Peter Samuelson Blog Articles

The Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson
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We want our victims to be pure

The Rev. Dr. Peter L. Samuelson (ELCA)

The Trayvon Martin case has hit close to home for me.  I served a congregation in Atlanta that was predominantly black.  I have known many black teenage boys who liked to keep up with the latest fashions and dress like their peers.  They were in my confirmation class.  I have known many black teenage boys who, in the universal search of all teenagers to find their own internal moral compass, sometimes broke the rules of their parents, or even flirted with breaking the law.  They read scripture for our worship service.   I have known many black teenage boys who may not always been able to control their emotions when faced with injustice or when treated with suspicion and disrespect.  They have sung hymns with our church choir.   I have sat with the parents of these beautiful black men-in-the-making as they worry that their sons will be prejudged in what otherwise would be innocent circumstances, except that the skin of their beloved sons is black.  I have known many white teenage boys who have had acted much the same as they try to negotiate those volatile teenage years and find their own identity, my son among them.   But the white parents do not have the same worries and fears that their sons will be harmed, arrested or killed for simply being – innocently being their teenage selves.

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The Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson
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Keep in Touch: Thinking Theologically about Technology

The Rev. Dr. Peter L. Samuelson (ELCA)

I heard Tom Brokaw on a broadcast of the Westminster Town Hall Forum in Minneapolis on my car radio today.  He spoke on many things but had this advice for young people regarding the brave new world of social media and instant communication (paraphrased):  "Texting is fine but there is no substitute for the first kiss."

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Other Recent Peter Samuelson Blog Articles

The Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson
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Article

July 01, 2011

Do this in remembrance

The Rev. Dr. Peter L. Samuelson (ELCA)

My mother's Alzheimer's disease has caused me to reflect on the nature of memory. Without memory we would not even know the love of God in Christ.
The Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson
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Article

May 04, 2011

Was Justice Served?

The Rev. Dr. Peter L. Samuelson (ELCA)

If there is a sense of justice served at the death of Osama bin Laden, it is only partial and incomplete. Only God can bring about complete justice.
The Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson
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Article

March 29, 2011

America’s Moral Identity

The Rev. Dr. Peter L. Samuelson (ELCA)

In his speech on March 28 at the National Defense University, President Obama appeals to our national moral identity to defend his decisions to use American military force to intervene in Libya. Moral identity is a powerful motivator for moral action in our personal lives. Does it work the same on a national level?
The Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson
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March 08, 2011

Religious Profiling

The Rev. Dr. Peter L. Samuelson (ELCA)

The hearings on the threat of homegrown terrorism from the Muslim community in America being held in the Homeland Security Committee of Congress this Thursday are not only a grave injustice, but are a threat to our true homeland security: our desire to live in peace with our neighbors.
The Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson
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Article

January 10, 2011

Who is to blame?

The Rev. Dr. Peter L. Samuelson (ELCA)

We are having an ongoing conversation in the wake of the horrific events in Tucson, Arizona this past week At times like this, when senseless things happen, we go searching for a cause. Who is to blame?
The Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson
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Article

December 19, 2010

In the Deep Midwinter

The Rev. Dr. Peter L. Samuelson (ELCA)

What hope is there for those who those have lived in winter so long that they can no more remember spring? They have none, except perhaps for those who have memory who can remind them that spring is coming.
The Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson
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Article

December 09, 2010

Mary's Pondering Heart

The Rev. Dr. Peter L. Samuelson (ELCA)

In an overwhelming encounter with the will of God, Mary's response is to wonder, ponder and question. Only then does she assent.
The Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson
Blog
Article

June 19, 2010

You da man!

The Rev. Dr. Peter L. Samuelson (ELCA)

I used to be annoyed when an inebriated fan would yell “You da man!” at Tiger Woods. Now on this weekend of the U.S. Open Championship, I will smile and wonder if he hears an echo of the voice of the prophet Nathan who delivered the same message to King David.