CHURCH AND LIFE - Articles

February 2026

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 23:04:10 GMT

Church and Life

Volume LXXIV, Number 1

Welcome to the February 2026 Issue!

This issue of Church and Life celebrates Winter and, once again, the changing of the seasons—of culture and memorable events of the church and community calendar and of life and milestones in individual experience. We invite you to take time out from the stress of social media or the hectic news cycle and explore with us inspiring and noteworthy stories about the intersections of American and Danish culture. This issue and the next two (April and June) are being launched from Copenhagen, so you might detect a slightly different perspective at work in the pieces included.

We open this February 2026 issue with "It is White Out Here," a poem-turned-song by the Danish poet Steen Steensen Blicher . Written in 1838, Blicher's beautiful poem uses nature imagery to express competing feelings of despair and hope. We believe that Blicher's message is not just for those experiencing the cold of winter; it is for anyone enduring trying times, even times of political and cultural discord. In "Follow Me (a sermon)," Rev. Kelley Hudlow ponders how best to cope with news of recent political violence in the United States. Along with the Craig Loya, the Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota, Hudlow reminds us that the greatest threat we face is the assault being waged on hope and that we must not give in to despair. Edward Broadbridge explains the relationships between Denmark and the European Union (EU), both having been recently in the international spotlight. Broadbridge charts how attitudes in Denmark are changing towards the EU. Dr. Amy Hart tells about moving to Denmark to understand how N.F.S. Grundtvig's educational philosophy prepares students to participate in democratic societies and how it might overlap with the philosophies of American educators like John Dewey. Professor Kristie Chandler also compares American and Scandinavian culture and institutions. She led a study-abroad trip to Scandinavia to learn about the differences (and similarities) between American and Scandinavian Family Policy. She and her students reach enlightening conclusions. Lois Knudsen Lund remembers her time in 1960 as a student at Idrætshøjskolen (The Sports Folk High School) in Jutland near the border with Germany. Maddie Benton interviews Professor Jes Fabricius Møller to learn about his duties as the Historiographer to the Chapter of Royal Orders in Denmark. At the end of Benton's interview, Prof. Møller offers his services to you, the readers of Church and Life . (Read to find out more and take him up on his offer!) Looking to the other side of the globe, Ana Wright talks with Reghu Rama Das about the ideology and practice of Mitraniketan, a Danish folk school in Kerala, India. Reghu maintains that "an educated person should be an active member in the community." And he explains how Mitraniketan helps community members engage. Anita Young sends a reminder to plan to attend Danebod Folk Meeting in Tyler, August 12-23. And we close with a postscript from the editor, Brad Busbee .

In our upcoming April issue of Church and Life , we will be featuring stories about travel to Denmark or to the USA from Denmark. Please send accounts of surprising discoveries, happy reunions, chance meetings, wild goose chases, or any other memories from your travels. ( You can email your stories directly to me at mbusbee@samford.edu or to churchandlife1952@gmail.com .) Church and Life strives to be a forum for stories that speak to shared curiosity and experience. Travel narratives prove particularly interesting in this regard because they are typically about people figuring out what to do in unfamiliar and uncomfortable circumstances and, as a result, learning about others and themselves. Your readers want to hear about what you learned. As Anita Young says in her announcement about the Danebod Folk Meeting, "Let your voice, questions, and curiosity be heard!"

Let me add another appeal to Anita Young's call to action:

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"It is White Out Here" ( Det er hvidt herude )

by Steen Steensen Blicher, 1838

It is white out here:

Candlemas* strikes its knot

Exceedingly harsh and hard -

White below, white above,

Thickly powdered trees stand in the forest,

As out in my orchard.

It is quiet out here:

With only a tap on the window pane

The little songbird announces itself.

There are no birds who sing;

Only the finch swings on the branch,

Looking around and tweeting a little.

It is cold out here:

Ravens caw, owls hoot,

Seeking food, seeking shelter.

The crow flaps about with the magpie

High on the ridge of the barn,

Glaring at the tame cattle.

The rooster rises

On a snowdrift; his wings

He claps together clumsily.

He bends his neck proudly and crows -

What monstrous thing does he boast of?

Even if he is predicting thaw!

I long deeply

For spring, but winter grows colder;

Again the wind turns north!

Come southwest, as the frost compels!

Come with your wings of fog!

Come and loosen the bound earth!

*Candlemass (Kyndelmisse), traditionally celebrated on 2 February, is the Church’s blessing of candles and commemoration of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. It is no longer widely celebrated in Denmark, though some rural parish churches still hold candlelight services that focus on the theme of Jesus as the light of the world.

********

About this poem: I n 1838, when Blicher wrote "Det er hvidt herude," Denmark experienced one of its coldest years on record. He was 55, depressed, and suffering from rheumatism. The poem, which was later made a song, is celebrated for its beautiful expression of winter as a dark time of life, but with the immanent hope of spring to come , as the rooster rises and in Blicher's call for the earth to warm again.

Click here for the melody of "Det er hvidt derude." (Take note that you will leave Church and Life if you click the link. )

"Follow Me," a sermon

by the Rev. Kelley Hudlow

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.” Matthew 4:23

“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Yesterday afternoon, I read a reflection by Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber. She was replying to a comment, confessing that the person felt overwhelmed by the news. The commenter's question was, “How can I serve the world when the world’s condition is so heavy?”

That is a question that really resonated with me, especially after watching the killing of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, by ICE agents in Minneapolis from three angles on my iPhone. News stories, still shots, and opinions flooded my newsfeed. Each post felt heavier than the last.

Nadia responded by reminiscing about the Nintendo game Tetris. The game is simple: rotate the falling blocks to fit them together. When you make a line, the blocks disappear. The game's challenge is that the blocks fall faster and faster. The faster they fall, the harder they are to stack neatly. Eventually, they overwhelm the screen, and you get GAME OVER.

I carried all of that into today's readings when I sat down to edit my sermon. I found myself rearranging and deleting, trying to make it all fit. But what I arrived at was that there was no way to put the news of violence and despair and the gospel together in a way that would make the heaviness go away.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is born into a world where the powerful use violence to terrify and control. In a rage, Herod orders the murder of children. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus flee to Egypt to avoid the slaughter. At this point in the story, Jesus has been acknowledged by the Magi, has escaped a massacre, has been baptized by John, and has overcome the devil’s temptations in the wilderness.

Now, even though John has been arrested, Jesus begins his ministry. He doesn’t go to the expected place – Jerusalem. He doesn’t go to the familiar place – Nazareth.

He goes to a place where people have known darkness and uncertainty–the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. A place on the margins, where Jew and Gentile live next to one another. It is in Capernaum at the Sea of Galilee that God is revealed through Jesus by the calling of disciples. Jesus doesn’t go to the synagogue or to the wealthy neighborhood. He goes to the water to find people who live on the dangerous edge of chaos, who know that to do their work each day requires community—sailing through storms, hauling fish. This is work that can’t be done alone.

Jesus’ message is a familiar one, the words spoken by John the Baptist, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” That’s all it took.

These words and the encounter with Jesus led Peter and Andrew, James, and John to immediately leave their work and follow Jesus. We can try to rationalize this call story. Maybe they were already zealots or were really bad at their jobs. Maybe they were mad at their families and ready to run away. Paul’s words are helpful here: “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

They met Jesus and were transformed by the power of God from fishermen into disciples. To the world, they were foolish, but they knew that following Jesus was the only way to be saved. So, what did they follow Jesus to do?

Proclaim the kingdom, certainly. They also followed Jesus into the work of healing.

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.”

I think that is still how God is being revealed today through the calling of disciples to proclaim the gospel and to perform the ministry of healing. This healing isn’t just about physical health. Disciples of Jesus are called to heal every sickness among the people. We are called to be agents of healing for the sickness of racism, misogyny, homophobia, and xenophobia—the sickness of hatred, greed, violence, and poverty.

Ultimately, I believed that followers of Jesus are called to be healers of the sickness of despair.

Craig Loya, Bishop of Minnesota, wrote these words yesterday about what is happening there:

The greatest danger we face right now is not the very real threat to our safety. It’s not even the erosion of democracy. The greatest threat we face as a nation is the assault being waged on hope. We must not give in to despair.

Healing despair is heavy work. It is work that cannot be done alone. It is work that takes the whole Body of Christ.

Nadia put it this way, “None of us [is] equipped for all of it—but each of us is equipped for some of it.”

God is revealed not through lone-ranger disciples but through a community, each carrying some bit of the work to heal the world. The work of healing is needed in the powerful places, the expected places, and the places on the margins. The forgotten places where daily life seems to keep going.

For some, it may look like giving our time, skills, and money to organizations that are light bearers and healers in our community.

For others, it may be teaching our young people how to be kind and brave.

For some, it might be creating art, telling stories, writing poetry, so that we don’t forget what is beautiful in the world.

For all of us, it involves prayer. And for some of us, it means advocacy and protest. None of us can do it all, but all of us can do something. Carry what you can. Give what you are able.

Jesus says, “Follow me.”

Follow me so that you are never alone.

Follow me to light and life and hope.

Amen.

The Rev. Kelley Hudlow is the Instructor of Preaching at Bexley Seabury Seminary. She also serves as an associate rector at All Saints Episcopal Church in Homewood, Alabama. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her spouse, Dr. Shanti Weiland, a poet and English professor; Brother Juniper, a ginger corgi; and Julien, a ginger cat. This sermon was first delivered on January 11, 2026, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Homewood, Alabama.

Dateline Denmark

By Edward Broadbridge

Denmark and the EU

After the First World War (1914-18) the League of Nations was set up in 1920 to promote international cooperation, peace, and security. It failed to prevent the Second World War and was dissolved in 1946. In its place came the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), established in 1949 by 12 nations, including Denmark, and now an alliance of 32 European countries and the USA.

A f urther attempt to avoid conflict in Europe came about in 1951 when the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. In 1957 this was replaced by the European Economic Community (EEC), which was renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993 and then became the European Union (EU) in 2009, an organization of 27 countries, including Denmark.

Along with the UK and Ireland, Denmark joined the EU in 1973, though it opted out of the Euro currency when it was introduced in 1999 and retained the Danish krone (crown). With a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $76,581 per capita, well above the EU average ($49,880), Denmark's GDP ranks 4th in the EU, after those of Luxembourg, Ireland, and The Netherlands. The USA figure is $88,000, Russia’s is $17,500, and China’s is $13,000. Denmark accounts for 2.2% of the EU's total GDP.

Since joining the EU in 1973, Denmark has blown cold and hot over the EU rather than hot and cold. It has opted out of the Eurozone (EMU), Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), and EU citizenship, all of which ensure that Danish currency, judicial, and immigration policies remain independent. But after Russia’ s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Denmark opted into the defense agreement. In 1972 a political party was formed specifically to oppose entry into the EU. But the People's Movement against the EU, a far-left political association which was represented in the European Parliament from 1979 until 2019, lost its single seat in the European Parliament election . The main opposition to the EU nowadays is the Danish People’s Party, but it is fighting a losing battle. It argues that the EU undermines national sovereignty, acts as an elite organization with limited transparency, and imposes too many regulations on economic policies. However, a Eurobarometer (Winter 2025) survey shows that 66% of Danes believe that “over the next few years” the role of the EU will become “more important” (EU average is 44%). Moreover, a full 82% of Danes expect that in the future the role of the EU “to protect European citizens against global crises and security risks” should be “more important” (EU average is 66%). When asked in greater detail about the most important policy areas for the EU, Danes identify “Defense and security” (52%), “Energy independence, resources and infrastructures” (36%), and “Competitiveness, economy and industry” (30%) as a top thre e.

Perched geographically as the northernmost EU country, Denmark has only slowly felt the pull from the south. When it last held the 6-month presidency of the EU in 2012, there was not much interest or enthusiasm in the country, but the Russian inv asion of Ukraine has galvanized support for the EU. Denmark again held the 6-month presidency of the EU in the last half of 2025. Speaking in October 2025, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declared that “for many Danes, European co-operation has never really been a darling,” but “the old world is no longer. We are in new times.” She was referring to Presidents Trump, Putin, and Xi--all of them opponents of the EU.

Moving to the Home of Grundtvig: My transition from California to Copenhagen in Pursuit of Grundtvigian Knowledge

by Amy Hart

In August, my husband and I packed our airline-approved bags, placed our dog in his carry-on sized carrier, and left our home in California to move to Copenhagen. My husband had just been offered a position as a visiting researcher at Aalborg University (based at their Copenhagen campus), and I took the opportunity to pursue my research interest in N.F.S. Grundtvig and his educational model.

My interest in Grundtvig developed during my time working as a program manager at the Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement at the University of California, Davis, where I was researching the history of social and educational reform in the U.S. and came across the name Grundvig in the context of the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee. I was surprised that I had never learned about this influential reformer from Danish history, whose educational reforms and social vision seemed to align well with those of American social reformers from the early twentieth century. My Ph.D. is in History, and my dissertation focused on 19th-century female social reformers, including leaders of the women’s rights, abolition, and common (or public) school movements in the United States. In recent years, my research has become more focused on educational reform history, and I now have the opportunity to pursue my interest in Grundtvig’s particular approach to educational reform from his home country for at least the next year (and hopefully longer, if all goes to plan). This is the story of my transition to Denmark, and the incredibly widespread influence of Grundtvig that I have noticed in everyday experiences here.

We arrived in Copenhagen in early August—a wonderful time to explore Denmark, bask in the beautiful Danish summer, and build some memories of the warm sun and long days to draw upon for comfort during the dark days of winter. Shortly after my arrival, I started meeting regularly with Grundtvig expert, Anders Holm. A professor of church history at the University of Copenhagen, Anders is widely acclaimed for his knowledge and publications on Grundtvig, and has even published a book (which has been translated into English) introducing readers to Grundtvig and describing Grundtvig’s international influence. Anders kindly agreed to be my supervisor for a proposed Marie Curie postdoctoral grant, a prestigious fellowship based in Europe that provides researchers the opportunity to pursue research on a topic of their choice for two years at a European host institution.

We proposed a project that will focus on tracing the similarities in the educational reform message of Grundtvig and that of American Progressive-era education reformers, including John Dewey, Jane Addams, and Francis W. Parker. Like Grundtvig, these American reformers advocated for a holistic educational model that would prepare students to participate in democratic society, instead of focusing on narrow disciplinary study and rote memorization.

While Grundtvig’s vision of democratic, holistic education has been examined within the Danish context, its potential connections to American educational reform have received little direct scholarly attention. This project would use new AI-assisted text transcription tools to analyze Grundtvig’s writings alongside those of American Progressive-era reformers. These AI-assisted tools have made Grundtvig’s writings (and handwriting) more accessible to scholars by “learning” to read his written papers and turning them into text-searchable digital documents. I hope to learn to utilize AI transcription technology as part of the project, in addition to gleaning insights on the potential impact of Grundtvigian educational ideas across transatlantic contexts.

The application process for Marie Curie fellowships is notoriously long and tedious, and I appreciate Anders’s patience and willingness to dedicate so much time last summer and fall to navigating the application forms with me. As part of developing the application, Anders lent me books and suggested relevant people I could reach out to in the effort to learn more about Grundtvig. Of course, learning about Grundtvig must involve more than just reading about him, but also experiencing his continued legacy in Denmark as well. So, I started exploring Copenhagen, with an eye to learning more about Grundtvig in the process.

I joined a badminton association soon after arrival in Denmark. Badminton was a sport I had loved playing in gym class in high school, but I rarely got the opportunity to play the sport outside of that limited period, as it just isn’t well-known in the United States. Luckily, it is one of the most popular sports in Denmark, and the Danes are world champions in it—Denmark frequently medals in this sport in the Olympics. This association has been a wonderful way to get to know people from my neighborhood, and has motivated me to stay active, even as the days grow shorter. The prevalence of associations in Denmark is a legacy of Grundtvig and is arguably one of the ways Danes have become such a trusting, peaceful nation—the shared activities they regularly participate in create opportunities for dialogue and connection, something sorely lacking today in the United States. In an increasingly online and self-isolating world, Denmark’s strong history of associations shelters its citizens from some of the social consequences of our anti-social moment. In early September, the Grundtvig Forum, a Copenhagen-based organization dedicated to honoring the history and legacy of Grundtvig, held their annual festival of learning and reflection, called Himmelblå (blue sky). This festival included almost a week of singing, lectures by scholars and church leaders, tours of historic sites relevant to Grundtvig, and more singing. All events were held in Danish, and my Danish skills are still very limited, so I attempted to use Google Translate to provide a real-time translation of the speakers, and while I only partially caught the meaning, the feeling still came through. At the beginning of each session, we sang Grundtvig’s hymns as group. Hymnals were provided, though it was clear that many attendees knew most of the songs by heart.

Community singing is a big part of life in Denmark, and it’s not just an activity for children! My local “kulturhus,” or community center, holds weekly community singing sessions where people can come together to sing familiar Danish songs, typically about nature, friendship, and the finicky weather. I have experienced the Danes’ love of singing together in various contexts now, and it is clearly another legacy of Grundtvig, the prolific hymn writer.

The “lectures” I attended at the Himmelblå festival were much more conversational than the traditional presentations I am used to attending in the U.S.—a very Grundtvigian approach to the speaking model. The talks varied in topic: One that I attended featured a pastor, speaking to the past and future of the Danish Church. Another discussed happiness in Denmark (which has repeatedly been named the happiest country in the world). The speaker emphasized the importance of community to creating happiness—and credited the prevalence of associations or clubs in Denmark with orchestrating community here.

As the winter approaches, I am trying to appreciate the positives of this cozy (or “hyggelig”) season. I’ll try to do as the Danes do: Create opportunities to get together with friends, preferably with candlelight, coffee, and sweets. I’ll continue participating in my association (thankfully badminton is an indoor sport!) and I’ll invest in some warm clothing that allows me to spend time outside each day (a dog is a great motivator for this). As I await news on the results of the Marie Curie grant application with crossed fingers, I can now take the time to appreciate Grundtvig’s influence in the daily life I live in Denmark.

Exploring Family Policy Abroad: A Journey through Scandinavia

by Kristie Chandler

In May 2025, eleven students from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and my husband and I landed in Copenhagen. Of course, it was not as simple as all of us beginning our journey from the same location, on the same plane, and arriving at the same time. Such trips rarely are. Instead, almost every one of us arrived in Copenhagen via a different path, complicated by delayed planes and missed flights. Eventually, however, all of us arrived at the same destination. And what a beautiful destination it was! We stayed in Denmark the first eleven days of our trip. Then we travelled to Sweden for the next six days.

The purpose of our trip was to examine the intersection of history, faith, law, policy, and culture of Denmark and Sweden by comparing family policy in those countries with those in the United States. Naturally, the experience gave us opportunities to reflect on the cultural values and priorities that support different approaches. Along the way, we were all encouraged to think deeply about how cultural perspectives and policy decisions can work together to influence the well-being of families.

But I should pause to define what I mean by the phrase "Family Policy." Karen Bogenschneider, author of Family Policy Matters (2024), defines Family Policy as a subset of public and social policy. It aims to protect, promote, and strengthen families by addressing at least one of the following five functions that families perform:

Family Formation (marriage, divorce, and bearing or adopting children)
Partner Relationships (commitment and stability of the partner relationship)
Economic Support (financially providing for family members’ needs)
Childrearing (educating, feeding, socializing, protecting the health and safety of children)
Caregiving (assistance for children and adults with disabilities, elderly, and frail/ill.)

I have been teaching Family Policy courses for more than 10 years; twice I took students to Washington, DC, and once to London, where we explored the five functions above. While these were unique and valuable experiences, I knew that Denmark and Sweden consistently rank near or at the top of global lists for Family Policy, as well as for social and family well-being. Both countries have long been recognized as pioneers in progressive family policies, with comprehensive social welfare programs, generous parental leave policies, and accessible childcare services.

I was eager to see first-hand how these policies foster family-friendly environments, work-life balance, gender equality, and overall well-being. I knew that my students would gain valuable insights into the practical implementation and impact of social welfare measures. But the best reasons to visit Denmark and Sweden for my course is that these countries radically contrast with the United States in how they implement Family Policy.

The United States has a diverse population and varied social and economic landscape, while Scandinavia has more homogeneous societies and similar economic structures. Students would be forced to consider how different cultural, economic, religious, and political contexts influence family policy outcomes. It did not take long for the students to see first-hand why Denmark consistently out-ranks many countries. They saw Danish Family Policy in practice, manifested, for example, in subsidized childcare, extensive parental leave, and support for work flexibility. They also began to understand why Denmark continually ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world. Trust in social institutions and government, work-life balance, and quality childcare are frequently cited as reasons for their sense of well-being. They also saw the Scandinavian commitment to human rights, particularly in how Danish and Swedish legal systems quickly adapt to societal changes. Emily Armstrong, one of the students in the course, wrote, “The experience helped me understand that family policy is about more than legislation, it's about the values that guide how societies care for people who need the most.” Insightful observations like that are gratifying to a professor.

While the main goal for our trip was to compare family law and public policy, I also hoped students could experience the rich historical and religious landscapes of Denmark and Sweden. I wanted them to see museums, attend community events, and meet officials in educational, government, and social service agencies. I wanted them to get a feel for the Danish idea of "hygge" and the Swedish tradition of "fika," which no doubt influence each country’s approach to family and community life. Students seemed to tune into this influence. From everyday encounters, students could see that garbage workers are valued as highly as scientists, and childcare workers as highly as engineers. Work–life balance and contributions to society take precedence over income or status. We heard what it means to raise a “Viking child.” And again and again, we encountered a guiding principle: those with the broadest shoulders should carry the heavier load. Or, as Scripture puts it, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded” (Luke 12:48). These values were clearly reflected in the family policies we examined.

But what struck me personally the most was the difference between universal access in Denmark and Sweden and the conditional, means‑tested approach in the United States. That distinction may explain why trust in government is so much higher in Denmark (around 70%) than it is in the U.S. (around 25%). In the U.S., programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and TANF are available only to those who meet strict income and work criteria. Because these benefits are not universal, they can create feelings of stigma, mistrust, or unfairness among those who receive them—and among those who do not.

And at the end of the course, we compiled the following list of four comprehensive takeaways about Family Policy in Scandinavia:

The Reformation shifted the responsibility for caring for the poor from the Catholic Church to the state and the community.
Danish culture came to value the dignity of work and personal responsibility.
Poverty began to be understood as a social issue rather than a moral or spiritual failing.
Religion, morality, and governance became intertwined in a way that framed welfare as a civic responsibility—the idea that the state should care for its citizens.

These elements form the religious, moral, and faith-based foundation of the Danish "Welfare State," which Professor Anders Holm, one of our gracious hosts in Copenhagen, defined as one in which “the government protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of all its citizens. To do this, through taxation, funds are transferred to services like healthcare and education as well as to individuals.”

Idrætshøjskolen 1960

by Lois Knudsen Lund

In 1960 at age 19 and after one year at Grand View College, I decided to join my parents (Ellen and Joe Knudsen) and my sister Sonja to Heidelberg, Germany, for the fall semester of my sophomore year. My father was on sabbatical leave, and I was to enroll in the university to further my study of German. I had taken several years of German in high school and one at Grand View. However, it soon be clear that I was out of my league, and I began to skip classes. I finally confessed to my parents, and we decided I should spend the rest of my time at a Folk School in Denmark.

We had lived in Denmark for six months when I was ten, and I knew some basic Danish. I had already mastered “rødgrød med fløde” (red pudding with whipping cream) and other important phrases, so I thought I could survive immersed in a Danish environment. My father was friends with the forstander at Idrætshøjskolen (Sports Folk High School) in Sønderborg, so I was allowed to enroll late for the fall term. The focus of my session was on gymnastics, primarily training adults to teach pre-school children. The gymnasium had first-class equipment and a swimming pool half the length of an Olympic-sized pool. Academics were part of the curriculum, but not the main emphasis, so this was a good fit for me.

We were three American and one Canadian young women and two young men from Flensburg, Germany, that made up the foreign student group. We participated with the Danish students in all classes but one, Basic Danish Language. One day we were discussing Australia, and I decided to practice my Danish and share my knowledge of some history. I proceeded to explain that in the mid-1800s, the English introduced rabbits for hunting. They soon multiplied and became a major agricultural and environmental pest. I said that the kinesisk (Chinese), not kanin (rabbit), were running wild in Australia and the government had issued hunting and poisoning methods to irradicate them. Needless to say, it was a while before I volunteered again in class.

On the evening of Thanksgiving, the six of us foreign students decided to ride our bikes to town and have a beer to celebrate the holiday. The next day the forstander announced over the loudspeaker that any students who recently had drunk alcohol should report to the auditorium.

Sundays were open house, and students could visit each other in their rooms in the afternoon. Apparently, some of the students had been drinking during these visits, and the staff thought this had become a problem. The six of us sheepishly went to the meeting. After a lecture on drinking, the forstander asked us what we had done. We explained that we had had one beer in town the previous night. Trying not to smile or laugh, he dismissed us with no penalties.

Our days were filled with basic classes on physiology and the importance of healthy bodies; on gymnastics, mostly floor exercises; and swimming and diving. The lectures were mostly above my understanding of Danish, the diving off high boards daunting, and the gymnastics mostly tolerable. Despite these challenges, I much enjoyed learning new skills. We sang every day, and I remembered the songs from my time as a child visiting relatives and ending the evening in song. Lunch time was particularly important for me. The forstander would stand in the middle of the dining room and flip letters to us, some sailing the length of the room. I eagerly awaited letters from my friends at Grand View, especially Gordon Lund who was my boyfriend and would become my husband.

Idræts is in Sønderborg in Jutland on the border of Germany near Lillebælt, a strait between the island of Funen and Jutland. We took many walks along the shore, and one time I suggested we sing “The Danish Hiking Song,” a song my father had translated. My friends looked puzzled, so I sang the two verses. They had never heard of it, and once again I felt naïve and out of touch with the Danish culture as I thought I knew.

I left the school at the Christmas break. It was time for me to return to Grand View and spring semester. But, first, I had an invitation to join a Norwegian friend for her school’s New Years’ weekend holiday of skiing. I took a taxi to the ferry at Frederikshavn where I would sail to Oslo, Norway. When I left the cab, the driver asked if I was from Sweden. I was a Scandinavian in his eyes, albeit Swedish, not an American trying to speak the language. This was my crowning moment. I could go home proud of my experiences and accomplishments.

An Interview with Jes Fabricius Møller, Denmark’s Historiographer to the Chapter of the Royal Orders

by Maddie Benton

For this February 2026 issue of Church and Life , I spoke with Jes Fabricius Møller who serves as Denmark’s Historiographer to the Chapter of the Royal Orders. Møller spoke with me about his work and the way it preserves Danish history.

Perhaps, like me, you have never heard of a "Historiographer to the Chapter of the Royal Orders." Møller noted that the position was created in 1808, and he is the tenth historiographer to hold the position. Møller explained that, despite common misconceptions, “being the house historian does not imply that he writes the history of the present monarchy.”

Instead, Møller serves as a “historical consultant to the royal house.” This is a role that implies maintaining the institutional memory. “The royal house is the oldest institution in many ways in Denmark and has to be reinterpreted by every generation,” he says.

I asked Møller what the most challenging part of his job was, and he explained that his role requires “a lot of discretion.” Møller also serves as a professor at the University of Copenhagen, and he noted how important it is for him to “maintain integrity and independence as an academic.”

If doing research on the monarchy, he does not deal with current issues so that he has “the full freedom to write whatever he considers the truth about that matter.” (One of the best parts of his job, he noted, is getting invited to the royal parties. He even has his own historiographer uniform!)

Møller also described how he “curates” an “archive . . . of autobiographies.” Autobiographies play a central role in Denmark because, when people receive an award in Denmark, they “hand in their autobiography in order to document that they actually deserve being decorated.” Møller is in charge of managing over 40,000 of these autobiographies, which tell stories of people from all walks of life.

When I asked Møller about the significance to present and future generations of the position of Historiographer, he mentioned the autobiographies. They play an important role in contemporary genealogical studies, and he “can provide many people with the autobiography of their grandfathers,” allowing present-day Danes a glimpse into their histories. The autobiographies Møller is curating now will “be of great benefit to future genealogists.”

After I finished interviewing Møller, he had a question for me. He asked why Church and Life wanted to interview him. When I explained that the publication seeks to connect readers with Danish culture, Møller mentioned that I should include his email address in the article, and that readers should reach out to him if they have Danish ancestors who have received a Danish medal or order.

Here is Møller’s email if you are interested: jfm@kongehuset.dk.

My conversation with Historiographer to the Chapter of the Royal Orders Jes Møller offered an opportunity to explore how Denmark seeks to honor its past and preserve its present. In many ways we aim to do the same cultural work as Møller with Church and Life , connecting our readers to Danish history and culture.

Mitraniketan: The Power of Folk Education

by Ana Wright

Did you know that there is a flourishing Danish folk school in South India?

I recently spoke to Dr. Reghu Rama Das, the principle of the Mitraniketan People’s College (MPC) in Kerala. The MPC was founded in 1996 in cooperation with the Association of Danish Folk Schools, and it is part of a larger nonprofit organization called Mitraniketan that includes a primary school, an agricultural center, a technology center, and a women's development program. Reghu was excited to explain how the MPC is using the folk school education model in conjunction with these other projects not only to enrich the lives of individuals, but also to transform the entire community.

In Reghu’s words, the mission of the MPC is to “promote rural leadership through education programs; To build leaders so that they will become active citizens in the community.” Many of the students who attend the school are from rural backgrounds, and the programs at Mitraniketan give them access to employment opportunities they would not otherwise have. This allows them both to improve their own living conditions and to help develop their local communities. As Reghu put it, “education is not for the individual’s development alone. It is not for the family’s development alone. It is for the community. An educated person should be an active member in the community.”

Mitraniketan also promotes cultural exchange by inviting volunteers from all over the world. At times, Reghu said, they have hosted as many as 40 volunteers at once, and these volunteers teach English, art, sports, and anything else that may be needed.

The MPC is an inspiring testament to the power of folk education to transform society. By integrating learning, community, cultural exchange, and entrepreneurial, agricultural, and technological development, this rural school in India is truly making the world a better place.

Mitraniketan as a whole truly embodies the principle of “education for life.” In fact, Reghu said that his favorite thing about Mitraniketan is how all the different programs work together to serve the local community holistically. “Along with education,” he explained, “we are integrating livelihood skills, life skills, and related activities, and integration is an important part of this system.” For example, alongside the folk school where young people live and study together, the Women’s Empowerment program trains adult women in entrepreneurship, helping them to utilize the natural resources available to them to create and sell products, and the technology center helps to improve productivity by developing technologies suited to local projects. By implementing programs like these, Mitraniketan helps to meet the specific needs of those it serves.

Learning and Engagement at the Danebod Folk Meeting

by Anita Young

This is a reminder to mark your calendar for the Danebod Folk Meeting in Tyler! New friends are made, old friends reunited. Teachers and students learn from each other.

These are some of the foundational tenets of the Danish folk school tradition and the annual Danebod Folk Meeting. At the 2026 Folk Meeting, August 19-23, professionals and participants will come together for three and a half days of mutual hands-on learning.

This is your opportunity not only to hear from experts on topics such as economics, political campaigns, and new methods for learning with Legos, but also to let your voice, questions, and curiosity be heard! All events, from lectures to leisure, are designed for maximum interaction and engagement.

Don’t let another season go by. Mark your calendars today, and join us in Tyler for three days of lively discussions and experiential learning!

Contact me, Anita Young, for information: 612-860-8070.

Postscript

by Brad Busbee

It is an interesting time to be an American living in Denmark.

In January, my wife, son, and I travelled to a small village called Veddelev, outside Denmark’s cathedral city of Roskilde, for a six-month sabbatical. A few days each week, I head to the Royal Library in Copenhagen or to my office at Copenhagen University, where I am part of a team transcribing 90,000 pages of N.S.F. Grundtvig’s unpublished handwritten texts. Every day, my wife, Kathleen, sets out to the market, makes fresh bread, meets with friends, and exercises or walks along the fjord. And every day, my son, Elias, makes his way through the snow—Denmark has seen unusually heavy snow this year—to Hedegårdenes Skole in Roskilde where he’s learning Danish along with other students newly-arrived in Denmark, young people from places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine. Three days a week, he plays soccer with boys in his local soccer club, Himmelev-Veddelev Boldklub.

We are fortunate to be part of Danish culture and to have close friends who make our time enjoyable. Denmark is safe, clean, and peaceful. The Danes are content, well-educated and healthy, law-abiding and progressive. Our neighbors are kind, courteous, and helpful, readily offering a snow shovel or bus information or observations how we should be sorting our recycling / garbage (which is a very complicated process).

Yet there’s no denying the initial unspoken tension when we meet people for the first time. It’s clear they want to ask about what is happening in the USA. But they don’t at first. Later, once we become better acquainted, they take the leap with a question possibly less graceful than they had intended, something like “What do you think of your president?” The tone of the question reveals subtexts of concern, anxiety, even fear about the American president’s stated intention to take Greenland by force. Recently, after Trump backed down from his threats of invasion and in the aftermath the ICE killings of innocent citizens in Minnesota, the deeper subtexts have shifted to disbelief and sadness. They are wondering what's happened to a country they love and admire. In the week leading up to publication of this issue of Church and Life , with the open racism of Trump’s social media posts in the news, the tone seems to have shifted again, this time to disgust. How could Americans let this happen? Aren’t they going to do something about it?

Discussions about America are usually respectful, though sometimes awkward or unsatisfying because we, the supposed experts, don't know how to respond or don't have answers. At a dinner party in mid-January, a refined gentleman asked if the citizens of the US were preparing for war. During a post-practice “fællesspisning” (team dinner), Elias’s soccer coach asked why the US was turning its back on NATO. He had heard about the harsh speech Trump gave at Davos. Last week, Kathleen visited the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) to lunch with a friend who works there. (The US officially completed its withdrawal from the W.H.O. on January 23rd.) She had an elaborate conversation with a security guard, who said that world-wide, it’s the less fortunate folks who are suffering this radical change in American foreign policy. He’s right, of course, and his dialogue with Kathleen was friendly and thoughtful. Danes are generally well-informed about international politics, and we find that they are willing to engage for better understanding.

But a mixture of confusion, sadness, and disappointment was evident on January 23rd at the 75th anniversary celebration of Fulbright Denmark. Speakers included an American expatriate Greenland researcher, the Danish Minister of Education, Christina Egelund, and the newly appointed American Ambassador to Denmark, Ken Howery. A crowd of about 150 people was gathered in a late-medieval city center building of Copenhagen University, in a gorgeous room with ornately painted walls and ceiling. Mostly Danes were present, along with a few American Fulbright Fellows, current and past. (As a 2003-04 Fulbrighter, I attended with my family, and my colleague Anders Holm, who was awarded a fellowship to the USA in 2016, brought his wife, Marie.)

In his presentation, the Greenland researcher didn’t mention angst surrounding his research; instead, he talked about how he stood at the nexus of American, Danish, and Greenlandic cultures and how he adored all three. Egelund, however, directly addressed Danish and American political tensions. “There’s never been a time when international partnerships between two nations, like the Fulbright Programs, have been more important,” she said. (She’s right, too, of course.) Egelund’s speech was greeted with hearty applause. Howey did not mention Greenland or US-Danish political tensions. He had just arrived in his position and had not yet, at that point, been officially acknowledged by the Danish King or the Danish government. His silence on those issues was understandable, and he received polite applause. The reception that followed was lively and friendly, and the event was beautifully done, but an anxious fog hung over the gathering.

I offer these observations about how everyday Danish people are responding to events in the USA because they suggest to me that a ground-level shift is underway. It seems that, at least in Denmark, the good will the USA has enjoyed for so long is quickly waning. Here's a telling example: My research assistant showed me an app on her phone that she uses when shopping. It helps her identify goods owned or made in the USA or by American companies so that she can avoid them. She told me that most Danish university students use the app. Here's another example: The morning radio news reported matter-of-factly on the racist social media post about the Obamas. The information was shared as notably awful but unsurprising. And it's normal for radio hosts to frame Danish-US relations as a series of David-and-Goliath scenarios: Fist-bumps after Lars Løkke Rasmussen , Denmark's chief foreign ambassador, met with J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio, laughter in parliament at ridiculous demands for a Nobel Prize, and so on.

So what’s to be done?

Public opinion takes time to change, and I expect that long-binding affinities between the people of Denmark and the people of the USA will eventually transcend the unhappy politics of the current administration. This year, while fewer Danes are choosing to travel to the USA, more American university students are choosing to study in Copenhagen than ever before, which means that many young, smiling faces are eagerly taking part in Danish culture, at least for a semester. Their experiences will be formative, and they'll doubtless return with to the USA with positive views of Denmark and its people. As for the readers of Church and Life . . . we, too, have positive to work to do.

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December 2025

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:21:06 GMT

Church and Life

Volume LXXIII, Number 6

Merry Christmas!

We hope this issue of Church and Life finds you and yours well and happily anticipating Christmas! The cover image, painted by Viggo Johansen in 1881, of a family singing carols around a candlelit tree, captures for us the warm feelings of tradition, family, and community.

Here in the middle of Advent, this issue opens with "Splendid are the Heavens High" by N.F.S. Grundtvig to capture the sentiments of renewal, hope, and promise that Christ's birth brings to our lives. Jennifer Rose Escobar describes the unique Christmas "fællesskab" she has experienced through the years in Berea, Kentucky. Maddie Benton tells how, growing up, she experienced Danish Christmases in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Adam Bierstedt gives the true history of the tradition of Danish Christmas plates (many of which are now on display at the Museum of Danish America). Shaun Sayres tells how Julefest is celebrated in Elk Horn, Iowa, and Andrés Albertsen shares images from Christmases past in his hometown in Argentina.

We then shift to reflections on Christmas by Grundtvig scholar Anders Holm , who considers the gifts (and lessons) Grundtvig brings him each year and by Ana Wright , who explores how Hans Christian Andersen, in two of his tales, depicts the "bittersweet spirit" of the season. If you need a quick recipe for "brunkager" or "frikadeller" or pointers on Christmas lunch etiquette, Martin Hjortsø joins Church and Life with suggestions for both.

This December issue closes with "Dateline Denmark" by Edward Broadbridge , who celebrates his church's participation in the Porvoo Communion, with remembrances of Renee Showalter-Hanson and Annette Andersen , and with a postscript by the editor, Brad Busbee .

The editor and coeditors of Church and Life are particularly grateful this holiday season to those who provide financial support and to those who submit articles for publication. We are also thankful to The National Foundation for Danish America , which generously shares information about this publication in its own newsletter.

We also humbly welcome readers to make donations by clicking HERE or by clicking on the "Make a Donation" icon when on the Church and Life homepage. Donations can also be made by personal check (made payable to Church and Life ) and mailed to:

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Willmar MN 56201

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And if you would like to sponsor an entire issue--alone, with a group of friends, with your family, or on behalf of your business or institution--the cost is $ 1,500.

We are happy to work with you about the sponsorship. Thank you, and God bless!

Splendid Are the Heavens High/ Dejlig Er Den Himmel Blå

by N. F. S. Grundtvig, translated by J.C. Aaberg

Splendid are the heavens high,

Beautiful the radiant sky,

Where the golden stars are shining,

And their rays to earth in clinging,

Beck'ning us to heav'n above,

Beck'ning us to heav'n above.

It was on the holy night,

Darkness veiled the stars so bright;

But at once the heavens hoary;

Beamed with radiant light and glory,

Coming from a wondrous star.

Sages from the East afar,

When they saw this wondrous star,

Went to worship and adore Him,

And to lay their gifts before Him,

Who was born this midnight hour.

Guided by the star, they found

Him whose praise the ages sound.

We, too, have a star to guide us,

Which forever will provide us

With the light to find our Lord.

And this star as bright as day,

Which will never lead astray

With its message so appealing.

Is the Word of God, revealing

Christ to us as Lord and King.

Link to the Danish melody

Grundvtig, N. F. S., "Splendid Are The Heavens High," Songs of Denmark, Songs to Live

By: A Danish American Heritage of Music. Translated by J.C. Aaberg, Compiled by Joy Ibsen, Ibsen Lenef, 2005, page 78.

The song, as presented here, is reprinted from Songs of Denmark. It is meant to be sung on Epiphany, celebrated January 6th, which traditionally marks the end of Christmas. For readers of Church and Life, the context of the song's composition is significant: Grundtvig wrote it in early December 1810, when he was in the middle of a serious personal crisis. His father had asked him to come home to become his assistant pastor at Udby, and he was experiencing major swings between days of peace and days of deep depression and spiritual struggle. He was unpredictable to his friends, who watched anxiously over him. After he realized his hubris and felt renewed zeal for the church, Grundtvig wrote this song as his first conscious attempt to articulate his renewal and, simultaneously, to renew the tradition of Danish hymn writing. Fittingly, this song's illustration of Epiphany aligned with his personal epiphany of Christ in his life.

The hymn was originally written as a children's song that tells the story from the Gospel of Matthew about the star that heralds the birth of a new king for the Jews. However, while Grundtvig originally penned nineteen stanzas, he later cut it down to seven, which accounts for the lack of direct address to children. Today, the hymn commonly contains seven stanzas. The five stanza form used here is an abridged version of the hymn.

Santa Lucia

by Jennifer Escobar

Nu bæres lyset frem, stolt på din krone . . .

The lights go out, and a hush falls on the room as a solo voice rings out. A hundred people hold their breath as a door opens in the corner and flickering candlelight is seen. Ten or twelve teenage girls dressed in white, their lovely faces just barely visible above the candles they hold, emerge from the storage room hidden behind the fireplace.

Rundt om i hus og hjem, sangen skal tone . . .

The girls walk two by two through a gap in the circle of onlookers and slowly curve around a small fir tree in the center of the room, which is decorated with handmade paper stars, woven hearts, and carved figures. They join the song with English lyrics and end in a single circle, facing the tree.

Power of light is great–warmth, peace on earth create . . .

Her head crowned with a wreath and four flaming tapers, the leader of the procession steps forward to light a small candle on the tree. The rest of the girls follow suit, and when the tree is fully lit, they turn and share their flame with the circle of onlookers as someone starts singing "Silent Night." Soon, everyone is singing, lighting each other’s candles, and feeling that sense of togetherness inherent to Christmas, candles, cold nights, and hygge.

This is how my Christmas starts.

Back in the 1970s, my parents and my dad’s brother were involved in starting an exchange with Denmark that focused on dance and gymnastics as inclusive forms of community recreation. Our little community in East Central Kentucky, along with several like-minded individuals in similar small communities around the USA, found connections with the tiny country of Denmark that have made a lasting and positive impact across the world and through generations of people. It’s impossible to know for sure how many people participated in the Danish-American Exchange, housed at Berea College in Kentucky from 1973 until 2017, but I’m sure it’s in the thousands.

Perhaps the impact is most clearly seen at the Danish American Yule Fest at the Berea Folk Center, a community center designed to look like den Ottekantede Forsamlingshus on Mors in Northern Denmark. On the first Sunday evening in December, we gather with anyone who wants to participate, eating yummy winter treats, telling stories, and singing carols in English and Danish. We close the evening with a Santa Lucia procession and the sacred act of singing "Silent Night" together by candlelight. It is a holy time, and it stays with us throughout the rest of the year.

The impact of the exchange can also be seen in April, when a group of nearly 100 teenage students from a Danish efterskole visit Berea with their teachers–all of them staying with private host families in the area. The task of arranging activities and host families for the group falls to me, and I’m certain that if I lived anywhere else it would prove completely impossible. However, thanks to five decades of private hosting and exchange with Denmark, we have a culture of openness here in Berea that is rare in other places.

The Danish word "fællesskab" is a good description of what has made our community different and, in my estimation, happier than the typical modern community. Directly translated, "faellesskab" means “togetherness,” but it’s more than that. It’s the philosophy of togetherness–the practice of being in community with each other. It crosses the boundaries of religion, politics, age, education, and socioeconomic status; it calls us together as humans who enjoy singing, dancing, reading, listening, walking, playing tennis . . . or anything else you can think of. With fællesskab, each activity has an added element of relationship, usually in the form of community singing or facilitated discussions over a shared meal or snack. Like the word "hygge," fællesskab is a distinctively Danish phenomenon that the rest of the world ought to adopt as standard practice. I know I’m glad my community did.

Indeed, the power of light is great–warmth, peace on earth it creates.

Glædelig Jul!

Danish Christmas Louisiana Style

by Maddie Benton

As a college student living in Birmingham, Alabama, who has grown up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, perhaps it seems a bit strange for me to write an article on Christmas traditions in Denmark. But Danish Christmas traditions are actually a large part of my family’s Christmas celebration because of our family friends Martin and Karen Hjortsø, with whom we celebrate Christmas every year. Martin is from Denmark and introduced us to the Danish Christmas traditions we now celebrate. One of my favorites is the advent candle, pictured here, where we burn one number on the candle each day until Christmas Eve. My family loves opening our new candle each year to start Advent. But an even bigger tradition is the Danish Christmas Lunch.

Martin described to me how the lunch was an ordinary part of his childhood Christmas, and it only made sense to continue the tradition when he moved to the U.S. Though the lunch has not particularly changed over the years, Martin noted that some items are harder to find in Louisiana than they would be in Denmark (but interestingly there is a store that sells pickled herring in New Orleans!). He shared a detailed document with me, explaining each facet of the Danish Christmas Lunch which usually “consists of smørrebrød, which roughly translates to ‘buttered bread’ and it can be traced back to the Icelandic Sagas.” The smørrebrød is typically topped with cold cuts and various toppings. Martin noted that his favorite type is the "Dyrlægens natmad" (the Veterinarian's Night Snack): “rye bread, fat, and paté on which is placed aspic and a slice of salted meat.” There’s even one depicted on a Danish stamp!

The Danish lunch goes through several phases, beginning with pickled herring, then seafood, cold cuts, a few miscellaneous dishes, a warm dish, cheese, and finally coffee, cookies, and pastries. I asked Martin what his favorite part of the lunch was. He said that he loves it all, but he especially enjoys going back to the cold table for leftovers when the eating slows, and everyone savors their food.

Although Martin noted that it is not a particularly Danish tradition, candle competitions are part of his Christmas lunch. It's where every partygoer gets a candle and the person whose candle lasts longest wins a prize. My family also has adopted this tradition, and we always have the candle competition on Christmas Eve. It’s been known to get pretty competitive, but it’s one of our favorite ways to celebrate. (I’ve included a picture of me winning the candle competition when I was younger!)

Talking to Martin about the Danish Christmas Party helped me remember the Danish origins of some of the Christmas traditions my family celebrates. To me, they just feel like an ordinary part of the holiday season even though we aren't Danish. As Christmas time approaches and we prepare to get “hygge os,” it is a perfect time to celebrate and remember all of the traditions that make Danish Christmas special. If you want to host your own Christmas party to celebrate the season, some of Martin's recipes are included below.

Merry Christmas!

A Tradition for the Season: The Real History of Danish Christmas Plates

by Adam Bierstedt, Albert Ravenholt Curator of Danish-American Culture, Museum of Danish America

As the season ticks on and snow begins to fall, the time has come once again for Royal Copenhagen to continue one of its longest traditions. Each year, two new plates grace the market, one branded under Bing & Grøndahl and the other under the Crown of Royal Copenhagen itself. This tradition has brought striking blue-and-white designs to homes in Denmark and beyond, representing an important tradition in the 250-year history of Danish porcelain.

The origins of Danish Christmas plates are steeped in legend. One tall tale claims that aristocrats used to gift their servants painted wooden platters at Christmas. The servants, delighted by this presumably unusual display of generosity, would proudly display these platters on their walls to brighten up their drab living quarters. This is nothing more than a tall tale, though it speaks to a desire to make this tradition ancient. In truth, though, the tradition of Christmas plates is so long-lived because of innovations that could only have been created near 1895, when Bing & Grøndahl released their first plate.

To understand the origins of Christmas plates, we need to rewind a few years. Around 1880, Bing & Grøndahl and Royal Copenhagen (then known as the Royal Porcelain Manufactory) were bitter rivals, but they were both struggling to stay in business. Their designs were uninspired, sales were sluggish, and competing with French, German, and English wares was difficult. A bold new direction was needed for both companies with young, ambitious leadership. Luckily, two candidates proved up to the task. Bing & Grøndahl hired Pietro Krohn, who would go on to establish the Designmuseum Danmark, while Royal Copenhagen settled on Arnold Krog. Both men were on the cutting edge of the art world and had seen the development of a radical style of New Art.

Art Nouveau, to translate the phrase back into French, burst onto the scene at the start of the 1880s. At its core was a group of 20 artists, known as “Les Vingt,” who looked to unify nature and industry. A vase should not merely hold flowers; it should itself evoke the lines and branches of a leafy stem. Art Nouveau was also a social movement – it reacted to the glut of mass-produced industrial wares by finding ways to incorporate human ingenuity and artistic expression into a factory setting. These are the ideas that Krohn, Krog, and their respective teams began to play with, and in 1888, the two stood in competition at the Nordic Exposition of Industry, Agriculture, and Art in Copenhagen. Critics raved at the delicate colors and shapes of both studios, including the first lifelike animal figurines, but Royal Copenhagen proved the commercial winner. Key to this was a simple plate that Arnold Krog had designed. Featuring Royal Copenhagen’s crown and waves on a snow-white background, these 1,200 plates proved to be a staggering success. Demand for commemorative plates exploded, and Krog was soon producing designs for organizations, anniversaries, and events across Denmark and beyond.

Bing & Grøndahl was falling behind, and the owner of the company, Harald Bing, knew the company needed to find a successful plate of its own to underwrite the complex, expensive porcelain the company was praised for. A fracture in Royal Copenhagen gave him the chance.

Frans Hallin, one of Arnold Krog’s original team, was unhappy working at Royal Copenhagen. After almost a decade with the company, he had several ideas to improve the commemorative plate scene. He felt stifled – he’d worked on several important projects for other people, but he wasn’t allowed to make his own ideas reality. Pietro Krohn left Bing and Grøndahl in 1892, and Harald Bing asked Hallin to be artistic director at the studio. Hallin agreed, joining his former rival, and began putting his ideas to the test.

This is the secret to Christmas plates. Unlike other commemorative plates from the period, Christmas plates are textured, with the image carved into the mold. This relief design can then be spray-painted instead of brushed on – the lower parts of the plate turn out a darker blue. An artist can go in and scrape away any excess, resulting in a piece that has the allure of hand-painted work without the errors that can result from an unsteady brush.

Harald Bing was not entirely certain whether Hallin’s passion would pay off, and so he ordered only 400 plates for the first year. He didn’t need to worry, though. They were a smash hit and quickly became a staple of B&G’s annual catalog. Royal Copenhagen would take a few years to catch on, but in 1908 they would issue their own Christmas plate using Hallin’s method. Even though the two companies have now merged, they have issued a plate in the style they each developed every year since, without fail.

No other studio anywhere in the world has turned Christmas plates into such a long–lived tradition. Many have tried – my own family owns a Royal Vienna Christmas plate–but none have succeeded. It is not entirely clear why Danish Christmas plates have proven uniquely popular. Even as new materials were introduced, new design philosophies took hold, and market tastes changed, Christmas plates have endured. Generations of Danes, Danish-Americans, and others have hung these plates. Some buy specific years, recording their own family history through art. Others collect as many as they can. Others only buy ones with dogs, or cats, or deer. In short, there is something in these plates for everyone.

As the holiday season continues and families gather, we hope you will enjoy these icons of Danish design. And, if you would like to see the first ever Christmas plates alongside eighty-three other spectacular pieces of Danish design, consider taking a trip out to MoDA. We’d love to see you!

Happy holidays!

"Danish Ceramics: Beyond Blue and White ," on display at the Museum of Danish America until April 20, 2026, features 85 objects from 1775 to today. The display represents the largest retrospective of Danish ceramic art in a generation, including never-before-displayed pieces by some of Denmark’s greatest artists.

Celebrating Julefest in Elk Horn, Iowa

by Shaun Sayres, Manager of Elk Horn's Danish Windmill

For residents of Elk Horn and Kimballton (sister villages we locally refer to as the Danish Villages), Julefest is a special time of year, and we send invitations far and wide to encourage others to join us in celebrating the arrival of the holiday season with a Danish twist. Tradition has been a yearly focal point of our celebrations.

Elk Horn's first official Julefest was held in 1978. Many of the traditions that began then are still present, including an annual breakfast of aebleskiver and medisterpølse, a Christmas concert at the Lutheran church, and the dance around a Christmas tree decorated with candles, woven hearts, and the Dannebrog garland. Local businesses still offer specials and coordinate other community-wide events. After the arrival of the windmill in 1976, it became tradition to have Christmas lights put on the windmill every year.

Though some events have come and gone over the years, Elk Horn's Julefest has maintained most of its traditions. A piano recital featuring Victor Borge’s piano is still typically held at the Museum of Danish America, and both the museum and the windmill continue to offer free admission into their museum spaces for the weekend. The town is always decorated in a mix of traditional Danish décor and more typical American lights and fixtures along Main Street.

For our organization, The Danish Windmill, this is our second busiest time of the year after Tivoli Fest (Memorial Day Weekend). We spend a lot of time decorating the shop and grounds just for this time of year. Weserve gløgg and hot chocolate, and at times we have aebleskiver, as well. Black Friday is one of two days during the year when our gift shop is simply not big enough to accommodate all of the people who come celebrate with us, and we love it.

An Argentine Christmas Collage

Images shared by Andrés Albertsen

Gathered here are some images of Christmases past in Andrés Albertsen's hometown, Tres Arroyos in Argentina.

Argentine Christmases are typically warm and sunny, but most other features of the holy day are the same as in the USA, complete with nativity scenes and big meals.

His former pastor, Aldo Bidán, shared the first images from Christmas celebrations during his tenure in the congregation. The last two images were shared by his sister, Mariana Albertsen, from two Christmas celebrations at the nursing home which was built by the combined effort of the Danish (Lutheran) and the Dutch (Reformed) communities in the town.

N.F.S. Grundtvig – A Real Santa Claus?

by Anders Holm

One might think that Christmas is a fun time for a Grundtvig scholar. Not only can you, with a bit of goodwill, say that the old codger resembles—or resembled—Santa Claus, especially in his later years, with his long beard and shaggy hair. Danes sing his hymns during Advent and Christmas, and he has appeared in children’s Christmas calendars on several occasions. So isn’t Grundtvig simply delightful and festive?

Well, yes, it’s amusing—but also a bit exhausting, especially if you believe that Christmas and work should be kept separate, at least for those of us who aren’t clergy. The worst part is that Grundtvig Studies needs to be published before the end of the year, which means that the editor does a lot of hard work in December. ( Grundtvig Studies is the scholarly yearbook of the Grundtvig world, published since 1948. Have a look at this link: GS .) Surely other yearbook editors know the pressure of getting everything done at the end of the year.

Being a Grundtvig scholar is both captivating and daunting. It’s captivating because studying Grundtvig automatically brings you into contact with many aspects of everyday life. He was a pastor, historian, poet, hymn writer, politician, public educator, mythologist, translator, philosopher, and more. In his vast and sprawling body of work, he commented on nearly everything—probably too much—from the origins of Anglo-Saxon words and church liturgy to agricultural issues and financial relief for the poor. I’m personally convinced that being a Grundtvig scholar has led me to work across more fields—both within and beyond theology—than I otherwise would have.

At the same time, it is daunting. Grundtvig is everywhere. Just open a Danish newspaper, and you can be sure he would have had an opinion on most topics: freedom of speech, Danish identity, religious freedom, international relations, or education policy—all issues he addressed in the context of his time.

Even in spring of 2016, when I was in the U.S., in Alabama, on a Fulbright fellowship studying religion and politics, I couldn’t escape him. In the middle of an event at the White House, then President Obama suddenly mentioned "the great Danish pastor and philosopher Grundtvig who, among other causes, championed the idea of the Folk School Grundtvig’s influence on the Civil Rights movement."

A question that always triggers anxiety for a Grundtvig scholar is: What would Grundtvig—the national symbol—have said? The press often calls to ask. Of course, I can safely reject the question with the researcher’s detached caveat and say that his worldview can’t be transferred to our time. That’s often wise, given the limited room for nuance. But ultimately, such battles are lost. If Grundtvig research isn’t relevant to the present, it’s meaningless.

In my view, the relevance lies primarily in the many principled discussions sparked by Grundtvig’s viewpoints and his overall contributions as a poet, theologian, and public educator. Grundtvig significantly impacted Denmark—and in some ways the rest if the world as well.

He’s often worth engaging with because of his ability to delve deeply into issues, but it’s equally liberating that, as a scholar, you’re obligated to abandon wrong-headed or irrelevant ideas when necessary.

Grundtvig is certainly not a Santa Claus who always delivers the answers you want or need. On the other hand, like other great and influential thinkers, you can often learn a lot from his mistakes.

And so, in response to his mistakes, you might actually encounter the most “Grundtvigian” thing that can be said about being a Grundtvig scholar: The world evolves.

That was Grundtvig’s view too, and he frequently changed his stance throughout his long life. Reality is more important than ideas, he believed. That’s why it goes against both his and scholarship's purpose to use his statements as substitutes for independent thought in our time, when various answers are needed. This is precisely where the Grundtvig scholar must tread carefully.

The Bittersweet Spirit of Christmas in H.C. Andersen’s Fairytales

by Ana Wright

I recently read through a collection of Hans Christian Andersen’s Christmas fairytales, fully expecting to come away with a glimpse into 19th century Danish Christmas traditions and heart-warming reflections on the holiday season. I was surprised, however, not to encounter joyful scenes of love and good cheer, but deeply moving accounts of loss, disappointment, and poverty. I quickly realized that while the American Christmas stories I grew up with, such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas , Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer , or the infamous Elf aim to romanticize the Christmas spirit; to temporarily transcend the troubles of everyday existence and immerse us in happy illusion, Andersen’s fairytales bring us face to face with the most tragic aspects of the human experience. But although they are dark, this darkness allows the goodness imbued within them to shine through all the more. Indeed, the Christmas spirit that Andersen presents is bittersweet, but beautiful. Two tales stuck with me in particular as reminders to cherish this goodness that is present even in the midst of un-romanticized realities.

First is the well-known tale of "The Little Match Girl," in which a young match seller wanders the streets on Christmas Eve, afraid to go home before she sells her matches because she knows that her father will beat her if she returns empty-handed. The streets are deserted, however, because everyone is inside having their Christmas dinner and, as it grows dark, she realizes she has nothing to show for her day's efforts. Eventually, she tucks herself away in a corner between two houses and decides to strike one of her matches in hopes of gaining some warmth. In the glow of the flame, then, she begins to see visions of a warm stove, a table set with beautiful china, roast goose, prunes, apples, a Christmas tree. She then strikes match after match, imagining herself within the scenes she is picturing, until eventually her grandmother appears before her. Smiling, she “takes the little girl into her arms,” and together they fly away "into joy and splendour, up, up, to where there was no cold, no hunger, no fear. They were with God” (123).

The next morning when people find the match girl's body and discuss how she may have died, Andersen comments that “nobody knew what lovely things she had seen and in what glory she had gone with her old grannie to the happiness of Christmas” (123).

He is given a place of honor in the living room and decorated splendorously, just as he dreamed. He is soon disappointed, however, when everyone becomes occupied with other things, and rather than being the center of attention, he fades into the background of the evening’s festivities.

The day after Christmas, he is relegated to the attic, where he reminisces about his former life in the woods, longing for the day when they will take him back outside. Several months later, he is rediscovered when the attic gets cleaned out, but rather than being restored to his woodland home and friends as he hoped, he is chopped into pieces and burned. “It was all over with the tree,” Anderson says, “and so it is with the story. That’s what happens at last to every story –all over, all over!” (134). Indeed, the tree spent his entire life longing, until all at once his life was over, before he felt that he had really begun to live.

Indeed, although the Little Match Girl dies, this story is not a tragedy. Despite her situation, she never once complains, but simply makes the most of what she has, and is content. In the end, although no one on earth pays her any attention, she ends up in heaven with God, her suffering exchanged for eternal happiness.

In "The Fir Tree," however, we encounter precisely the opposite perspective. In this tale, a young tree, despite his friends’ exhortations to “rejoice in your youth out here in the open” (130), longs to “get away” and become a Christmas tree, full of “glory and splendour” (129). At last, one Christmas, his longing is fulfilled, and he is delighted!

While the Little Match Girl teaches by example, then, the fir tree serves as a warning. The Little Match Girl has nothing and is content with her lot, but the Fir Tree gets everything that he dreams of and remains discontented. He is forever waiting for a better future, and this discontent causes him to miss the small glories all around him.

Andersen’s stories ultimately remind us that happiness does not depend on our circumstances, but on our perspective. Bad things may happen that we cannot control, but we can always choose to be good to others, and to express gratitude for the good things that we have, and in doing so, we become bearers of light into a dark world. That, I think, is the truest Christmas spirit there is.

Source of quotations and images:

Andersen, H.C. Hans Christian Andersen: 80 Fairy Tales , translated by R. P. Keigwin,

illustrated by Vilhelm Pedersen and Lorenz Frølich, Copenhagen, 2004.

Two Recipes and Some Etiquette Tips from Martin Hjortsø

Brown Christmas Cookies ( Brunkager)

Ingredients :
32oz flour

13.3 oz of butter or margarine

8.8 oz syrup

13.3 oz sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cardamom

3.5 oz coarsely chopped almonds

1 copped bitter orange peel

1 chopped candied lime

0.7 oz potassium carbonate, (or baking powder or baking soda)

Instructions :

Boil almonds briefly, cool, remove skins and chop. Melt together syrup, sugar, and butter and add species, almonds and candied peels. Stir the potassium carbonate out in a bit of water (to prevent clumping) and add when the sugar-butter mixture reaches boiling. (Stand back! Ammonia will be released). Let the mixture cool a bit before working the flour into it. When the dough is lukewarm, roll it into cylinders approximately 1.5 in. in diameter.

Let sit overnight in a cool spot. Slice with a sharp knife and bake at 350F.

Danish Meatballs

(Frikadeller)

Ingredients:

2.2 lbs ground pork

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or breadcrumbs)

2 eggs

2 large onions (finely chopped)

1 Tbsp salt

Pepper according to taste

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl using a spoon or hand mixer. Heat up a frying pan with butter or oil. Use a spoon to form the meatballs. If you dip the spoon in a glass of water before you form a meatball it will be easier because the meat will not stick to the spoon. Fry the meatballs for about 5-10 minutes depending on the amount of heat you give them. It is best to flip the meatballs often in order to give then an even crust.

Some thoughts on Christmas Lunch Etiquette (especially about pålæg and snaps)

The first thing to remember is the rule every parent has tried to enforce with children: One must politely eat what is served, no matter how much one dislikes it. This rule does not apply to the Danish cold table! The whole point of the Danish cold table is that you make your own smørrebrød, and you are under no obligation to try all the types of "pålæg" offered. (Pålæg is the ingredient or ingredients that you place on top of the bread.) Make and eat only the types that you like. Eschewing the offerings that do not appeal to you is perfectly acceptable.

Other than this little bit of encouragement, etiquette varies between families, but here are some rules that are still probably common in Denmark.

Don’t start eating until everyone is ready. Let the trays of pickled herring pass around the table and let everyone make their first herring sandwich › before you start eating yours.
Never drink on an empty stomach. You must have one bite of your herring sandwich before you can drink, and the first drink is always snaps, not beer.
The first glass of snaps must be drunk in one gulp, not be “bitten in half” as the Danish expression goes. My father would remind us of this rule every Christmas lunch, and he would obey it religiously. (Personally, I do not respect this rule. Even though you are supposed to have eaten one bite of your herring sandwich before drinking the snaps, one bite is not much of a cushion against a shot glass of snaps, and you can get really drunk, very fast if you follow this rule.)
Never eat pålæg without bread (but if you are getting full and still want to try more types of pålæg or help to get rid of leftovers, it is okay to use just a small token amount of bread)

Glædelig Jul!

The Porvoo Communion

On Sunday 16 November, Pastor Jacob Haukedal Neergaard from my Lutheran church in Randers, Denmark, preached the sermon in St. Peter Mancroft Anglican Church in Norwich, England, and participated throughout the service alongside Rev. Edward Carter. There are two explanations as to how this collaboration could happen.

The first explanation is that in a progressive step for ecumenism in 1992 the Porvoo Common Statement, also known as The Porvoo Communion, established full communion between four Anglican Churches (the Churches of England and Ireland, the Church in Wales and the Episcopal Church of Scotland) and seven Nordic and Baltic Churches (the Churches of Norway and Sweden, and the Evangelical-Lutheran Churches of Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, and Lithuania). The first joint Eucharist was held in Porvoo Cathedral in Finland. The Porvoo Communion claims to represent 45 million members among the member churches, approximately 50% of Europe's Protestants.

The second explanation is that in 1995-96 the two churches, Mancroft and Clemens, also in Norwich, exchanged congregations. For four days in 1995, fifteen Danes, including my wife, Hanna, and myself, visited Mancroft and shared our faiths and our experiences and were shown around the "fine city," as Norwich calls itself. The following year a similar number of Mancroft congregants visited my town of Randers. Although greatly enriching for both parties, this exchange proved to be a one-off experience, until, that is, I was elected onto my church council in November 2024 and set about promoting a repeat exchange. Thus for a weekend in November three of us from Randers visited Norwich, and stayed in private homes. Our Pastor Jacob stayed with their Rev. Edward for a mutually enriching weekend, and it is hoped that a return visit will take place in Randers in April 2026, when Anglican Edward will preach in Lutheran Jacob’s church here in Randers – thanks to the Porvoo Communion!

Renée Showalter-Hanson

September 11, 1948 - October 7, 2025

Renée Showalter-Hanson, 77, died peacefully at her home in Minneapolis on October 7, 2025.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Laurence and Miriam (Rodholm) Showalter and her brother Scott, and she is survived by her husband Robert, her daughters Laura (Joe) and Emma (Frank) and her beloved granddaughter Madeline.

Renée grew up on the south side of Chicago and attended Grand View College, the University of Iowa, and the University of Minnesota. Following in her mother's footsteps, Renée became a Special Education teacher and taught in Cedar Rapids, Iowa before spending 35 years with Wayzata Public Schools making contributions to students' lives at Plymouth Creek Elementary and Wayzata East Junior High.

She loved reading, volunteering, hiking on the North Shore, celebrating her Danish heritage, and spending time with her granddaughter. Renée had an incredible ability to build meaningful connections wherever she went. Her warmth, generosity, and kindness will be deeply missed.

Annette Andersen

July 13, 1934 — November 11, 2025

Annette O. Andersen passed away at her home, surrounded by her family, on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, having attained the age of 91 years, three months and 29 days.

The daughter of Neils J. and Nadjeschda M. (Lynge) Overgaard, Annette was born in Guthrie County, Iowa. She attended Kimballton Public School through the eighth grade and then Elk Horn High School. In 1952, she married Keith W. Johnson in Kimballton. They lived and farmed in Sharon Township. Keith passed away in 1978. In 1983, Annette married Eigel “Andy” M. Andersen on the family farm near Kimballton. The couple made their home in Omaha, NE, and later retired to Kimballton. After Andy’s passing in 2001, Annette purchased her childhood home outside of Kimballton and moved there—a place that held special meaning for her.

Annette was a devoted member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kimballton. She was also a member of the Progressive Danes, Historical Society, Danish Brotherhood, the Museum of Danish America, Audubon School Board and 4-H, for which she was a leader. She taught Danish folk dancing to generations of adults and children. She enjoyed traveling, folk dancing, sewing, framing, genealogy and doing handiwork.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands Keith Johnson and Andy Andersen; a son in infancy Karl William Johnson; twin girls in infancy Lois Ann and Lisa Marie Johnson; sisters, Ardis Petersen, Elsa West and Eva Leistad; and sister-in-law, Carol Overgaard. She is survived by her children: Susan (Jeff) Edwards of Audubon, Linette (Randy) Hadley of Urbandale, Kurt (Barbara) Johnson of Audubon, Kris (Michelle) Johnson of Austin, TX; grandchildren: Matthew (Tracy Deutmeyer) Edwards, Kellie (Dave) Geater, Brett Edwards, Jessica (David) Northwick, Rebecca (Shawn) Hunt, Larissa (Jason Coellner) Hadley, Alec Johnson, Dana Johnson (Porter Reim), Ruby Tai (Brian Guappone) Johnson, Benjamin Johnson, and Hannah Johnson; 13 great grandchildren; sisters and brother: Karma (Howard) Sorensen of Elk Horn, Egon Overgaard of Walker, MN, and Ebba Johnson of Omaha, NE; stepchildren: Michael Andersen, Erik (Patricia) Andersen, Linda (Mark) Griffith; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Visitation with the family greeting friends took place on Sunday, November 16, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Ohde Funeral Home in Kimballton. Funeral Services were held on Monday, November 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kimballton.

Memorials may be directed to the Museum of Danish America in Annette’s name.

Postscript: What Grundtvig and Kierkegaard Thought about Christmas

In this issue, Ana Wright offers a reading of two of H.C. Andersen’s tales in an attempt to understand how he depicts Christmas. Her essay made me wonder how N.F.S. Grundtvig and Søren Kierkegaard, two towering figures of 19th-century Danish theology and contemporaries of Andersen, thought about the meaning of Christmas and how it should be celebrated.

Most people think of the two men as opposites. In his book To Samtidige , Anders Holm explores the drastic differences and surprising similarities in how they regarded the world. He tells me that Kierkegaard "was interested in Jesus's birth as a model for how we should live," while Grundtvig was focused on "the human aspect of Christ's birth, how people can identify with it and discover God's grace through it." I would add that while Søren Kierkegaard challenges us to internalize Christmas, to “leap” beyond tradition into personal, transformative faith, Grundtvig invites us to celebrate the joy of Christ's birth through singing hymns that unite mind, heart, and community.

Reading the many wonderful expressions of Christmas in this issue, it seems to me that a truly meaningful Christmas inspires both inward spiritual depth and outward human celebration. There's little doubt that personal authenticity and communal joy occupy distinct yet intersecting spaces during the Christmas season.

Kierkegaard worried that Christmas celebrations often become mere societal routine, void of real faith. In his day, Danes were born into the church, they were almost obliged civically to participate in church events, and their year-round social activities corresponded to the feasts of the church. Kierkegaard argued that, as a result, many Christians merely perform Christmas rituals by going to church and attending nativity plays without letting the truth of Christ’s birth truly penetrate their lives. Their observance is not authentic; rather, it is routine.

But how can we avoid falling into rote, unintentional Christmas celebrations? In Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits , Kierkegaard says that part of the answer lines in thinking about the ever-present nature of the incarnation. He writes,

It is indeed eighteen hundred years since Jesus Christ walked here on earth, but this is certainly not an event like other events, which once they are over passes into history and then, as distant past, passes into oblivion. No, his presence here on earth never becomes a thing of the past. This does not become more and more distant—that is, if faith is at all to be found upon the earth; if not, well, then in that very instant it is a long time since he lived. But as long as there is a believer, this person, in order to have become that, must have been[,] and as a believer must be[,] just as contemporary with Christ’s presence as his contemporaries were. (416)

He says that we can go even further in contemplation of the birth of Christ, God becoming human, as an existential paradox and even an “absurdity” that escapes logic. In Philosophical Fragments, Kierkegaard offers a beautiful parable that allows us to ponder the depth of God’s incarnation in Christ: God, infinitely exalted, humbles Himself to become human so that humanity can love Him freely, without fear or compulsion. To articulate what is at stake in this paradox, Kierkegaard tells the story of a mighty King who falls in love with a poor maiden. The King faces a dilemma: If he brings her into his palace and clothes her in splendor, she might feel overwhelmed and love him out of obligation, not of her own volition. If, as King, he commands her to love Him, her love would not be authentic. To genuinely win her freely given love, the King must come down from his throne, lay aside his royal power, and approach her as an equal. For Kierkegaard, this decision is not logical, but radical, even absurd, and meant to elicit an active, personal response. Christmas is meant to inspire humanity to respond personally with an active “leap” beyond mere intellectual acknowledgement, which is insufficient, into an inward, subjective experience of the incarnation.

Readers of Church and Life are no doubt more in tune with N.F.S. Grundtvig’s conceptions of Christmas as an occasion for communal rejoicing and spiritual renewal. Like Kierkegaard, Grundtvig worried about watered down, lackluster Christianity. In one of his last sermons he even proclaimed the "indifference of the age [to be] as stiff-necked as Grendel’s mother, the troll-wife in Beowulf." What was Grundtvig's answer, then, to complacency at Christmastime?

His 1817 hymn “Det kimer nu til julefest” (The bells of Christmas chime once more) calls Jesus the “heavenly Guest,” and Grundtvig invites believers to celebrate with hearts filled with peace and good will. In the middle stanzas of the hymn, we are encouraged to move from quiet contemplation and, after attending to the “gentle baby,” express our joy with singing.

Now let us go with quiet mind,
the swaddled babe with shepherds find,
to gaze on him who gladdens them,
the loveliest flow'r of Jesse's stem.

Oh, join with me, in gladness sing,
to keep our Christmas with our king,
until our song, from loving souls,
like rushing mighty water rolls!

This joyful tone contrasts sharply with Kierkegaard’s focus on existential solemnity. The movement is outward like “rushing mighty water” rather than inward “with quiet mind.” Clearly, Grundtvig calls for a different kind of response, one that emerges from community. In his other well-known Christmas hymns, however, Grundtvig calls for a personal encounter with Jesus, and he, too, puzzles over the paradox of God becoming man. In "Forunderligt at sige" (How wonderful to voice it), Grundtvig comes close to Kierkegaard's paradox.

How wonderful to voice it

And strange to think thereon!

The king of God’s own kingdom

Was in a sable born!

And heaven’s light and honour,

The living God’s word free

Among us walked here homeless,

A son of poverty!

Grundtvig’s emphasis on tradition and community pushes the paradox out into the world to be celebrated. He attempts to root the Christmas celebration in history and Danish folk culture so that Christmas is not only a church event but also a living part of communal and national life.

Possibly Grundtvig's most complete statement on Christmas comes in his sermon “Om Julefesten” (On the Christmas Feast) from the 1840s. Again, like Kierkegaard, he emphasizes the incarnation as a living revelation of God's love and grace. It is the greatest mystery: God choosing humility, entering our world not in power but in weakness. The infant Jesus in the manger is not merely a symbolic figure, but more significantly the divine Logos entering human history—God becoming fully present, humble, and vulnerable among humankind. The incarnation is the pivotal moment when God enters time; this is a reality that links personal salvation with cultural awakening. The incarnation embodies living truth, not abstract dogma, and the manger itself signifies God’s approachability—Jesus makes salvation accessible to all, especially the common people. Jesus must be regarded as a source of joyful personal, communal, and national renewal.

Kierkegaard and Grundtvig offer complementary insights: Christians need personal authenticity in their faith, and they value shared joy in worship. A meaningful Christmas may well unite both—the silent wonder of faith and the ringing bells of communal praise, especially in challenging times. I wonder what the two would say about the commercialization of Christmas in contemporary America, or how they would react to the many secularized extensions of Christian tradition into culture. Regardless, the central aspect of the depth and breadth of God's love as evidenced in the incarnation of Christ remains central for Christians individually and communally. Despite their differences, Kierkegaard and Grundtvig would most certainly agree that Christ's birth brings to our lives sentiments of renewal, hope, and promise.

Sources:

Grundtvig, N.F.S. “The Bells of Christmas,” translated by Charles Porterfield Krauth, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, 2006, page 298.

-----. “How wonderful to voice it,” translated by Edward Broadbridge, Living Wellsprings, 2015, page 83.

Holm, Anders. To Samtidige: Kierkegaard og Grundtvigs kritik af hinanden, ANIS, 2009.

Kierkegaard, Søren. Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits , edited and translated by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Kierkegaard’s 15, Princeton University

Press, 2009, page 416

-----. Philosophical Fragments , edited and translated by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Kierkegaard’s Writings 7, Princeton University Press, 1985, pages 27-30.

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October 2025

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 15:19:21 GMT

Church and Life

Volume LXXIII, Number 5

Welcome to the October 2025 Issue!

This issue of Church and Life celebrates Autumn and the changing of the seasons-- of culture and memorable events of the church and community calendar and of life and milestones in individual experience. We open with "Tak, Tusind Tak," the theme song by Bryan Odeen for the Danebod Folk Camp and a "Harvest Sermon," offered by Pastor Anne-Grethe Krogh Nielson from The Danish Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda, California. Because this is also the season for folk meetings, we include reports about both Danebod Folk Camp and Danebod Folk Meeting. Marilyn Gift reports on what happened at the 2025 Folk Camp. Steve Olsen writes about the deeper tensions that make Folk Meeting the rich and rewarding experience that it is. Kay Linquist tells about the rich, happy life of Joy Ibsen and how her character exemplifies Danebod. In this issue's "Dateline Denmark," Edward Broadbridge reports on Henrik Bredmose Simonsen's documentation of life among the “Grundtvigian” Danish Americans. And then we shift to articles related to the 100th Anniversary of the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina. Madison Morrison reports on the life and legacy of Olive Campbell, the founder of the folk school. Maddie Benton shares a conversation she had with Chris Spicer, who worked at John C. Campbell and later became the director of the Folk Education Association of America . Ana Wright reviews Joy Ibsen's book Pandemic Parables and the New Paradigm. We close with a Postscript by the editor, Brad Busbee .

As always, we want to thank our generous supporters and contributors. We hope to feature stories about Winter and Christmas traditions and memories in the next issue. Please send us your articles!

Special thanks go to The National Foundation for Danish America , which generously shares information about this publication in its own newsletter. We also appreciate those who provide financial support, as well as who those submit articles for publication. We look forward to hearing from you!

"Tak, Tusind Tak"

By Bryan Odeen

Long ago there was a dream

to learn and serve and live deeply

Built a foundation for our formation

not knowing where the dream would lead.

Chorus

Tak, tusind tak for the past,

for the ancestors

and the stories that we have!

Tak, tusind tak, for today,

And the lessons that we carry on our way!

So today we gather still

To make community be real

Our past and future coming together

Still sharing what our hands have built.

Chorus

So the journey will continue

Long after we are gone

And the future will still have space,

Maybe they will sing along.

Note: This was the theme song for the 2025 Danebod Folk Camp that Marilyn Gift writes about below.

Harvest Sermon: Say A Little Prayer and Count Your Blessings One by One

By Anne-Grethe Krogh Nielson

Psalm 104:

1. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty,

10. You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills,

11. giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst.

12. By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches.

13. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

14. You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth,

15. and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart.

24. O Lord, how manifold are your works!

33. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord! AMEN

This Psalm from the Old Testament is a jubilant praise of God, all creation, this world we live in, and the daily blessings that we encounter. Psalm 104 is a joyous song and a grateful prayer for everything that has been given to us: creation, nature, streams, oceans, harvest, and abundance. Yes, even the wine to gladden and the baked bread to strengthen the human heart.

"Say a little prayer and count your blessings one by one . . ." is a line from a wonderful song by Sir Elton John and Brandi Carlile on their new album Who believes in Angels? The line of the song “A Little Light” has been ringing in my ears these past weeks, as I have been feeling the weight of fear and frustration, anger and apathy in a time where we so often are discouraged and forget to say our prayers and count our blessings.

In "A Little Light," Elton John acknowledges the u ncertainty and division that makes it hard to count our blessings, but he offers a new perspective:

I see the sorrow in the headlines.

And the worry on your face

I guess it is no fun to have a heart.

While we are living through these days

But there is still a lot of beauty.

Dancing circles round this place

That is why we are gonna get up.

Point our chin toward the sun!

Say a little prayer!

and count our blessings one by one

Do not hide yourself away!

Do not grow hard from what you have heard!

You gotta break your heart wide open.

Let a little light into the world.

Today, we break our hearts wide open to listen, to celebrate, and to be in the sacred moments of prayer, baptism, and faith. Today, we let a little sparkling light into a world that desperately needs light, beauty, beginnings, and goodness. We celebrate this new light, however it comes into the world. Sometimes we receive it as parents and family and friends. Just this morning, a new little life came to church to be blessed, to be called, to be prayed over and to be counted as a blessing to us and to the world. Today, we point our chins towards the sun, we break our hearts wide open and let light and love mark this moment and day. And then we say a little prayer and count our blessings one by one.

It is Sunday. It is time to celebrate hopeful baptism and blessed beginnings. It is Harvest Sunday. It is the time of year when we celebrate the harvest, the abundance that we live in, and count the many blessings in our lives. I love this season and the celebration of harvest as it is our reminder to be thankful, mindful, and grateful for all the blessings that come to us. We sing about this in our beautiful harvest hymns; we think about it when we might recall the time of harvest in Denmark.

The Danish Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard lived most of his life in Copenhagen with his eyes focused on his writings and his nose buried in books, but he had a profound appreciation for Fall.

He wrote, “I much prefer autumn to spring because in the autumn one looks at heaven – in the spring at the earth.” Kierkegaard wisely observed that during spring we are constantly looking at the green sprouts, the blooming flowers, the signs of new life, while in Fall we look to the blue heavenly skies. In that direction we look further with faith and appreciation–with prayer and a sense of blessing.

I once read some advice for preaching sermons on harvest season when you’re not a farmer: "Don’t pretend to be a farmer if you are not. Preach from what you know and how your experiences and relationships have shaped you."

Well, I am certainly not a farmer, but I am a farmer's daughter. My father was a farmer and both of my grandfathers were farmers, and according to our ancestry book I am part of a long line of farmers that date back to Denmark in 1500. So I might not be a farmer, but I have farmers' blood in my veins and, as a result, I love the season of harvest.

As a child, I found nothing better than when the blue August and September skies were endless and high– when the air was fresh and smelled of grain, hay, and earth and when we were allowed to jump in the hay, hold the golden grains in our hands and slip it through our fingers and eat grains from the abundance of harvest.

The taste and smells of harvest are strong and intoxicating. The smell of grain and hay is one of the loveliest smells to me: It reminds me of autumn, work, and family. Images of golden fields, culled fields, stacks of hay and grain. It's a reminder of happiness, blessings, and prayers.

I am holding some wheat straws. You can smell and taste it, and you know it is part of the bread we will share later.

There is also something sad about harvest, grain, and flour. It tells the story of a summer now gone. It is the story of us and our lives, that we too will wither like the grass and grains. But it is also hope. It can be shared with the hungry. It points us to a new season of Fall and winter with light and presence, and then a new spring and new summer, a new harvest .

Life never just ends. . . Maybe that is something we need to remember and live by. We may be afraid of dying and the day of doom, but we are told that life does not stop; it continues. In our daily lives, a little child is hope that stretches far into the future, further than we can see and imagine. Jesus himself says that he is like a grain of wheat, lain into the earth to die so that give new life that may sprout and grow.

I am old enough to remember placing hay stacks on the wagon to transport them back to the farm. I will not pretend that I did any of the hard work, lifting and stacking. I was just a child. But I witnessed it and knew the importance of doing it correctly. If done otherwise, the stack would fall from the wagon as it travels along rocky or hole-filled paths and it would not be much fun being a small girl sitting on top of the stack!

Life can be rocky, uneven, and filled with holes. Sometimes, the road will sway dangerously. Strong foundations need to be laid. We have to try to give our lives the foundation of faith so we can mange holes along the way. It is about sowing and harvesting love, compassion, our fundamental faith, and joy and having them ingrained in our hearts.

The marvelous Sir Elton John and Brandi Carlile close their song with these words:

There is such a fine line between faith and apathy

Pain can put you on your feet or bring you to your knees

If you are locked inside the end of days and darkness pulls your mind

Bend the bars and hold the fire let every corner shine

That why we are gonna get up

and let a little light into the world

And sing into the darkness like a Sunday morning bird.

So, let us sing into the today, despite the fear and the division of our times, like strong Sunday morning birds full of hope, full of faith, and love. May we be filled with the bluest skies of October and faith.

Let us say a little prayer and count our blessings one by one.

Amen

A Report on the Danebod Folk Camp, August 2025

by Marilyn Gift

“Tak, Tusind Tak!” was the theme (and theme song) for Danebod Folk Camp this year. It was chosen to honor those who walked before us: the dreamers, the builders, the story tellers, and those that dreamed of a place like Danebod. The Danebod Folk School and campus is truly a special place where we can come together as a community of friends and family.

People of all ages, from small children, to teens, parents, grandparents, first time and longtime campers—all came from across the country to enjoy this unique Grundtvigian experience during the first week in August.

This year’s notebook was written by Jens and Elsa Kasten and dedicated to the memory of Dick Juhl and Paul Laursen. Dick Juhl was remembered for his unique sense of humor. With Rita at the piano, his wonderful bass voice led us in singing. He helped all his kids and grandkids cherish their Danish heritage. Paul Laursen was also remembered for almost 50 years of driving their camper from Indiana to Tyler, MN. His favorite song was This is a song for all the good people, all the good people who’ve touched up my life. This is a song for all the good people I’m thanking my stars for tonight. Paul remarked that there are hundreds of good people who influence the world and our lives. He was one of them and a dear friend of ours.

A typical day begins for the “early risers” with golf at 5:45 and morning gymnastics at 7:00. The rest of us gather for breakfast at 7:30 followed by morning singing at 8:45. Our talented leaders were Sonja and Matt Noykos and Karri Nussle. We sing from Favorites from the World of Song and from a printed song sheet including more popular songs.

This year, Emily Quartemont led the family dancing in the gym hall at 8:45 am. It was a great opportunity for the kids to learn and enjoy fun dances with older kids, parents, and grandparents.

In true Grundtvigian tradition of lifelong learning, discussion in the lecture hall began at 10:30 am, and each day featured a special event.

On Monday afternoon, “Crafting in Community” was led by Laila Simon and Kate Running, newcomers who shared their talents of fiber arts and needle felting.

On Tuesday, “Appreciating the Contrasts of Chinese Culture” was led by Katrina Mitchell. Katrina is our granddaughter who started coming to camp with us when she was three years old. She has been teaching English to preschoolers in Datong, China, since February. She recently returned to Datong and will continue teaching through January. The cultural contrasts she shared included pictures of squat toilets. This of course led to a campfire skit: “Where is the grab bar”? “Where is the toilet paper”?

On Wednesday, fourteen campers each gave a “60 second lecture." Bragging rights for one year went to the person whose lecture was closest to 60 seconds.

On Friday, Marie Bruun led a discussion titled “I Think You’re Wrong, But I’m Listening: Having Conversations Across the Political Divide.” As I reflect on what was said, I feel it is up to each of us to focus on “all of the above” media sources, even though the sources don’t align with our political views. If we all accept that responsibility, our country will be less divided and more hyggelig.

Each day, the dinner bell rangs at 12:00. Sarah Nussle and other campers led grace before each meal. The people on campfire duty went first in line, took their lunch to the pavilion and planned the skit for evening campfire. A nisse clue was read, and the hunt began for the hidden nisse. This year, it wasn’t found until Thursday. The food was always great, sometimes Danish medisterpølse, frikadeller, rødkål, and typical American cuisine. On Tuesday morning, Svend and Grethe Petersen baked æbleskiver. Mange Tak!

At 1:00 pm, the kids gathered in the gym hall for youth gymnastik led by Britta Petersen and Hazel Hein. 1:30 pm was craft time. There were a lot of great creative opportunities for all ages. This year’s crafts included tie dye, copper enameling, woodworking, fused glass ornaments, friendship bracelets, Danish heart baskets, pottery, knitting and needle felting, whirly toy, pipestone jewelry, stomp rockets, a variety of children’s crafts, youth RC Club and the famous “egg drop” from the tower. If you didn’t find something to do, you could participate in a cribbage tournament or naptime craft.

3:30 pm was Teatime in the dining room with brief presentations by some of the campers. Free time followed with many going to the Tyler swimming pool or hanging out under the trees. Happy hour was a time to bring out the lawn chairs and enjoy snacks, beverages, and friendly conversations.

Supper time at 6:00 pm was followed by evening singing at 7:00 in the lecture hall. Wow! It is always quite impressive and so much fun when we all sing together with gusto.

Here was one of our theme songs for the gathering:

Tapestry (Bryan Odeen)

Every summer, down in Tyler,

Call it magic I suppose.

Where we gather with each other,

at a place called Danebod.

It’s more than singing,

more than dancing,

more than extra time to eat.

It’s a time, where for a few days,

We create community.

Chorus

It’s a tapestry featuring you and me.

Each have a fiber, and each belong.

It’s a tapestry, what a sight to see.

We look for it all year long.

Learning culture from each other,

Each have something they can share.

Making mem’ries, crafting friendships,

Seems there’s music everywhere.

Chorus

Grab your lawn chair,

find some good shade,

we have space to share right here.

We’ll continue conversations

When we meet again next year.

Campfire in the pavilion began at 8:30 pm. A group of campers of all ages were selected to put on a skit. With creative input from kids and teenagers they showcased their talents with amazing skits. The lights were turned off and the spontaneous singing began as the sun set in the west and the church bell rang while we sang. As Rita Juhl would say, “it gave me goose bumps.” The closing song was "Alleluia."

Coffee time was followed by late-night dancing at 10:00 pm. Tak, tusind tak to a very talented Emily Quartemont, for her instructions and leadership with some help from her family. Emily is the granddaughter of Mark and Lori Nussle. Mark was famous for leading us in dancing for many years. It was amazing to see the gym hall filled with a mix of youth and adults and feel the floor rumble with flying feet. Where else in the world would you see teenage boys dance together, having so much fun with other teens and adults? Only at a special place called Danebod. The last dance of the evening was The Grand March, which winds into a big circle out in the street. It iswasfollowed by Miserlu, a single line dance around the gym. Then three circles form to sing "Oh How Lovely is the Evening, ding, dong." If you weren't tired yet, you could go to the pavilion or the Kronborg for pizza, snacks, and beverages.

The theme of the Friday night party was "Red and White, Danish Dynamite" planned by Ted and Annette Jagger. What a grand celebration of the week’s activities.

Tusind Tak for the excellent planning by this year’s directors, Andrew and Linsi Jagger from Blaine, MN. Uplifted and inspired, we said farewell to our friends, savoring the good memories until we meet again.

Bridging Hygge and the Grundtvigian-Nudge at Danebod

By Steve Olsen

The Danebod Folk School: There it stands in Tyler, Minnesota, like a sentinel overlooking miles and miles of verdant cornfields; the skyline punctuated by silos and wind turbines. The well-manicured lawn, stone monuments, and Danish flags flapping in the wind spread their open arms in welcome. But who would come here and why? It is probably not someone seeking adventure, romance, or gambling.

It is early afternoon and here they come, first one or two cars then groups. The weary travelers exit their vehicles, stretch a bit and secure their hats against the prevalent but fresh prairie winds. Those who are repeat attendees look around for assurance that everything is about the same as when they left last year. Soon they recognize a friend and are engulfed in extended interaction trying to catch up on the highlights of the last year. For those who are “first timers,” the reaction is often, “Is this the right place?” perhaps accompanied by that internal thought, “What on earth did I get myself into? I’m out of my comfort zone.” Their perception is spot-on, and the Danebod Folk Meeting Planning Committee accepts these reactions as challenges each year when planning the meetings, lectures, and other activities.

Each year, the planning committee reviews feedback from the surveys sent out just after everyone gets back home after the previous four-day session and, each year, we are gratified that the ratings are so affirming and the suggestions so helpful. The planning committee is faced with an awkward dilemma as we attempt both to endorse and challenge two gently opposing Danish pillars of social interaction – Hyggelig versus the Grundtvigian-Nudge, better known as the Folk School pillar, Lifelong Learning. Hyggelig smothers us with the familiar, the soothing candles, cookies, and laughter of close friends while the

Grundtvigian-Nudge gently challenges us to expand our understanding of the world, to enhance our abilities, to try new things, and to get up and start moving. This is the inviting challenge which we both wrestle with and enjoy.

It is affirming to us on the planning committee when we receive such feedback as “I was going to skip the lecture on poetry, but I am so glad I didn’t. The lecture opened my eyes to a whole new way of looking at the world.” Or “I could care less about robots, but that lecture revealed a body of knowledge that I knew nothing about.” Participants at the Danebod Folk Meetings come with many expectations. We hope that you will bring yours to the next opportunity for Lifelong Learning next August at the Danebod Folk Meeting where we will tempt you with a whole new roster of lectures, activities, and, of course, Danish food. This is our invitation and a Grundtvigian-Nudge.

The Joy of Danebod

by Kay Linquist

At this year's Danebod Folk Meeting, I was asked to write some comments about Joy Ibsen for Church and Life. I n my mind Joy and Danebod are intertwined. I said I would write about her because I knew that no matter what I wrote, Joy would have something nice to say. She is truly a “Happy Dane.” Someone commented she is “always smiling and brings a touch of class.” The same happy, classy nature characterizes Danebod.

Joy was born in Tyler, Minnesota, where her father Harald Ibsen was the Lutheran Pastor. Even though she was surrounded by Happy Danes, there was tragedy in her life. Whenever we are at the Danebod Folk Meeting in Tyler, we visit the place where her little brother Paul was buried. He died at two months old with some heart problems. It is also where her best friend Karen Ann Hansen, who died at age seven of acute appendicitis, was buried. And when Joy was young, another tragedy happened. Neighborhood friends Edward and Frances tried to cross the creek when the ice was already starting to melt. After much talk Frances decided to take a shortcut instead of going the long way around, but the ice broke, and she drowned. It was a devastating time for the whole community. Joy took these events in stride.

As a young woman, Joy attended Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. She had a passion for the work of N.F.S. Grundtvig, and she truly became a lifelong learner. Several years later, she spent two months in Denmark studying Grundtvig’s current relevance to modern life by interviewing thirty-two Danish Grundtvigians. After Grand View, she was given a full tuition scholarship and a job in the cafeteria at Shimer College, a very liberal university near the University of Chicago. When Joy arrived on campus at Shimer, she said, “I knew who I was and what I was about. When I left Shimer, I had only the vaguest notion.” But there’s little doubt that Shimer was where some of her happiest stories occurred. One of them, recorded in her book Here and Hereafter , is characteristic of her happy outlook. She wrote,

My job as waitress included serving formal dinners. In the first such event, while carrying a huge tray of blueberry pies, I came through the swinging doors of the dining room just as a waiter came hellbent from the other direction. A multi-tympanic-resounding crash! Both trays flew up, and the two of us landed on the floor, our bodies decorated with blueberry pie and surrounded by cascades of broken dishes. As was customary whenever the sound of broken dishes occurred in the dining room, the students broke out into applause. I stood up and made an elaborate curtsy while my coworker scraped pie off his shirt and pants. The food manager asked me to come to his office the next morning after breakfast. I expected at least a reprimand and maybe even being fired. Instead, I was promoted to the job of noon hostess and given a raise of 5 cents an hour. “Incompetence rewarded”.

At Shimer College, Joy also met John Mitchel Martin, a talented fellow student and poet whom she later married. They had three children together. She divorced John in 1978. In 1982, she walked the block to Unity Temple where the Discovery Group was meeting, and there she met Don Lenef. On Thanksgiving weekend 1987, Joy and Don were married in the home of friends. The wedding included Christian and Jewish heritage. Joy’s children and Don’s sons walked them down the aisle. It was a happy time. Joy and Don were married for 35 years, and Don died on November 8, 2022. Don was Jewish, never had a tree at Christmas, liked being indoors, and liked to cook. Joy is Christian, celebrates a real Scandinavian Christmas, wants to be out in nature, and doesn’t cook. Don became Danish by marriage.

After Shimer, Joy attended University of Chicago Divinity School, and she earned a certificate of lay ministry from the School of Theology, University of the South. But she had a richly eclectic career that included service as a case worker for public aid recipients in Chicago’s economically disadvantaged neighborhood of Woodlawn; teaching GED preparation to Vietnam-bound soldiers; teaching English literature and theater to students at St. Katherine’s/St Mark’s preparatory School in Davenport, Iowa; serving as chief planner for the Model Cities Program in Rock Island, Illinois; consulting and raising money for community, education, and art organizations; and heading development offices at Mount Sinai, Methodist, and Swedish Covenant Hospitals in Chicago. In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, she taught piano lessons and served as church organist.

Normally people slow down in retirement. Not Joy. She published book after book, many of them personal and philosophical reflections, like Unafraid , which included sermon notes from her father, and Here and Hereafter , a memoir about life, death, and spiritual legacy. Other books explore societal questions, like Declaration of Interdependence and Pandemic Parables and the New Paradigm [which is reviewed below in this issue]. She even compiled a collection of Danish music and poetry in Songs of Denmark , Songs to Live By , and she has recently written a children’s book titled Reginald, the Cat Who Couldn’t Sleep !

As part of retirement in Trout Creek, Michigan, Joy and Don went to work renovating a lovely two-story home with a room perfect for piano recitals. She threw herself into the art and music culture of the Upper Peninsula by giving piano lessons, becoming involved in the Pine Mountain Music Festival, and participating in a local art show to provide opportunities for local artists. Each March, she took part in the “St. Urho” celebration of the fictional saint of Finland by crowning the king and queen. And, of course, she worked hard to support literary efforts, especially the two libraries, and she started a writing group. For fourteen years she was editor of Church and Life , doing most of the editing work at Rocky Shores, their cottage on the shores of Lake Superior.

Joy and Don’s homes in Trout Creek and Rocky Shores were really places for “hygge” (a cozy Danish lifestyle), especially with Don’s cooking and when Socrates, Don’s dog, joined in. The same is true of the place they moved to in Albuquerque. Joy and Don attended a nearby synagogue and enjoyed the Klezmer music where Don played the trombone. Joy joined the dancing, which was like the Danish folk dance.

Recently, Joy moved near Chicago recently where she is doing wood carving and has directed a version of “Broadway Musicals”. She writes, “Each life is work of art, a self-painting inspired by soul knowledge, life experiences and guided by the universal God. Sometimes at times of death, as well as at other times, we have an opportunity to see the eternity connection between the here and the hereafter.” From my perspective, Joy is the epitome of Grundtvigianism, especially Grundtvig’s idea that “Human First, Christian comes next”.

Joy Ibsen does indeed “enjoy life,” and I associate her with The Folk School.

Dateline Denmark

By Edward Broadbridge

Grundtvig on the Prairie ( Reprinted and adapted from the June and September 2025 issues of The Grundtvig Newsletter )

Back in 2010, Henrik Bredmose Simonsen travelled to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa with economic support from the Grundtvig Centre in Denmark to document life among the “Grundtvigian” Danish Americans.

He came home with twenty-two sound recordings, which have at last been made available with draft manuscripts in the Danish-American Archive & Library (DAAL) in Blair, Nebraska. The documents include:

· Audio files with transcriptions

· PDF versions of the transcriptions

· Individuals and groups interviewed by H. B. Simonsen.

Initially, the material was used in an exhibition entitled "Grundtvig on the Prairie." Henrik Bredmose writes, “There is of course a big difference between individual interviews; the long interview with Professor Mark Mattes from Grand View University, Des Moines, Iowa, is of interest to Danish theologians and church historians, while others contribute with a more general view.”

Simonsen offers a picture of the landscapes he visited. He writes, “Imagine driving mile after mile through the Midwest past maize fields and scattered farms only to arrive at a place with "Danish" high school buildings, including a tower in red stone, a church, a meeting house and a gymnasium. That was my experience back in 2010, the place in question being Danebod Folk School in Tyler, south-west Minnesota, where since 1946 the annual Danebod Folk Meeting takes place.”

The surprise did not diminish over a five-day stay. This was traditional people’s high school from morning till evening with talks, singing together, folk dance, and of course Danish food. Around 100 Danish-oriented Americans were gathered for the meeting, which for most was a reunion with friends and acquaintances.

[Henrik Bredmose Simonsen (above) can be contacted at: hbsimon@mail.dk]

"I had the pleasure of interviewing some of the participants about being part of the Grundtvigian tradition in the USA," writes Simonsen. "Their description of the relationship to Denmark differed considerably. Some had a clear answer as to what lay in the word "Grundtvigian," while for others it was a question of having grown up in Danish-American small towns with names like: Viborg, South Dakota; Askov, Minnesota; Danevang, Texas. . . They knew the Danish traditions and the Danish world view. As one of them said most tellingly, 'We lived it, we never put it into words.'"

Educating the Appalachians with the Danish Folk School: The Life and Legacy of Olive Dame Campbell

by Madison Morrison

On October 4 and 5, 2025, the John C. Campbell Folk School celebrated its centenary anniversary. One of the earliest implementations of the Danish folk school in America, the John C. Campbell Folk school has long been revered for the way it helped educate Appalachian families. However, not sufficiently celebrated is its founder Olive Dame Campbell.

Olive Campbell and her husband, John C. Campbell, began studying the Appalachian region and the culture of its people in 1908. When her husband died in 1919, Campbell spent four years compiling The Southern Highlander and Their Homeland with her husband’s notes and published it in his name. After preserving her husband’s ideas, it was time to continue their shared work. So in 1922, she traveled to Denmark to study the Danish folk school model as part of an 18-month tour of Scandinavian countries. She was accompanied by Marguerite Butler, a friend and colleague she had met at the Conference of Southern Mountain Workers. This was no small feat. They traveled by train a nd wagon around Denmark and often encountered difficulty because they didn't speak Danish. It was highly unusual at the time for a woman to travel overseas unaccompanied by a man. But Campbell was on a mission.

At one point, Campbell and Butler lived as pupils for a month Askov Folk High School , fully participating in the school’s programming to gain firsthand experience. In a letter addressed to her friends in 1922, Campbell wrote, “Our visit to Askov makes us a bit restless to be in the city fascinating as Copenhagen [is]— and more keen than ever to get to the heart of our study.” When in Copenhagen, they also attended lectures at Borup’s Folk High School, which catered to trade union and industrial groups.

The experiences excited Campbell. She saw the Danish model as an opportunity to reach and educate a group of Americans whom previous missionaries and educators had struggled to reach. Scotch-Irish culture of Appalachia would serve as the basis of the school’s educational format. John C. Campbell was founded in 1925, after she secured the land and means to support the school, and, i n February 1927, five years after her visit to Denmark, the Folk School began its first lessons in a weeklong experimental school session.

Olive Campbell gave a talk on history, a local forester named Leon Deschamps gave a talk on the “life of a tree,” another scholar spoke about public health, and Fred O. Scroggs lectured about archaeology. From the beginning, Campbell hoped to create a close family-like environment between staff and students like that at the Danish folk schools. The first classes were hosted in the farmhouse; students and faculty huddled around the warmth of a small wood stove. It was effective. By December 1927, the folk school had begun enrolling students in regular sessions. Classes ran from December until early spring, in order to allow for rural families to maintain their livelihoods.

Campbell stood out as a gifted educator. A fellow teacher, Louise Pittman noted that “Campbell was at her best in informal meetings with her students, perhaps before the open fire with a group or with one or two alone wherever chance brought them together." Campbell not only preached personal connection but also practiced it. In the early years of the school, Campbell did not take her $2,000 annual salary, even when she had previously loaned the school $3,000 (which she never received back). Campbell’s dedication to the work of the school was without question. Louise Pittman went on to say, “Wherever Olive Campbell touched life, she enriched it.”

Enrich it she did. While school numbers began with only seven students enrolled at the beginning of 1928, enrollment increased that same year when the school’s board of directors decided to allow for boarding

students. Still small in size, the school family of 18 would crowd into a farmhouse dining room to share their meals and their knowledge. From laundry and needlework to farm work and cooking, all activities were considered vital to a young person’s education. As time went on, the school fostered practical farm skills, craftsmanship, and community-building that helped Appalachian families thrive. By learning various trade skills, families earned supplemental income outside of their farming practices. The work of the school also preserved the craft and songs of Appalachian families. Rather than using education as a means of replacing the traditions and values of Appalachians, the folk school’s philosophy empowered and preserved Scotch-Irish culture.

“If the teaching is to enrich rural life,” wrote Campbell in a school newsletter, “it must be rooted in a deep belief in the country; not perhaps as it is, but as it may be: its power to satisfy; to offer a full life.”

Campbell’s strong belief in enriching rural life while honoring its culture is what allowed the school and its occupants to thrive. Today, the John C. Campbell Folk School celebrates its 100th year anniversary and while the school deserves to be celebrated, the woman who poured her lifetime into building it equally deserves celebration.

For further reading:

Campbell, Olive Dame. Appalachian Travels: The Diary of Olive Dame Campbell , edited by Elizabeth McCutchen Williams, The University Press of Kentucky, 2012.

DANCING IN THE CABBAGE PATCH – Olive Dame Campbell’s 1922 Letter on Danish Folk School Training

Making History: John C. Campbell Campbell Folk School

A Conversation with Chris Spicer about Folk Schools

by Maddie Benton

This fall, as we consider the significance of the Danish folk school and its impact particularly in America, I spoke to Chris Spicer, the former leader of the Folk Education Association of America. Spicer offered insights about the folk school and its continued significance and role in the modern community.

Spicer shared stories about his involvement in the folk school community, which he first learned about as an undergraduate. His experiences at Berea College, where the Folk Education Association of America began, and his interest in environmental education eventually led him to a position at John C. Campbell. He later became the leader of the Folk Education Association of America, an association he describes as a diverse mix of people and programs committed to experiential education.

I asked Spicer if he could define folk schools, and he laughed and said, "No." Given the diversity of folk schools, his reaction is understandable; they are nearly impossible to describe with a single, concrete definition. According to the Folk Education Association of America, folk schools began in Denmark around the mid-nineteenth century, modeled after Grundtvig’s idea about the importance of closing the “rift between life and [traditional forms of] learning.” In the early 20th century, folk schools began to form in the United States. They seek to unify “an individual . . . , cultural . . . , and democratic identity” by helping their

members learn “not just about…skills but also about human empowerment and educati[on] for participatory democracy…to inspire change for education and communities." Spicer elaborated on this definition by describing some of the central tenets of folk schools. Though he acknowledged folk schools are often characterized by their “non-competitive” atmosphere and lack of exams, Spicer instead defined them according to what he called “educational principles.” He noted that they are centers of “collaborative learning” where students are focused on “learning not only with people but also about other people” and “how to be . . . good civic-minded and democratic participant[s] in society,” echoing the FEAA’s motto of “learning for life.” Folk schools, according to Spicer, focus on educating the whole person to train them to meaningfully contribute to their communities.

Spicer’s definition highlights a key piece of the significance of folk schools: by educating the whole person, folk schools equip people to enter democratic discourse. Indeed, the folk school model is credited with transitioning Denmark to democracy. Though they are a fascinating piece of Danish-American history and culture, they are more than just an artifact and still play an active role in shaping the community today. Spicer noted that folk schools are particularly helpful in helping communities overcome prejudices. Because folk schools involve learning about the people you study with, they involve learning about those who are different from you and, as Spicer put it, crossing “social, racial, and political divides” to overcome “deep and long historical differences.” The folk school’s emphasis on educating the whole person means that it is uniquely equipped to bridge these gaps and equip people to engage in democratic conversation. Though they are a fascinating piece of Danish-American history and culture, they are more than just an artifact and still play an active role in shaping the community today.

Finally, though some might consider the folk school model dated, Spicer discussed the way that modern technology has helped strengthen the folk schools. In the last twenty years or so, the folk school as seen a remarkable resurgence, one that Spicer largely credits to new technology. The internet has introduced people to the idea of folk schools and allowed them to learn about them in ways that was not common in America before the internet. Particularly thinking about the challenges and benefits of AI, Spicer notes that it can serve as a tool to connect people to the folk school. The folk school’s work of holistic education is not negated by AI, Spicer suggests, because AI as we currently understand it only touches on the “intelligence” “component of the human experience.” Folk schools are uniquely designed to “maintain humanity in a highly technical world,” a goal that AI simply cannot achieve.

Ultimately, my conversation with Spicer proved a useful reflection on the significance and continued legacy of the folk school in America. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of John C. Campbell, where Spicer began his own journey, we can reflect upon and appreciate the rich and storied history of the folk school, while also looking forward with eager expectation to the ways that it will confront new challenges of promoting democracy and adapting to technology. The folk school provides a useful model as we strive to be well-rounded human beings who seek to better love God and one another.

A Review of Pandemic Parables and the New Paradigm by Joy Ibsen

Reviewed by Ana Wright

In Pandemic Parables and the New Paradigm , written during the COVID-19 pandemic and published earlier this year, Joy Ibsen offers a unique perspective on the social, cultural, and spiritual effects of the pandemic, and how we, as members of a post-Covid world, should respond. The book is divided into two distinct sections: a thoughtful reflection on the past and a hopeful commissioning for the future. In the first section, Ibsen shares fictional stories of life-altering experiences that people faced during the pandemic, and she urges us to consider what we can learn by contemplating both these stories and our own pandemic stories. Each scenario is thoughtfully interwoven with a sermon based on a Biblical parable, demonstrating the importance of spiritual transformation in facing challenging circumstances. The second section of the book is a discussion of “The New Paradigm,” a term coined by Peter Lorie to describe the current shift in humanity’s collective perspective after the pandemic, which Ibsen predicts will help us to “create a new earth” in which there is increased “harmony between people, technical advancement, and spirituality, growth, and transformation intertwining with one another” (183). Thus, by bringing together moving personal stories with this inspiring call to personal and collective growth, Ibsen provides an appraisal of the pandemic that is both honest and hopeful.

Ibsen points out that although many books have been published that examine the causes, events, and statistics related to the COVID-19 pandemic, far less has been written that explores the more personal, less quantifiable effects of the pandemic in the lives of individuals.

Pandemic Parables and the New Paradigm , then, fills a legitimate gap in publications related to COVID-19. Although the scenarios in the first section of the book are fictional, they resemble scenarios that many of us experienced or heard about during the pandemic, and Ibsen’s sensitive, engaging storytelling makes her characters seem like real people. Considering their stories is, in some ways, an exercise in empathy. Rather than report numbers, Ibsen reminds us that those who suffered in the pandemic were human beings, and their stories should be shared.

The sermons in this section are just as important as the stories that they are woven into. Each one illuminates a biblical parable with thoughtful, practical insight, and Ibsen cites her father, Harald Ibsen, and the theologian and educator NFS Grundtvig as primary inspirations for these teachings. Indeed, Grundtvig’s four principles, which Ibsen summarizes as “love life, love nature, love people; and love learning” (183), are evident throughout. By honoring each other, expressing gratitude for our lives, and seeking personal growth, we pave the road to a brighter future. To quote Pastor Maria, the fictional pastor who delivers the sermons, “with God’s help, we can create a new world built on a foundation of love, deep gratitude, respect, and concern for all people” (46).

In the second section, which discusses the New Paradigm, rather than intertwining her insights with real-world stories, Ibsen switches to a more didactic tone, describing each element of the New Paradigm and referencing the teachings that have informed her own reflections. The content of this section is fascinating, and I was led to reflect on how the principles of the New Paradigm could benefit my own life. I did note, however, that the separate headings for each topic made the presentation feel slightly disjointed, and I found myself yearning for a more cohesive organizing structure to help focus the impact of her significant, almost prophetic, message to modern society.

This section is followed, however, by a detailed and very well-organized Appendix. Ibsen provides a biography of Harald Ibsen's writings, and a description of N.F.S. Grundtvig and the Folk School educational model which he established. She even includes a speech from President Obama honoring the impact of Grundtvig’s work in America! The appendix offers helpful background information for the book, and it illuminates the significance of the Grundtvigian tradition for those who may be unfamiliar with it. This is particularly important because, as she predicts, “I feel we may well be rounding the bend and making progress toward a more humane and spiritual world, one which resonates with the four Grundtvigian principles” (196). Indeed, we all have much to learn from these principles, and Ibsen’s work represents them well.

Ultimately then, the book’s message of individual wholeness, communal unity, and spiritual light shines brightly in our dark and divided world. Ibsen reminds us that while there is much to lament, there is also much to celebrate, and we have the power to make the world a better place. “What a wonderful time to be alive!” (183) she exclaims, and I am inclined to agree.

Meet the Church and Life co-editors

Maddie Benton

I am a senior at Samford University majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in History. I chose these areas of study to learn to be a better thinker, communicator, student of the past, and loving neighbor. I have always loved writing stories; writing enables us to think critically unlike any other medium, generating and refining our ideas as we put pen to paper. Writing also serves as a conduit for connection, enabling us to learn the intricate details of other cultures and to better empathize with those unlike ourselves. I have always loved studying the past, and one of my favorite things about writing is the way it connects us across history. We can read stories from centuries before and get a glimpse into a world gone long before we were born. Writing can also serve as a powerful act of worship as we write in a way that glorifies God by honoring the people we write about and the stories we communicate. Because of these powerful tenets of writing, I am thrilled to work with Church and Life , using writing to connect cultures and explore rich Danish history, especially in relation to the church and its storied past.

I love not only writing but also teaching and encouraging others to be the best writers they can be a role I have been able to fulfill as a Creative Writing editor for Samford’s peer-reviewed journal, Wide Angle , and co-director of the Samford's Writing Center. I hope to continue to grow as a writer in graduate school and become an author and perhaps a professor, telling the stories of the past to the present and teaching those around me that anyone can write and everyone has something meaningful to say.

Madison Morrison

I am an English major at Samford University with a special interest in Philosophy and Biblical Studies. As the author of two faith-based newsletters on Substack, I enjoy exploring how faith and culture intersect with one another in the modern day.

Having spent half of my life in the sunny state of California and the other half in Georgia, I embody a blend of two vastly different cultures. This background is, in large part, why I am eager to explore how Danish- American culture and community traditions are preserved in America through Church and Life . I have a deep appreciation for how two places can shape a unique perspective on life and the world.

I hope to tell stories that translate the vivid life and culture that exists beyond the page as I contribute to Church and Life.

Ana Wright

I am a senior English major at Samford University, with minors in Biblical Studies and Music. I chose this path of study because I believe that the stories people tell and the songs that they sing offer windows not only into their individual lives, but also into the cultures and times they inhabit. I am fascinated by the interconnectedness of language, culture, and religion, and in our increasingly globalized modernity, I think it is more important than ever to honor and celebrate cultures that are different from our own. By studying and sharing stories and songs, I hope to expand my perspective on the beauty and diversity of humanity and better understand what my own place within it is as a writer, musician, and lover of God and people.

I was born and raised in the backwoods of Alabama, in the same house that both my father and grandfather were raised in, and I grew up listening to family legends and running wild in the woods around our property. This fostered a deep appreciation for rootedness and the importance of place in shaping identity and worldview.

My mother, however, is descended from one of the earliest settlers of The Bahamas, where she was born and raised but left behind when she married my dad. Watching her continually adapt to the culture of Alabama while still treasuring her own heritage has shown me both the impact of being uprooted from one’s place of origin and the importance of remembering and sharing stories to preserving one’s cultural identity.

I am incredibly grateful, therefore, for the opportunity to contribute to Church and Life , not only to learn more about Danish folk tradition and the Danish-American community, but also to get to play a part in sharing meaningful stories and celebrating Danish culture, because I know how important such things are. I have much to learn from the Grundtvigian tradition, and I hope that through this experience I will learn how better to live a truly simple life, with a merry heart.

Postscript: The Heart, the Head, and the Hands . . . Education and Democracy

By Brad Busbee

On October 7, my department at Samford hosted an event about Folk School education. We called the event "The Heart, the Head, and the Hands: A Roundtable on Education and Democracy" and, as the title suggests, our primary goals were to tell the story of the journey of the Danish folk school idea from the mind of N.F.S. Grundtvig to America and to talk about how folk schools might be a solution to the problems of a divided society. The title also emphasized other ideas central to Grundtvig's ideas about education, one being the importance of an open, happy heart and the second, the importance of shared physical activity. We wanted to stress the necessity of physical proximity in learning and in building community.

The presenters came as a group of five to Alabama at the end of a whirlwind tour. They had traveled from their homes in Denmark, Tennessee, and Washington first to Highlander Research and Education Center in Tennessee for the school's annual Homecoming event, then to John C. Campbell for its 100th anniversary, then to the Alabama Folk School, where I met them and accompanied them on tours of the Farm School, Environmental School, and Folk School. Three of the five travelers made it to Samford to take part in the roundtable. One of the presenters was my long-time friend Anders Holm, who is a professor of Theology at Copenhagen University and an expert on Grundtvig (his book The Essential N.F.S. Grundtvig has been translated into nine languages). He was there to talk about ideological foundations. Another presenter was the Reverend Allyn Steele, Co-Director of Highlander Research and Education Center in Tennessee (the famed folk school where Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks, among others, studied). Steele described the folk school as a form of faith in action. And the third presenter was Daniel Waid Marshall, the Director of the Sand Mountain Cooperative Education Center in Alabama (which was inspired by Highlander). Marshall talked about his new school, how it works, and why it's important.

It's unusual to see a large crowd of university students gathered in a lecture hall on a Tuesday night, but they came and had lots of questions. I introduced the presenters and asked the audience to bear in mind the central question of the night: What does education have to do with democracy? I then handed the microphone off the presenters so each could tell about themselves and their perspective on folk schools. Then, the crowd began to ask questions, and things got interesting.

I've known about folk education for some time now, but I was surprised by some of the questions, which revealed anxiety about community and identity in the current context. Some students wondered about the feasibility of the model described. Does it work with diverse student populations? How is it financially viable? What benefits are there to a career? I'm sure that readers who know much more than I do about the folk school tradition will nod knowingly at these kinds of questions. They're the ones we anticipate; they’re reasonable but a little hard to answer.

Professor Holm reminded us about Grundtvig's initial motivations. At the time, Denmark had a new constitution, and Grundtvig worried that, without education, rural farmers would not have an equal say in their government. He believed in the testament of living communities and the power of tradition as keys to his understanding of the Christian faith and to education . So he conceived of a new kind of education that would be deeply democratic. Students would work with their hands and talk with their hearts and thereby learn from one another. His followers would coin the truism that "demokrati er dialog." And if folks today are wondering if people in society today are losing the ability to have meaningful dialogue, we might find a way forward through the folk school model of education.

Reverend Steele told the compelling story of Highlander, how -- like Olive Campbell--Miles Horton and others travelled to Denmark to learn about the Danish folk school and came back to American with a set ideas that appealed to them. For Horton, that idea is that education should be for the common good . To establish it, he believed that there has to be useful, constructive conflict --the sort of tension that Steve Olsen and the planners of Danebod work hard to cultivate. The question is, how do we manage those tensions? Students wanted to know, and the question seemed to make some of them uncomfortable.

Daniel Waid Marshall brought these ideas together. He told how he had read Miles Horton's biography, The Long Haul , and it had changed his life. He told about his upbringing in California, early teaching career in New York, and his decision to move to Alabama and open a folk school. He asked the students if they realized that their grandparents and great-grandparents were part of many overlapping organizations that brought them into everyday interaction with other people, outside of their places of work and worship. And he asked them why it is that we isolate ourselves from one another today. For Marshall it is a matter of physical proximity , and the folk school is a way for people to see each other as people, each valuable in their own special way .

These stories and the ones shared in this issue about Danebod and John C. Campbell are reminders about the power of purposeful, joyful community.

Gifts to Church and Life

Supporting contributors: ($21-50)

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Thank you for your support!

All readers are welcome to make a donation clicking on the “Make a Donation” icon when they enter the website churchandlife.com or they can mail a check (Pay to the order of Church and Life) to:

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Willmar MN 56201.

A donation of any amount will be appreciated and will be tax deductible. And if you alone, with a group of friends, with your family, or on behalf of your business or institution, want to sponsor a whole issue, the cost is $ 1,500. We are happy to work with you about the sponsorship.

August 2025

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 21:57:17 GMT

Church and Life

Volume LXXIII, Number 4

Welcome to the August 2025 Issue!

This issue of Church and Life joins students and teachers and learners of all kinds who are preparing for a return to learning communities whether they be elementary, high school, college, or folk school gatherings like Danebod Folk Meeting in Minnesota, Highlander Homecoming in Tennessee, or the John C. Campbell 100th Anniversary Celebration in North Carolina. The issue opens with one of N.F.S. Grundtvig's most famous songs about enlightenment "Er lyset for de lærde blot" (Is the light only for the learned) in a translation by Edward Broadbridge . Then, Marie Præst-Holm tells about her experiences as a teacher in Denmark and about the differences between Danish and American high schools, and Peter Burhmann recounts his visit to John C. Campbell and the basic principles of education that he was reminded of. In his regular "Dateline Denmark" column, Edward Broadbridge offers a perspective of Hans Christian Andersen on the 150th anniversary of the writer's death. Andrés Albertsen shares a homily for August 10th, and we introduce Madison Morrison , the first of three student guest editors who will be working on Church and Life for the next three issues. (The other two student editors will be introduced in October). The Postscript by the editor offers an introduction to the newly available archive of Church and Life .

For the October issue, we will be focusing on Autumn and the changing of the seasons-- of culture and memorable events of the church and community calendar and of life and milestones in individual experience. We welcome submissions all kinds about about Fall . You may send them directly to the editor at either mbusbee@samford.edu or churchandlife1952@gmail.com .

As always, we want to thank our supporters, particularly The National Foundation for Danish America , which generously shares information about this publication in its own newsletter. We also appreciate those who generously offer financial support, as well as who those submit articles for publication. We look forward to hearing from you!

"Is spelling right or wrong a light?"

A translation by Edward Broadbridge of N.F.S. Grundtvig's song "Er lyset for de lærde blot" (1839)

Is spelling right or wrong a light

alone to scholars given?

O no, God grants this good to most,

His light a gift of heaven.*

The sunrise on the peasant shines,**

but on the scholar never,

enlightenment the agile man

in all his bright endeavor.

Is light alone in planets set,

which have no sight or tongue?

Is not the Word within our mouth

for each the light that sprung? †

It lights the spirit-world for us

and feels like sunshine bright'ning

it touches bodies from above,

and strikes the soul like lightning.

Is light sometimes in certain ways

worth less than full-blown praises?

O no, it cannot be life's eye ††

unless on all it blazes!

Should we, the spirit to abuse,

forsake the vault of heaven,

prefer to see but murk and gloom

than summer sunshine redden?

No, never shall the North be said

to wish the light be darkling!

Aurora-like in free-born words

we saw the heavens sparkling;

and at the North Pole we shall see

- not just for all that's mortal -

the summer sun refuse to yield

to midnight's darkest portal.

Enlightenment must be our joy,

regard to small things giving,

but always with the people's voice

enlightenment for living;

It springs from people's greatest feats,

it waxes full when aided!

Long may it burn as councils meet

till Venus' love has faded. ¶

Notes: * Genesis 1:3ff; **because the peasant wakes with the sunrise; † John 1:11ff; †† from a Danish proverb: "Light is good as eye"; ¶ Venus, the "evening star," is the goddess of love.

Source: Broadbridge, Edward. "Is spelling right or wrong a right," in Living Wellsprings: The Hymns, Songs, and Poems of N.F.S. Grundtvig. Aarhus UP, 2015, pages 175-76.

Read further about the song here (and choose the English translation option).

Notes from a Teacher in Denmark

By Marie Præst-Holm, Roskilde, Denmark

A year of teaching in Denmark and the US – differences and similarities

Around Midsummer's Day, this year's students graduated from Himmelev Gymnasium in Roskilde, Denmark, where I am a high school teacher. Graduation is a time filled with both joy and sadness. Teachers feel proud that another group of young people has completed their high school education and that they may have played a small role in their academic and personal development. At the same time, it is also a little sad to say goodbye to students you have followed closely for three years and who are now going out into the world – in all sorts of directions.

Fortunately, the summer holidays are just around the corner, bringing a little peace and quiet after the hectic June activities of exam preparation, grading, graduation parties, and farewell speeches. When the holidays are over and August approaches, however, teachers prepare to welcome a new group of young people who are about to begin their high school education. Life as a high school teacher is thus a cycle – you welcome, teach, support, and finally say goodbye before it all starts over again. It is meaningful work that, despite the repetitions, is never quite the same because it always involves young people in development.

This teaching cycle is not unique to Denmark – teachers in the US will probably recognize it too. The basic purpose is the same: to equip young people academically while supporting their personal development. But how we do it varies. I have never taught in the US myself, but my three children all attended high school there – in both Alabama and Illinois – and this has given me an interesting insight into both the differences and similarities between the Danish and American school systems. In the following, I will share some of my most striking impressions.

The school year and daily teaching

First and foremost, the school year follows roughly the same rhythm in both countries: it begins in August. In Denmark, however, the school year does not end until around Midsummer, while American students often go on summer vacation as early as late May or early June. American students therefore have longer vacations, while the distribution of shorter vacations throughout the year is quite similar—with fall break, Christmas break, and spring break (known as Easter break in Denmark) being the most common.

One of the most obvious differences is the way in which students' education is organized. In Denmark, high school students are divided into fixed classes of approximately 25-30 students, with whom they take all subjects for all three years – with the exception of a few elective subjects. This organization creates strong social bonds and a fixed point of reference in everyday life. My children say that it is very different in the US, where students have individual timetables and take different subjects with different groups of students. This means that you don't get the same class spirit as in Denmark. On the other hand, you get to know more of your classmates in the US.

There are also differences in the daily structure. In the US, you typically have the same schedule and the same subjects every day throughout the semester. In Denmark, the schedule often changes – both in terms of subjects and the number of modules per day. This arrangement requires students to check their schedule every day, pack their bags accordingly, and prepare for the right subjects. It also provides flexibility and variety, but it can also be confusing– and result in forgotten books.

However, the advantage of the Danish model is that all subjects and teachers can be scheduled at different times of the day, so that some teachers do not always have to teach tired students in the late afternoon.

Teaching methods and learning environment

In Denmark, students usually have their own classroom, which they use for most subjects. They can personalize the space and

create an environment where they feel at home. Teachers, on the other hand, “visit” the classroom for lessons and leave when the module is over. Only for science subjects and physical education do students change classrooms.

At Himmelev Gymnasium, where I teach History and Geography, a module lasts 90 minutes. A typical module is varied and consists of several sequences. These can be short teacher presentations (rarely longer than 10 minutes), individual assignments, group work, and presentations. Students often leave the classroom during the module to use group rooms or workspaces around the school, which requires self-discipline and responsibility—but also gives them ownership and shared ownership of their own learning. As a result, the teacher becomes more of a guide who supports the process than someone who “stands and talks.”

Teacher-student relationships

Finally, there is the social tone that distinguishes Denmark's educational system from that of many other countries. In Denmark, the relationship between teachers and students is characterized by a high degree of informality. Students address us teachers by our first names and often have opinions about both teaching methods and content. This encourages engagement and participation, but it can also mean that we sometimes have to spend time discussing topics that the students do not always have a full understanding of. And yes, it can be a bit tedious in the fourth module on a Friday afternoon.

Now it is August again, and in a few days the school year will begin anew—both in Denmark and in the US. And just like the students, I am excited to be a teacher. I wonder: Which young people will I get to know? What challenges and joys will this school year bring? Because even though the cycle repeats itself year after year, nothing is quite the same as before – because it's all about people. And that is precisely what makes teaching so meaningful.

A Visit to John C. Campbell Folk School

By Peter Burhmann, Berlin, Germany and Aabenraa, Denmark

Note: Dr. Peter Buhrmann is the director of the Association of Folk Schools in Germany. His office is in Berlin and, being that he is a Danish citizen, he travels regularly between Denmark and Germany. In the following piece, Buhrmann recounts his visit to John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, in September of 2024.

It takes me by surprise every time! At the John C. Campbell Folk School, which I was fortunate enough in September of last year, it hit me when I walked into one of several classes I visited that day. In the Broom-Making Class, a focused group of people formed a circle with their chairs. They were looking at their brooms, but also at each other. There was talking, sometimes laughing. Someone would help someone else: Maybe a finger was needed to hold down a broom straw, maybe some piece of advice was needed. Before my visit, I had no knowledge of broom-making at all – I thought a broom was something you brought at the hardware store. At John C. Campbell, I found myself looking at previously unimaginable versions of brooms of different lenghts and made of different materials. And I understood that a certain valuable and specific aspect of culture and heritage was being kept alive in that class. In the room was a shared sense of what everyone was doing. After a few minutes, I noticed that this feeling of togetherness was what the class was really all about. Everyone shared a common interest; everyone was interested in each other.

I have been working with Folk Schools for the entirety of my professional life. For 12 years I was principal of a Folk School in southern Denmark, and I have worked with Folk Schools on an international, European level. For the last 5 years, I have been the director of the Association of Folk Schools in Germany. In this position, I have seen at least a hundred Folk Schools.

Still, I was naive enough to expect a Boom-Making Class that morning at John C. Campbell to be about broom-making. It wasn’t. And I remembered again that it is the internal strength of Folk Schools that they surprise you every time. What appears to be a class on brooms is actually about very basic and important inter-human relationships. The class could have been on just about any topic. Being together, focusing on a common topic, transporting knowledge—these things make up the idea of enlightenment that Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig, the founding father of the folk-school concept, was talking about way back in the middle of the 19th century.

In 1839, in one of his most famous songs, titled "Er lyset for de lærde blot" (which is translated above), Grundtvig declaired, “Oplysning være skal vor lyst, / er det så kun om sivet," which I translate as "Let enlightenment be our desire! Is it then only about the straw?“ How fitting that Grundtvig’s famous words came to me after visiting a broom-making class!

It definitely isn't only about the straw. John C. Campbell offers many different classes like Calligraphy, Printmaking, Basketry, Blacksmithing, Woodworking, Clay, Dance, Drawing and much more. In the Calligraphy class, I was impressed with the enthusiasm for a topic so unusual with participants so dilligent in perfecting a skill so delicate, while elsewhere people are sitting in front of computers instead of using their hands. In Blacksmithing class, I felt like I was walking right into medieval times. It was noisy, hot with intense fires, and the smell of metal was everywhere.

The most identifying theme at John C. Campbell is probably woodworking. At the History Centre, a bench is exhibited that signifies the founding of the Brass Town Carvers. One day, Olive Campbell, the wife of John C. Campbell and the founder of the folk school, had noticed a group of men “idly whittlin” with their pocket knives.

Denmark is flat and the highest point is 500 feet above sea level, so traveling to the mountains is always a treat for a Dane. John C. Campbell is set in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. We drove up from Birmingham, Alabama, which sits in the foothills of the Appalachians. As the hills grew higher and higher, I got more and more excited. The hills at Brasstown near the school are covered in trees and even though the day was hot, I thought I could feel the approaching fall. The dirt roads, the trees, the views, the small towns—it all came together as we drove across a small bridge onto the campus. The school is a cluster of many smaller buildings, or studios, as they call them. This means that you go in and out of the buildings all the time when you walk around campus. I kind of lost the sense of inside and outside. The surrounding landscape became an integral part of the school. And it was very beautiful. When I was talking with people inside, I would seize upon even a momentary change of topic to look outside to make sure the hills were still there.

Denmark may be the birth place of the Folk Schools, or "folkehøjskolen," as we call it. But the folk schools around the world are very different. And John C. Campbell is certainly different from any folk school that I have seen in Denmark or Germany. The language, the people, and the culture are obviously different. But still, the focuses on the social aspect of being together, on enlightenment, and on the connection between the mind, the hand and the heart is repeated every time. No matter how different the schools seem to be on the surface, I was once again reminded of this defining trait at John C. Campbell Folk School in September of 2024.

Sermon on Luke 12:32-40 at Iglesia Luterana Paz y Esperanza, Willmar, MN

By Pastor Andrés Albertsen (andresa@vinjechurch.com)

What do we expect from the future?

And another question: What difference does what we expect from the future make in the way we live today?

Some people expect nothing good. Maybe because of the news, because of past experiences, or because of the hardness of this world, they feel that the future will only bring more problems.

Others, on the other hand, literally expect what the first Letter to the Thessalonians says:

The voice of command will be heard, the voice of an archangel and the sound of the trumpet of God, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. The dead in Christ will rise first; after that, those of us who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.

But today’s text gives us another option—a different vision. It assures us that the Father, in his goodness, has decided to give us the Kingdom. And if the Father has already decided to give us the Kingdom, that means the Kingdom—Jesus Christ himself—is already among us.

And how does Jesus come among us?

He does not appear surrounded by armies or seated on a golden throne. He comes in another way: in the one who is hungry, in the one who is thirsty, in the stranger who seeks a place to stay, in the one who has no clothes to wear, in the sick person, in the one who is in prison.

In a story Jesus tells in the Gospel of Matthew, the King speaks to those who cared for all these people and says, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; receive the Kingdom that has been prepared for you since the creation of the world.” And what is the reason? Jesus himself says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” That is to say: Jesus comes to us in those who need help. And serving those people is serving Christ himself.

But the teaching does not end there.

If we look carefully, we will see that there are already people meeting

those needs—people caring for others, defending the weak, working for peace, protecting the planet God has given us. We are not alone in this task. And it is not foolish to try to make a difference.

Each of us can contribute our part. And when we put our efforts together, the difference will be even greater.

And something else: at this moment—or at some other moment in our lives—you or I might be the ones who need the help of others. And there is nothing wrong with that. It is part of life. In those moments, we must learn to ask for help with humility and without shame, and to receive it with gratitude.

Because there are two dangers that threaten us:

To become cynical, the kind of person who no longer believes in anything and no longer cares about anything, or to fall into despair that paralyzes us and sinks us into sadness.

But today, Jesus offers us a better way. He calls us to live attentively, like those who expect something good, like those who know the Lord is present here and now. He invites us to be prepared and to keep our lamps burning, ready to recognize him in the face of the one who needs us.

Amen.

Prayers

Lord Jesus Christ ,

You tell us not to be afraid of what the future holds, not to worry about tomorrow. But you know how hard it is for us to follow your words. We worry about so many things—our families, our friends, our situations. Some of our worries are big, and others are small.

We bring you our big worries: about our health, our happiness, and our safety—for ourselves and those we love. We bring you our deep concerns for the world we live in and whether it has a future. We bring you our sorrow over the way people are treated—people who are exploited, tortured, helpless, or abused. We bring you our grief over a world torn by conflict and war, and a world that lives in fear, without a clear hope for the days to come.

Father God,

We know that you care about every part of our lives. So we also bring the smaller things that trouble us—the things that keep us awake at night, the things that only you know. We pray for a world that often lacks joy, is too busy to enjoy what you have made, and too distracted by survival to truly live.

Living God ,

Reach out to all those who face the future with fear and uncertainty. Assure them that you are with them, even when the path ahead feels dark and their lives seem out of control. Remind them that you are the one who can bring healing and hope, even in the bleakest situations.

Lord ,

We need your love. We need your hope. We need your peace, your joy, and your salvation. We offer our prayers in faith, trusting that you listen and answer.

Amen.

Dateline Denmark

By Edward Broadbridge

H.C. Andersen’s

Death

The three great Danish writers of the 19 ^th century are Søren Kierkegaard (1813-55), N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783-1872), and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-75). Their anniversaries are regularly celebrated, the latest being the 150 ^th anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen’s death on the 4 August. On that day at 11.04, the precise moment of his death, the cathedral bells of Odense, his hometown, rang out for ten minutes; all the national media carried clips and articles about H.C. Andersen. Yes, in Denmark he is known by his initials, not by his Christian names, so the famous film and song about him in Danny Kaye’s 1952 portrayal is only what the rest of the world calls him.

His life story must be read elsewhere. Like Grundtvig, Andersen was given a huge burial from the Church of Our Saviour, with King Christian IX himself in attendance. He lies in Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen. Already in his lifetime he was immensely popular, thanks to the widespread circulation of his novels in Germany from the mid-1830s and his fairy tales from the late 1830s onwards. His breakthrough in England and America occurred in the mid-1840s, encompassing both his novels and tales. In Denmark he is also famous for his travel writings – about Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and England. Every Dane knows the quote: “To travel is to live”. And every Dane knows his song "In Denmark I was born." I beg to insert a personal anecdote into the latter, for every time I sing it, I have to insert a quiet little "not" before "born"; only then can I carry on with the next line, “and there my home is."

Privately, Andersen cut a lonely figure. He was probably bisexual, never married, never had children and, according to himself, died a virgin. He listed with a cross in his diaries how often he masturbated: “My blood is churning. Huge sensuality and struggle with myself. If it really is a sin to satisfy this powerful urge, then let me fight it. I am still innocent, but my blood is burning” ( Diaries 80).

Andersen was also socially awkward, not least according to Charles Dickens, whom he visited in 1857. After a lengthy correspondence Dickens unwisely wrote that Andersen could pay him a visit, if he was ever in England. Needing no second bidding, Andersen arrived at Gad’s Hill, Dickens’s country home, in June of that year for a fortnight. “My visit is for you alone,” he wrote. “Above all, always leave me a small corner in your heart.” Andersen stayed a full five weeks, until he at last sensed that he was no longer welcome. He cried on his departure, and afterwards sent along an apology note: “Kindly forget the unfavorable aspect which our life together may have shown you of me.”

Let us remember him best as the writer of immortal fairy-tales, loved in every Danish household to this day. And let us remember the wonderful apocryphal story about Andersen’s casket, namely that he wanted holes bored in it at eye-level so that he could see who attended his funeral – and who didn’t!

See Andersen, Hans Christian. The Diaries of Hans Christian Andersen, translated by Patricia L. Conroy and Sven L. Rossel, Seattle and London, 1990.

Meet an editorial staff member for October, December, and February

Madison Morrison

Note: Madison Morrison is one of three Assistant Student Editors who will be serving on the staff during the fall semester. Below, she introduces herself.

Having spent half of my life in the sunny state of California and the other half in Georgia, I embody a blend of two vastly different cultures. This background is, in large part, why I am eager to explore how Danish- American culture and community traditions are preserved in America through Church and Life. I have a deep appreciation for how two places can shape a unique perspective on life and the world.

I hope to tell stories that translate the vivid life and culture that exists beyond the page as I contribute to Church and Life.

Remembrance is one of the foremost ways we can preserve a culture and facilitate renewed enthusiasm for it. For that reason, I am deeply grateful and excited to be a part of this work!”

Postscript: The Church and Life Archive

By Brad Busbee

Through a collaboration of DAAL (Danish American Archive and Library), MoDA (Museum of Danish America), and Grand View University, issues of Church and Life from its beginnings to 2014 (1,015 issues) are now available online in a special archive that can be accessed by anyone. Here is the link: Church and Life Archive .

The puplication was called Kirke og Folk from its first issue on March 10, 1952, until the change to its current title on July 15, 1983. Most articles in the 1983 issue were still Danish, though English summaries followed. It was a change apparently brought about by the death of the editor Johannes Knudsen and the urging of Danish Interest Conference and the new editor, Thorvald Hansen. In his opening remarks for the December 1982 issue, the Hansen wrote:

To contemplate replacing Johannes Knudsen as editor is alone enough to deflate the most pronounced ego. . . I do not plan any drastic changes, though there will inevitably be some changes. I can say that I do not plan to edit the paper exactly as he did. . . One change in Kirke og Folk will be evident from the very outset. The last page has been the location for two editorials, one in English and one in Danish. I do not plan to write Danish editorials. This is in no way intended to minimize the Danish. I fully intend that the body of the paper shall reflect the best that is available to me in both Danish and English. (Hansen, p. 66)

His reasons for this change were, first, that while he could read and write Danish well enough, he could express himself in English better and, second, that he wanted the contents of Kirke og Folk to reach a broader audience. Another change initiated by the DIC and Hansen early on was that the publication would appear once each month on the 15th, rather on the 10th and 25th. In the early years, issues were sent free of charge to about 750 individuals, but within a short time that number grew to 1000.

Whether or not you can read Danish, the archive is full of unexpected treasures. The first editor, Holger Strandskov, explained in the very first issue that Kirke og Folk was intended to be a link "on this side of the Atlantic" to replace Dannevirke , a popular, privately published paper for Danish immigrants to America that ran from 1882 to 1951. In the first issue, Strandskov asks rhetorically, "What do we have to bring to contribute to such a magazine?" His answer:

We have a wealth of spiritual forces to draw from, if only we open ourselves to and be filled with the abundance of life. We are not poor if we will draw forth and make use of all the spiritual values that God has given us, the individual as well as the church.

Paul Wilkman took over as editor between October of 1952 and April of 1959 to help Strandskov who was already a full time priest and the editor of Lutheran Tidings . Wilkman began his seven-year tenure with a brief appeal for "good wishes" and a request that the magazine be regarded as a "cooperative effort" on the part of readers and the editor. He closed his brief editorial statement by reminding readers that the magazine would no longer be sent free, but would cost $1.50 a year (10 Oct. 1952, page 8).

The next long-serving editor was Michael Mikkelsen, who stepped into the position in 1960, and served until November of 1970. Would Kirke og Folk join heated discussions of the Civil Rights movement? Not as much as modern readers might expect, but the issues were robust, typically much longer than the standard 16 pages from previous years. I noticed, for example, that the letters to the editor were engaging and thoughtful.

In the November 1970 issue, the DIC wrote:

Kirke og Folk is the only Danish-American church magazine still published in this country. It has been and is a significant link between those of us who have our roots in Danish folk and congregational life. It would be a great loss if we did not have it. . . (Nov 10, 1970, page 5)

And so Johannes Knudsen was chosen to carry on the tradition until his death in 1982. One of my favorite passages in the archive appears in Knudsen's "Editor's Page" on the 10th of May, 1975, where he addresses the advancing sexual revolution. Knudsen writes:

[The dominate view of sex has] been shaped by moralistic interpretations or Calvinism and pietistic Lutheranism, augmented by methodistic revivalism and culminating in Victorianism. Sex is a reluctantly accepted necessity that is justified only by a legally controlled monogamy.

Against this restrictive norm there has been a great revolution. . . The protest takes the form of divorces, of unlegal relations, of family life in a larger group, of public childcare, etc. What will come out of this no one can really predict. It takes several generations to produce a new norm that will be the context of morality. But we are well under way; the first phase of reconstruction - the revolution - is almost over.

What we must do now is to work hard to make the new norm practical, positive, responsible, and with a built-in respect for basic values of individuality and community. One thing seems certain; the extreme individualism of the revolt must give way to a strong concern for the group. Otherwise it cannot be a norm. (10 May 1975, page 16)

What a rational, if not prolix, response!

Knudsen was an adroit editor with deep knowledge in many topics related directly to Church and Life. (For example, Knudsen produced a compelling biography of N.F.S. Grundtvig, titled Danish Rebel. The Life of N. F. S. Grundtvig. ) From my perspective, Hansen was right to be intimidated by the work of his predecessor. But Hansen was himself a wonderful editor of Church and Life , producing approximately 250 articles over the years. His self-published collection, titled What Does Thorvald Hansen Say?, is well worth the read.

And so are the last issues currently available in the archive. The last ones, dating to 2014, were published under Joy Ibsen's artful leadership. Ibsen tackles the political and cultural issues head-on in her Postscripts and therefore brings a fresh new energy to the publication.

The archive remains incomplete-- volumes from 2015 to the present have yet to be digitized--but it already provides a fascinating overview of a storied publication.

See Hansen, Thorvald. What Does Thorvald Hansen Have to Say. CreateSpace, 2013.

Gifts to Church and Life

Supporting contributors: ($21-50)

Susan and Albert Bodaski

Asta and Arlen Twedt

Thank you for your support!

June 2025

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:04:57 GMT

Church and Life

Volume LXXIII, Number 3

Highlights from this issue

The cover of the June edition of Church and Life features the famous painting Sankt Hansblus på Skagen strand (Midsummer Eve Bonfire on Skagen Beach) by the Danish artist P.S. Krøyer . This issue celebrates summer with a story about Krøyer's painting and memories of midsummers past by Ed Amundson , Craig McKee , Andrés Albertsen , and Brad Busbee. Reagan Gage offers an article about Saint Francis Lutheran Church in San Francisco. And Edward Broadbridge reports about Denmark's growing population.

We close this issue with two announcements-- from the Danish Museum of America about Sank Hans Aften celebration and from Anita Young about how to register for Danebod-- and with a postscript by the editor.

For our next issue, to be published on August 15th, our theme will be education in the Danish American experience. We would like to feature stories, commentaries, and memories from you about your experiences at Folk Schools or events like past Danebod Folk Meetings. Please send your stories (or any comment or question) directly to the editor at churchandlife1952@gmail.com or mbusbee@samford.edu.

We want to give thanks to all of our readers and supporters , particularly the National Foundation for Danish America for helping to publicize Church and Life. Please share the link with all of your friends and family.

Sankt Hansblus på Skagen strand

by Brad Busbee

We chose the painting by Peder Severin Krøyer for the cover of this issue for two reasons: First, it's one of my favorite Danish paintings and, second, because it so aptly captures the mood of a June evening in front of a flaming bonfire. Krøyer's celebration takes place on the beach near Skagen, at the northern-most point of Jutland. Summer has just begun, and even though it is the middle of the year, the scene and the event somehow evoke New Year's Eve. In the atmosphere are feelings of warmth and excitement, anticipation and community.

The bonfire in Krøyer's painting does not resemble the Midsummer's Eve bonfires common in America or Denmark today. At that time in Denmark, it was common to stack tar barrels and set them on fire. But other aspects of the painting are likely familiar to readers of Church and Life, no matter what traditions they follow.

Lisette Vind Ebbesen, the director of the Skagen Art Museum, points out that the painting isn't just a depiction of Danish tradition. She claims the painting is about the things that mattered most to the artist. If we look closely, we can see that Krøyer is emphasizing community and his own life as a man and father.

It is curious to note that the artist himself does not appear in the scene. To the right of the fire are the local people. The children sit in a line on the ground, and on the left stand a number of famous artists (including, for example, the poet, dramatist, and painter Holger Drachmann, in a white beard and black overcoat, standing tall near the middle-left.) While Krøyer places the artists and town leaders on bright side of the circle, enjoying the full light of the fire, and the everyday Skagen residents on the darker side, all forty-two people, no matter their social rank, are gathered under a benevolent full moon, looking in the same direction-- towards each other and the fire.

The painting therefore emphasizes not only individuality but also interrelationships and relationships with Krøyer. Some of those relationships are complicated: For example, near the very middle but distanced somewhat, leaning on an overturned boat, is Marie Krøyer, the artist's wife, but she's standing intimately close to another man, the composer Hugo Alfvén. (Marie ended up leaving Krøyer for Alfvén the year the painting was completed.) Another conspicuous figure on left edge of the painting is a little girl in a white dress holding a hat. She is Krøyer's daughter, Vibeke, whom he adored.

See further: The Skagen Museum of Art

Thomsen, Sara Maarup, "P. S. Krøyer var en kunstner i krise, da han

skabte sit måske stærkeste billede," Kristeligt Dagblad, 12/22/2017.

Midsummer in Norway, 1972

by Edward Amundson

Here is my memory of a Midsummer celebration in Northern Norway. In the summer of 1972, I was heading to the International Summer School at the University of Bergen. At the time I was between my junior and senior years at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), in Tacoma, WA. There was time to visit family in Norway prior to the beginning of Summer School, so I headed far north to Mo i Rana, Helgeland.

I had been north before, in 1970 while on choir tour with the PLU "Choir of the West." I was the first of my family to visit Norway since my great grandmother, Nilsine Didriksdatter, and her family had emigrated to Hayward, WI, in 1893. Nilsine had a sister, Henriette who stayed behind on the home place at Sund to care for an aging grandmother. It was her two boys with whom I visited: Bjarne and Paul and their families. They were my grandmother's first cousins.

The family farm was on an arm of the large Ranafjord which cut into the land all the way to the town of Mo. My family were historically fishermen, boatbuilders, and fjord-side farmers. Large boat houses lay behind the house jutting out into the fjord. It was an ethereal place, with the fjord and the dramatic snow-capped mountains in the background.

When Sankt Hans arrived, we went down to the boat house, climbed into the waiting "Ranabaat" and rowed across the fjord to a lovely promontory called Utskarpen. There, a large Sankt Hans Baal (bonfire) was waiting to be lit. Bjarne's wife Hanna had a large hamper of food prepared for the occasion.

The Fjord at Utskarpen

There was sursild (pickled herring), roket laks (smoked salmon), polse med lompe (hotdogs to be grilled on the fire and then rolled in small lefse), smaakaker (cookies), and plenty of beer and akvavit! People from the adjacent farms joined the celebration. An older gentleman with an accordion joined in and there was dancing and singing well past midnight.

As you may know, this is the land of the Midnight Sun. Ranafjord is on the Arctic Circle so it remained light the entire night! We watched as the sun traveled across the horizon, dipped slightly and then regained its height, all the time a blazing ball! I must admit that this phenomenon really "plays with your mind". However, it could have also been the beer and akvavit! I do recall waking up the following day at the home place at Sund all worn out, as if I had been up for 24 hours! It was a good tired and a "Sankt Hans" I have never forgotten!

Farstrup reunions and family gatherings

by Craig McKee

We cannot think of Tivoli without memories (both told and experienced) of the Farstrup reunions and family gatherings! Whether on the homestead north of Exira, or at the parish house in town, or other sites like Tama or Colorado Springs or South Dakota—the events were at once exciting, interesting, and stimulating--over mounds of great Potluck Danish chow!

Events in 1936, 1947, 1955, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1978, 1981, 1985, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2013-- all carried different memories! The sultry snake curled in the 1936 virginal farm mattress in Exira; the female cousinal remark accidentally overhead—"I can show you how to walk so you're the boys' attention"; Hans and Mathilde's Golden Anniversary in 1955 followed by her sudden death days later; the aqavit and blackberry schnapps' mysterious appearances weddings, anniversaries, and funerals—and FOOD!

Potluck contributions of chicken, stuffed pork loin, braised red cabbage, mounded/buttered mashed potatoes, meatballs and gravy, jello salads of great imaginations, rhubarb conniptions both sour and sweet, desserts fantastical and pastries perfectual—washed down by enormously strong coffee...

I envied the families who traveled from out of state, consequently staying at least overnight and fully enjoying even more conversation-- and the Danish farm tradition of eating five times daily!

Perhaps this bit of memorabilia will spark even more third-generation Farstrup cousinal memories!

Sankt Hans in Buenos Aires

by Andrés Albertsen

Argentina is in the Southern Hemisphere, but that doesn’t stop us from celebrating Sankt Hans in June. At the Danish Church in Buenos Aires—located in the old, bohemian neighborhood of San Telmo, just twelve blocks from the Casa Rosada (the Pink House, seat of government)—Sankt Hans has long been the most well-attended event of the year. Every year around June 24th, this beloved tradition is celebrated.

Over time, many people without Danish roots or any direct connection to the Danish community have discovered the event and return year after year. Newcomers join each time, and if Danish tourists happen to be in Buenos Aires during that week, they too will find their way to the church.

During my tenure as pastor of the Danish Church in Buenos Aires, from 1992 to 2011, we always held the celebration on the Sunday closest to June 24th, beginning with a bilingual worship service in Spanish and Danish. Although the name Sankt Hans refers to John the Baptist and the church’s early efforts to Christianize a pagan midsummer festival, I rarely preached directly about him. Instead, I often emphasized that a true celebration always carries a spiritual dimension—whether we recognize it or not—and that beginning with worship was deeply appropriate. Sometimes I would remind the congregation that the Danish immigrants built the church as a “home away from home,” and that this is why we still worshipped using some Danish elements—and why we celebrated Sankt Hans even in the middle of winter.

After worship, we moved downstairs to the fellowship hall, where the festivities began with coffee and the beloved puffed Danish pancake balls, æbleskiver . Meanwhile, someone would slip out to the small, high-walled patio to light the bonfire.

In some places, a doll representing a witch is burned in the fire. We didn’t do that. We believed that the older tradition held that witches and other spirits were active on Sankt Hans night, and the bonfires were meant to drive them away. For a few years, we did have a witch doll that

Æbleskiver

“flew away” once the fire was lit. Then one year, a participant suggested dressing up as a witch and showing up to disrupt the party. It was such a hit—so hilarious—that it became part of the tradition. Each year, the “witch” would try to interrupt the celebration, and the crowd, including children and adults, would chase her away and threaten her with the fire until she retreated. Sometimes she looked so convincing that she unintentionally scared some of the younger children!

The church’s folk-dance group would also perform traditional Danish dances and invite the crowd to join in for a few. We sang the beloved Danish song "Vi elsker vort land" (“We Love Our Country”) together as the fire burned and the night grew dark.

By then, the fire had created a glowing bed of coals—just right for baking snobrød , the classic Danish campfire bread twisted onto a stick. People took turns at the fire to bake their own, knowing it was ready when the bread slid easily off the stick. Some would then fill the hole left by the stick with Argentine dulce de leche , that rich, sweet milk caramel that makes everything taste better—even Danish bread.

After standing out in the cold baking bread, it was the perfect time for a warm cup of gløgg , the spiced mulled wine with Swedish roots that was only introduced to Denmark after World War II. Like æbleskiver, gløgg is typically reserved for Christmas in Denmark—but in Argentina, where June is winter, we adapted them to our Sankt Hans celebration. And of course, dulce de leche couldn’t be left out—not even from a Danish tradition in Argentina. Because, as Argentineans believe, anything sweet tastes even better with it.

Midsummer in Roskilde, Denmark, 2017

by Brad Busbee

In June 2017, I traveled to Denmark for a work trip, and I took along my family (all six of us). My three girls attended the local primary school with the son of our family friend for a couple of weeks--Danish children go to school well into June-- while my wife and son picked elderflowers to make Hyldesaft and biked around the cathedral city of Roskilde, visting the Viking Ship Museum, among other things.

On the 21st, a Wednesday, I took the train down to Copenhagen for a meeting only to discover that my meetings had to be rescheduled. "Maratonsagn" (Marathon Song) was underway. Hundreds of people had gathered in the courtyard of Vartov, the old building complex where N.F.S. Grundtvig was church pastor for 33 years, to sing together.

People wandered in and out of the courtyard. Between short speeches (some political, most not), and they sang continuously for fifteen hours from the Danish Højskolesangbog (High school song book). These were happy Danes.

My favorite memory of that summer happened a few nights later on the evening of June 23rd, Sankt Hans Aften. My daughters and I walked down to the Roskilde fjord. In the green park that stretches from the fjord up to the Cathedral a large crowd had gathered. And there she was: a life-sized witch on a pole perched over a large stack of wood. She was dolled up in the entire witch outfit: dress, hat, shoes, and broom. A band was playing music. On the edges of the park were stands selling food and drinks. Everyone seemed to know each other, and after the fire was lit and began to consume the witch, the crowd settled attention on the fire, and the singing began. The most memorable of the songs was “Vi Elsker Vort Land” (We love our country).

My daughters were only 10, 11, and 13 at the time, but they remember that night vividly, and so do I. We agree with Garrison Keillor who says about his experience one Danish midsummer that "it's hard not to love a country that brings up its people to do this."

‘Kommer hid til mig, alle’ – A Danish Legacy

by Reagan Gage

St. Francis Lutheran Church has been part of the San Francisco community for nearly 120 years. Originally Ansgar Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, the church was founded by Danish immigrants. In 1964, Ansgar merged with Gethsemane Lutheran, a Finnish church, and chose the name St. Francis Lutheran Church.

Throughout the years, the church has found different ways to be involved and serve the community during times of need. Shortly after the church was built, the 1906 earthquake struck San Francisco. During this time, the church served as an infirmary offering disaster relief to the surrounding area.

During the AIDS crisis in the 1990’s, St. Francis focused on caring for those with AIDS. At a time when many other organizations were reluctant to become involved, St. Francis made its priority caring for the sick and, at times, holding several funeral services a week. They decided to hire two lesbian women to help serve during the crisis. However, this decision was in violation of denominational policy and led to a trial where the ELCA required St. Francis to leave the denomination. For years they petitioned the ELCA to change their policy, which they did in 2009. In 2011, the church rejoined the ELCA.

St. Francis currently has around 70 members, but despite the relatively smaller size of the congregation, the church continues working to bring about positive change in the San Francisco area. Recently, the neighborhood around St. Francis has undergone a period of intense gentrification. This led to first a housing crisis and then a new mission for St. Francis – finding a way to reach the many lonely single people that move into the area. More information about St. Francis can be found on the church’s website or YouTube channel (@stfrancislutheranchurch9919.)

Over the years, Danish immigration to San Francisco waned and many of the children of the original Danish members moved away. The church no longer offers services in Danish and the last Danish member passed away several years ago. However, it is still possible to see the principles the church was founded on at work today.

St. Francis houses two replicas of famous works by Bertel Thorvaldsen, the statue of Christ and the Baptismal Font.

While the original Christ statue has the inscription “Kommer til mig” (Come unto me), the replica in St. Francis is inscribed “Kommer hid til mig, alle ”(Come to me all).

The inscription echoes Matthew 11:28 to highlight St. Francis's identity as a place of welcome for all. According to Pastor Bea Chun, “The Danish founders envisioned this welcoming congregation, even though they didn’t know at the time how that would look.”

DATELINE DENMARK

By Edward Broadbridge

6 Million Danes

On 1 May the population of Denmark officially passed the 6 million mark. The news from Statistics Denmark came as no surprise, for there has been an annual increase since 1973 when we passed the 5 million mark. The 4 million mark was passed in 1944 and the 3 million mark in 1919. So in the course of 106 years the population of Denmark has doubled! At the same time, the Danish fertility rate has fallen. To replace our deceased, we need an average of 2.1 children, but we are only producing 1.5! So where are all the Danes coming from?

The answer is: from abroad. Immigrants and their descendants now account for 17% of the Danish population, roughly 1 million in all, including myself! Interestingly, Hanna and I produced our necessary 2 offspring (daughters), but births to immigrant Danes are otherwise down to 1.3, well under the homegrown rate. Roughly half of all immigrants have become Danish citizens, with Turkiye, Poland, and Ukraine being the largest contributors. Some 10,000 immigrants come from the USA with roughly 10% of them becoming Danish nationals.

The falling birthrate is a worldwide phenomenon. In 1970 women produced 5 children on average. Today it’s 2.3 and falling – to 1.6 in the USA and 1.2 in Italy, which is the lowest birthrate in Europe. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says the high cost of parenthood, job insecurity, expensive housing, concerns over the state of the world, and the lack of a suitable partner stop people from having the families they want, rather than any desire not to have children.

Projections are invariably hazardous, but one of the Danish experts on the subject, Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen, Professor of Epidemiology and Demography at the University of Southern Denmark, Odense, spoke to the daily Politiken earlier in June. He said:

"On current trends, in 71 years from now, i.e. in 2096, the number of immigrants and their descendants in Denmark will exceed the number of native Danes, whether or not there is a massive new wave of immigration as a result of war or climate change.”

In the main, the immigrants are coming for jobs, and although the Danish government has tightened immigration control over the past few years, immigration has not fallen – it’s just that the immigrants in question are better qualified and find work. And Denmark needs them, particularly to address a growing labor shortage and an aging population.

To ‘become’ a Danish citizen is not easy, as I know from experience. Foreign citizens can only acquire Danish citizenship by statute. As such the foreign citizen must be listed in a naturalisation bill, which is then passed by the Danish Parliament. To acquire Danish citizenship by naturalisation, you must fulfill certain conditions, for example, self-sufficiency, residence in Denmark, Danish language skills, and knowledge of Denmark. When I applied for Danish citizenship a while back, I was told that I would have to wait for 4 years because of a speeding fine! I didn’t even know that I was put on the list of ‘criminals’ for my infringement of Danish law!

Greetings, Folk Meeting Friends!

Hope this finds you safe and well! We look forward to seeing you in August for four days of learning, music, and camaraderie!

The Danebod Folk Meeting Planning Committee has again put together a terrific Folk Meeting program for August 20-24, 2025.

There are three ways for you to access registration materials:

To register online, click this link: 2025 Danebod Folk Meeting . Before you complete the registration form. (Please review descriptions for Experiential Learning Workshops choices on Friday afternoon.)
If you have attended in the past, you will receive our traditional paper mailing with registration materials and information about our program and presenters.
All forms and materials are available on our website: danebodfolkmeeting.org

Continuing in the tradition of the last 78 years, the mission of the Danebod Folk Meeting is to offer a broad “liberal arts” program in the folk school spirit of life-long learning and “learning in community.” We hope you will plan to join us for a fascinating line-up of presenters and hands-on learning activities which will help us think and learn about the past, the present and the future.

Please visit our website (danebodfolkmeeting.org) for details about this year’s speakers and their presentation topics, as well as information about our experiential learning workshops and breakout sessions.

Please register early as we are expecting a high level of interest this year. Feel free to share this information with others who may be interested.

Anita Young, on behalf of --

Danebod Folk Meeting Committee

Recent Gifts and Memorials to Church and Life

Contributors

Karen Moore

Lillian Jensen

Charles Lauritsen

Julia Steinmetz

Anita Young

Richard and Rita Juhl

Viggo P. Hansen

Susan Farstrup

Supporting

Bert Bodaski

Marilyn and Bill Gift

David and Karen Johnson

Marilyn McGriff

Mick and Lois Nedegaard

Bodil Wilson

Sustaining

Maia Twedt and Eric Berger

Edward Broadbridge

Thomas Chittick

Carol Christiansen

Sonja Knudsen

Jill Mortensen

Thank you for your support!

April 2025

mbusbee@samford.edu (Brad Busbee) — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:53:39 GMT

Church and Life

Volume LXXIII, Number 2

Welcome to the April 2025 Issue, and Happy Easter!

This April issue of Church and Life opens with a question: Can you name the church where the picture to the right was taken? (You can find the answer later in this issue.) In anticipation of Easter, Brad Busbee offers a translation and commentary of an Easter hymn by N.F.S. Grundtvig. Pastor Lars Ottosen of Sankt Jakobs Kirke in Copenhagen, Denmark, shares a "Skærtorsdag" (Maundy Thursday) homily. Avery Means authors this issue's feature story about the African-American and Danish author Nella Larsen, and Reagan Gage profiles pastor and current DIC president Andrés Albertsen. Also in this month's issue, Edward Broadbridge reports from Denmark about the Danish monarchy. Anita Young shares an update about the 79th Annual Danebod Folk Meeting scheduled for this August 20-24th. We close the April issue by celebrating the lives of Theodore Johannes Thuesen, Jr. , and Richard N. Juhl and with a postscript by the editor .

We would like to make two requests of our readers: First, please see the list of recent gifts to Church and Life , as of April 2025. We are grateful for these expressions of generosity and support. And, second, the June issue will feature stories about how communities around the USA celebrate midsummer. Please share your stories and pictures about the summer traditions in your community by emailing us at Churchandlife1952@gmail.com . You can also engage us through the "Join a discussion" feature, where you can register and communicate with us and with each other about what you read here.

We want to thank the NFDA for helping us publicize this new online version of the publication in their weekly newsletter. We have seen readership increase!

Thank you for your support!

Christ rose up from the dead! (Krist stod op af døde)

by N.F.S. Grundtvig (1815/1845)

Christ rose up from the dead
On Easter morn’s skies of red!
People sing aloud their praise

and soulful joy in every place:

Glory be to God in the highest!

Christ rose up from the dead,

To save us from shame and dread!
People sing aloud their praise

and soulful joy in every place:
Glory be to God in the highest!

Christ rose up from the dead,
We’ll meet him in heaven ahead!
People sing aloud their praise
and soulful joy in every place:
Glory be to God in the highest!

Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
People sing aloud their praise

and soulful joy in every place:
Glory be to God in the highest!

Commentary

Grundtvig translated "Krist stod op af døde" for the first time in 1815, during his "historical" period when he was beginning his translation projects on medieval texts like the Old English epic Beowulf. The oldest original version of the hymn dates from 12th century Germany; its title was "Christ ist erstanden," and it is probably the oldest liturgical song in the German language. Scholars note that the hymn inspired Martin Luther to write "Christ lag in Todes Banden" (Christ lay in the bonds of death) and that he derived his melody from the medieval hymn.

Grundtvig's version remains one of the most popular Danish Easter hymns today; it is still a mainstay as number 218 in the Danish Hymnbook. The question is: How do these historical points add to the beauty of this well-known hymn? And the answer: They signal Grundtvig's emphasis on the Living Word and the community of Christians through time and across space. Grundtvig translated the hymn so that it maintained its medieval flavor. The verse is sung three times, and in a single line, the variation breaks the sense of repetition and creates a progressive song of praise. We can imagine what Grundtvig intended: that Christians everywhere would be singing this ancient hymn in a unified expression of devotion.

You can hear the hymn at this link: Folkekirken .

Dateline Denmark

By Edward Broadbridge

The Danish Monarchy

The above shot was recently voted ‘Press Photo of the Year, 2024’ by The Danish Union of Press Photographers. It depicts the physical moment when, after 52 years as reigning monarch, Queen Margrethe II, aged 83, abdicated the Danish Crown to her son, Frederik X. The photo was taken on 14 January 2024 by Mads Nissen of the daily newspaper Politiken at a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace, after which the Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, proclaimed King Frederik X the new sovereign on the palace balcony in front of thousands of people.

In selecting it from a total of 2,723 pictures and 54 TV and Video productions, the jury commented: “We experience both a private moment in a family and simultaneously a moment of great ritual significance.” The outgoing queen spoke the words “God save the King” (Gud bevare Kongen) before she literally turned her back on the new monarch and walked out the door. In 1972, only 45 percent of Danes were in favour of the monarchy, believing it had no place in a modern democracy; by 2024 this number had risen to 85 percent (Epinion survey, including 14 percent "Don’t Knows"). Margrethe managed to stay away from scandal and to modernise the institution – allowing her two sons to marry commoners. Her royal motto was “God save Denmark”; Frederik’s is “United, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark” (Forbundne, forpligtet, for Kongeriget Danmark).

This is the first time in nearly 900 years that a Danish sovereign has stepped down voluntarily. Margrethe retains the title of 'Queen'. There is no coronation of a new monarch in Denmark, the last one being in 1840 of the absolute monarch Christian VIII.

The Danish Crown Prince Frederik married democratic Mary Donaldson (b. 1972 in Tasmania), whom he met at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000. Their firstborn, Crown Prince Christian, will be the next to succeed in a line that stretches all the way back to Gorm the Old (born c.900) and Harald Bluetooth (born c. 940). After Japan, Denmark is the oldest monarchy in the world.

Frederik and Mary remain hugely popular, as do their four children: Prince Christian (b. 2005), Princess Isabella (b. 2007), and the twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine (b. 2011). Speaking to the Spanish daily, El Pais, in January this year, Lars Hovbakke Sørensen, a historian and expert on the Danish monarchy, noted that while Queen Margrethe and King Frederik “are equally popular,” their styles differ significantly. “Margrethe, with her artistic and intellectual side, was a more formal figure. Frederik, by contrast, is more informal, which resonates with younger generations.”

Both Frederik and Mary are known for their support for various causes, with Frederik emphasizing environmental conservation and Mary advocating for women and LGBT rights. She is also admired for her fashion style. The prestigious fashion magazine Tatler recently wrote: “Known for her chic sartorial edge, the Danish queen is often compared to the Princess of Wales … They both know how to pull off perfection in ultra-chic tailoring, graceful gowns and delectable dresses, while celebrating local designers in their respective kingdoms.”

The down-to-earth king is perhaps best known for the ‘Royal Run’. Supposed to be a one-off celebration for his 50th birthday it has since become an annual event. This year it will take place on 9 June with 97,500 participants (sold out) at 5 different locations: Ribe, Horsens, Viborg, Korsør, and Copenhagen with optional distances of 1 mile, 5 km or 10 km. The King will be busy, as he is scheduled to run in Ribe, Horsens and Copenhagen, while his wife will run in Korsør and his son Christian in Viborg!

Danebod Folk Meeting News

Anita Young

612-860-8070

One of the foundational tenets of the Danish folk school tradition and the annual Danebod Folk Meeting is that teachers and students learn from each other. At the 2025 Folk Meeting, planned for August 20-24, professionals and participants will come together for three and a half days of mutual learning. Attendees will hear from experts on topics like finding confidence in today’s news, the health of America’s electrical grid, “de-stressing” in today’s environment, examining our federal judiciary, and learning what it means to “live Danishly” like the “happiest people in the world.” You will have the opportunity to let your voice, questions, and perspectives be heard! All events, from lectures to leisure, are designed for maximum interaction and engagement.

Reflecting on Grundtvig’s goals for life-long learning, we will again offer an afternoon of experiential activity for small groups. Attendees will be able to choose to:

Join a group to make Danish open-faced sandwiches for Friday night dinner. Renee Showalter, Sonja Walker, and Carla Mortensen will facilitate.
Visit Camden State Park for a guided outdoor walk in this Southwest Minnesota Gem. Carpool will be available.
Explore your inner artist in an acrylic painting class. Pixie Jensen will provide all materials. Bring a shirt or apron to protect your clothes.
Join long time dance instructor Terry Pedersen and pianist Anita Young in experiencing the joy of folk dancing for the body and soul.
Polish your skills at lawn games, including Bocce, Croquet and Kub, led by Kitsi Vadheim.
Create new song lyrics to favorite melodies in a songwriting activity taught by Henrik Strandskov.

Join us on the Danebod campus in Tyler for three days of lively discussions and hands-on learning! Learn more at danebodfolkmeeting.org .

Images from last year's Danebod Folk Meeting:

Theodore Johannes Thuesen, Jr. ( March 7, 1928 - July 11, 2024)

The Rev. Professor Theodore (Ted) Johannes Thuesen died on July 11, 2024, in Hickory, N.C., at age 96.

Ted was born March 7, 1928, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Theodore J. Thuesen and Christine Jensen Thuesen. He grew up on his parents’ farm between Cedar Falls and Dike, Iowa. He attended Grand View University (then a junior college) and Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, graduating in 1949. He served briefly as a public school teacher before being drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After his stint in the army (1951-53), he earned an M.Div. from Grand View Seminary (later absorbed by the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago). He also earned an M.A. in Sociology at the University of Iowa and completed additional graduate work at the University of Oregon, the University of Washington, and Appalachian State University.

Ted was ordained in 1956 by the American Evangelical Lutheran Church (formerly the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). He served two parishes, first at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Newark, N.J. (1956-59) and later at Hope Lutheran Church in Enumclaw, Washington (1959-63). After leaving parish ministry, he served on the Sociology Faculty of Pacific Lutheran University (1963-67). In 1967, he joined the faculty of Lenoir-Rhyne College (now University), from which he retired in 1994 at the rank of Professor. In 1981, he received Lenoir-Rhyne’s Raymond M. Bost Distinguished Professor Award. Ted always said the move to Hickory was his best decision ever because there he met his wife, Mary Caroline Wise, a native of Columbia, S.C. Mary and Ted both came to Lenoir-Rhyne to work in September 1967, she as a librarian and he as a Sociology professor. They were married the following year. Together, they raised two children, both of whom became college professors.

Ted was proud of his Danish heritage (all four of his grandparents were immigrants from Denmark) and twice visited relatives in Denmark. He also enjoyed the academic life and his many colleagues and students at Lenoir-Rhyne. At both work and home, he was a reliable source of kindness, comfort, wisdom, and good humor.

Ted was preceded in death by an infant son, Erik Daniel Thuesen; a son-in-law, Scott Clarke; and his two siblings, Neal Thuesen and Carol DeYoung. He is survived by Mary, his wife of 56 years; a son, Peter Thuesen (of Indianapolis), and his wife, Jane Kenyon, and their children, Isaac, Joanna, and Margaret; a daughter, Sarah Thuesen (of Carrboro, N.C.), and her children, Henry and Ida; sister-in-law Jeanne Thuesen (of Cedar Falls, Iowa) and brother-in-law Gordon DeYoung (of Hopkins, Minn.); and numerous nieces and nephews.

A funeral for Ted was held at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Hickory, N.C., on August 17, 2024. Memorials may be made to St. Andrew’s or to Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Richard N. Juhl (September 27, 1932 – February 10, 2025)

Richard Norgaard “Dick” Juhl, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and community leader, passed away peacefully on February 10, 2025, at the age of 92.

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on September 27, 1932, Dick graduated from Washburn High School in 1951. He earned an associate degree from Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1953, and he completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota in 1958.

A Korean War veteran, Dick served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955, spending 18 months as part of the Army of Occupation in Germany with the Quartermaster and Adjutant General Corps.

In 1955, he married Rita A. Pedersen, and together they built a loving family, raising four children. Their family grew to include their children's spouses, nine grandchildren along with their partners, and, most recently, their first great-grandchild.

Dick had a distinguished career in the food industry, serving as President of Olfisco Inc. from 1968 to 1977, then as vice president and later president of Lyon Food Products from 1977 to 1989. He went on to become CEO of Lyon Foods West, a role he held until 1991, before concluding his professional career as President of R.N. Juhl Associates, Ltd.

His leadership extended beyond the corporate world. Dick served on the boards of the National Food Processors Association, the Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce, and the Danish Immigrant Museum. A dedicated member of St. Peder’s Lutheran Church, he served as president and chaired several committees including the 100th anniversary committee. Lastly, he served for four years on the board of the Becketwood Retirement Cooperative in Minneapolis.

Dick gave back to his community by volunteering for services like Meals on Wheels, the Food Shelf, and the Sheridan Program for School Meals. His life was marked by service, leadership, and deep connections with family and friends. He will be remembered for his kindness, humor, and wisdom.

Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Olaf and Maren Juhl, and his brothers, Allan Juhl (Ellen) and Tom Juhl (Nan). He is survived by his beloved wife of more than 69 years, Rita Juhl; his children, Peter Juhl (Sheryl), Anne Legeros (Nick), Erik Juhl (Andrea), and Lisa Brogan (Pat); and his grandchildren, Anna (Dan), Mary (Christopher, and daughter Sonja), David, Alex (Tom), Maren (Nick), Eva, Caroline, Kat, and John. He was the last of 26 cousins and leaves behind many cherished nieces, nephews, extended family members, friends at Becketwood, and others who will miss him.

A service to honor his life was held at St. Peder’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis on April 12. The family encourages donations to St. Peder’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis or to any food bank.

Meet the editorial staff and contributors the April issue

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February 2025

joy@joyofmembership.com (Joy Duling) — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 01:02:10 GMT

Church and Life

Volume LXXIII, Number 1

Welcome to the February 2025 Issue, and Happy Valentine's Day!

This issue of Church and Life is a reboot, a new online approach to the journal, with a new editor and staff of coeditors. On the 73rd anniversary of its founding, we are excited to take part in the vibrant culture of Church and Life !

We open this Valentine's Day issue with an article about the first time Grundtvig fell in love and why it matters. Avery Means profiles Pastor Megan Eide and her work at Danebod in Tyler, Minnesota. And Pastor Eide shares a Lenten homily. Edward Broadbridge reports from Denmark about the history and nature of the relationship between Greenland and the Faroe Islands and Denmark. And we are reprinting from the West Denmark News , an article by Mary Jensen about why her community celebrates Fastelavn. We also have two commentaries, the first by Joy Ibsen , about a lesson learned from a protest during her college days, and the second from Igrid Ank (editor of Grundtvigsk Tidende) about a perennial topic of discussion: the relationship between religion and politics. We close this issue with a reminder from Anita Young about the Danebod Folk Meeting in August, introductions to Reagan Gage and Avery Means, and a postscript from the editor, Brad Busbee . Please also see our list of recent gifts , as January 2025. Thank you for your support!

Feature: When Grundtvig fell in Love (and why it matters)

By Brad Busbee

Today being Valentine's Day and this being Church and Life, a publication dedicated to the Grundtvigian tradition, it makes sense to look at a time in the life of N.F.S. Grundtvig when love changed him and, eventually, came to influence the idea of Danishness. When Grundtvig fell in love, he became the Grundtvig we know today.

Read Full Article

Dateline Denmark

By Edward Broadbridge

The Kingdom of Denmark, the Faeroes, and GREENLAND

Greenland is five times the size of California – with a population of only 56,000. Greenland's present population is predominantly Inuit descended from the Thule people, who migrated from the North American mainland in the 13th century. The Greenlandic language belongs to the Eskimo-Aleut branch based on a root word with affixes and suffixes. It is quite unlike our Indo-European branch.

Greenland was named by Erik the Red, who founded the first European settlement there in c. 1000. It was colonised for Denmark in 1721 by Pastor Hans Egede, who brought Christianity to the country. The current female Bishop of Greenland, Paneeraq Siegstad Munk, sits together with the other 11 bishops of Denmark. Two Greenlander MPs sit alongside two Faeroese MPs and 175 Danes in the Copenhagen parliament. Following a referendum in 2008, where 75.5% voted in favour of autonomy, the Greenland Self-Government Act was passed the following year. Denmark retains control of the territory's foreign affairs and defence and gives Greenland an annual block grant of 3.2 billion Danish kroner (c. $450 million). This constitutes about two-thirds of Greenland's government budget or about one-quarter of the entire GDP of Greenland.

Four of the 7 political parties in the Greenland Parliament support the drive for full independence, which would put an end to the block grant. Like the rest of the kingdom, Greenland has a social welfare programme where everyone has access to publicly-funded education, a public health service, and pensions. Fishing is still the most important driver of the Greenlandic economy. At a press conference earlier this year, the pro-independence prime minister, Múte Egede, said that "work has already begun on creating the framework for Greenland as an independent state" and hinted that an independence referendum could take place later this year. At the welfare level the Danish presence in Greenland is widespread; for instance, of the 1,600 employees in the Greenland Health Service, 6-700 are Danish, nearly all of them temporary workers.

The Danish Royal Family is relatively popular in Greenland. Before she abdicated in January 2024, Margrethe II paid regular visits to the country, while her son, now King Frederik X, undertook the exhausting Expedition Sirius in 2000, a 4-month, 2,795 km expedition by sled in Northern Greenland. Two of his four children have Greenlandic middle names: Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda and Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander. Since President Trump recently repeated his views on the future of Greenland, King Frederik has changed the royal coat of arms to feature Greenland and the Faroe Islands more prominently. Two crowns have been replaced with a more prominent polar bear and ram to symbolise Greenland and the Faroe Islands respectively.

Incidentally, in 1946 President Harry Truman secretly suggested to the Danish government that the USA bought Greenland, but the offer was turned down. Nevertheless, there is still an American presence in Greenland at the Thule Air Base. The most representative response to President Trump’s idea of ‘taking over’ Greenland has come from Aaja Chemnitz, one of the two members in the Danish Parliament. It can be seen on YouTube; just google ‘Greenlandic member in Danish parliament’.

Proportional representation elections for the 31-member Greenland Parliament are being held on 11 March this year. The results are eagerly awaited in the Kingdom! Meanwhile, back in Denmark, a YouGov poll of just over 1,000 people conducted between 15 and 22 January, found that 46% considered the USA to be either “a very big threat” or “a fairly big threat” to Denmark. 78% said they would oppose Greenland being sold to the USA, while 72% said the final decision should be Greenland’s, not Denmark’s.

Why Does West Denmark Celebrate Fastelavn?

By Mary Jensen

Fastelavn (fahst-eh-LAhOON) means “the evening before Lent” and is celebrated in WD on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Fastelavn is a Northern European carnival tradition dating back at least until the 1500s and signaling the promise of Spring and the beginning of the Lenten fast. The West Denmark community has long enjoyed this multi-age celebration marked by laughter, family fun, and a bit of drama.

Cat in the Barrel

At West Denmark, the main attraction of Fastelavn is "slå katten af tønden" (hit the cat out of the barrel). The Petersen carpenters often construct the 3 wooden barrels that are strung up from the ceiling of the Parish (Gym) Hall. The barrels are filled with candy and coins and a stuffed toy cat. Three groups–children, women, and men–line up and take turns striking a barrel with a wooden club. As the barrel breaks up, candy and coins fly out. The turn-taking continues until nearly the entire barrel has been smashed to bits. The one who knocks out the toy cat becomes either the WD Cat Prince/Princess, the WD Cat Queen, or the WD Cat King for the year.

Some say that the barrel tradition was introduced by Dutch immigrants to Copenhagen in the early 1500s. When this practice first started, a real cat was put in the barrel! Beating the barrel and chasing the cat away symbolized chasing away evil spirits. Although certainly scared, the cat was not killed, but allowed to escape when the barrel broke. This questionable animal practice continued up until the 1800s, when the real cat was replaced with a stuffed toy cat or eliminated, perhaps with a cat painted on the outside of the barrel.

Fastelavn Buns

Another tradition that some families enjoy during Fastelavn is eating Fastelavnsboller (Fastelavn buns). These delicious, sweet buns are typically filled with cream or jam (e.g., raspberry or lingonberry) and topped with icing. (See for example, https://northwildkitchen.com/carnival-buns-with-raspberry-cream/)

[This article was originally published in The West Denmark News . We are grateful for the permission to reprint it here.]

Learning and engagement at the Danebod Folk Meeting

By Anita Young (612-860-8070)

A quick reminder to mark your calendar for the Danebod Folk Meeting in Tyler!

New friends are made, old friends reunited. Teachers and students learn from each other.

These are some of the foundational tenets of the Danish folk school tradition and the annual Danebod Folk Meeting. At the 2025 Folk Meeting, Aug. 20-24, professionals and participants will come together for three and a half days of mutual hands-on learning.

This is your opportunity to not only hear from experts on topics like voting rights and the ethics of the environment and judicial system, but to let your voice, questions, and curiosity be heard! All events, from lectures to leisure, are designed for maximum interaction and engagement.

Don’t let another season go by! Mark your calendars today and join us in Tyler for three days of lively discussions and experiential learning!

Meet the editorial staff for February, April, and June

CHURCH AND LIFE - Articles

February 2026

Church and Life

Volume LXXIV, Number 1

"It is White Out Here" ( Det er hvidt herude )

by Steen Steensen Blicher, 1838

"Follow Me," a sermon

by the Rev. Kelley Hudlow

An Interview with Jes Fabricius Møller, Denmark’s Historiographer to the Chapter of the Royal Orders

by Maddie Benton

Did you know that there is a flourishing Danish folk school in South India?

The MPC is an inspiring testament to the power of folk education to transform society. By integrating learning, community, cultural exchange, and entrepreneurial, agricultural, and technological development, this rural school in India is truly making the world a better place.

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December 2025

Church and Life

Volume LXXIII, Number 6

Merry Christmas!

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And if you would like to sponsor an entire issue--alone, with a group of friends, with your family, or on behalf of your business or institution--the cost is $ 1,500.

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Splendid Are the Heavens High/ Dejlig Er Den Himmel Blå

by N. F. S. Grundtvig, translated by J.C. Aaberg

Splendid are the heavens high,

Santa Lucia

by Jennifer Escobar

Danish Christmas Louisiana Style

by Maddie Benton

Bing & Grøndahl was falling behind, and the owner of the company, Harald Bing, knew the company needed to find a successful plate of its own to underwrite the complex, expensive porcelain the company was praised for. A fracture in Royal Copenhagen gave him the chance.

As the holiday season continues and families gather, we hope you will enjoy these icons of Danish design. And, if you would like to see the first ever Christmas plates alongside eighty-three other spectacular pieces of Danish design, consider taking a trip out to MoDA. We’d love to see you!

Happy holidays!

Celebrating Julefest in Elk Horn, Iowa

by Shaun Sayres, Manager of Elk Horn's Danish Windmill

N.F.S. Grundtvig – A Real Santa Claus?

Brown Christmas Cookies ( Brunkager)

The Porvoo Communion

September 11, 1948 - October 7, 2025

Annette Andersen

July 13, 1934 — November 11, 2025

Annette O. Andersen passed away at her home, surrounded by her family, on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, having attained the age of 91 years, three months and 29 days.

Postscript: What Grundtvig and Kierkegaard Thought about Christmas

But how can we avoid falling into rote, unintentional Christmas celebrations? In Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits , Kierkegaard says that part of the answer lines in thinking about the ever-present nature of the incarnation. He writes,

Now let us go with quiet mind, the swaddled babe with shepherds find, to gaze on him who gladdens them, the loveliest flow'r of Jesse's stem.

Oh, join with me, in gladness sing, to keep our Christmas with our king, until our song, from loving souls, like rushing mighty water rolls!

How wonderful to voice it

And strange to think thereon!

The king of God’s own kingdom

Was in a sable born!

And heaven’s light and honour,

The living God’s word free

Among us walked here homeless,

A son of poverty!

Grundtvig’s emphasis on tradition and community pushes the paradox out into the world to be celebrated. He attempts to root the Christmas celebration in history and Danish folk culture so that Christmas is not only a church event but also a living part of communal and national life.

Sources:

Grundtvig, N.F.S. “The Bells of Christmas,” translated by Charles Porterfield Krauth, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, 2006, page 298.

-----. “How wonderful to voice it,” translated by Edward Broadbridge, Living Wellsprings, 2015, page 83.

Holm, Anders. To Samtidige: Kierkegaard og Grundtvigs kritik af hinanden, ANIS, 2009.

Kierkegaard, Søren. Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits , edited and translated by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Kierkegaard’s 15, Princeton University

Press, 2009, page 416

-----. Philosophical Fragments , edited and translated by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Kierkegaard’s Writings 7, Princeton University Press, 1985, pages 27-30.

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October 2025

Church and Life

Volume LXXIII, Number 5

Welcome to the October 2025 Issue!

Harvest Sermon: Say A Little Prayer and Count Your Blessings One by One

Educating the Appalachians with the Danish Folk School: The Life and Legacy of Olive Dame Campbell

by Madison Morrison

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Supporting contributors: ($21-50)

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Now let us go with quiet mind,
the swaddled babe with shepherds find,
to gaze on him who gladdens them,
the loveliest flow'r of Jesse's stem.

Oh, join with me, in gladness sing,
to keep our Christmas with our king,
until our song, from loving souls,
like rushing mighty water rolls!