“Jesus said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:30 If this is where our story ended, we would be living a very different kind of life. Death would have the final word. Where would our hope be? Dead. Where would our joy be? Dead. We would stand at a crossroads that offered nothing but a dead end. Thanks be to God! This is not where our story ends. This is just the
In last month’s newsletter article, I shared a quote from Andy Mcilvain, who is the author of the blog Enacted Word. Now that we are further into the season of Lent, it bears repeating: God deserves more than our attention; He deserves our affections and focus. He doesn’t just want us to listen to Him. He desires us to know Him. He wants us to pursue Him. We are pursuing the theme “reLENTless” this Lenten season. It is a juxtaposition
“The Hound of Heaven” is a long poem written by Francis Thompson, which describes God as the One who continually seeks the writer even though the writer keeps running from Him. It echoes the words from Psalm 139: Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. To know there is nowhere you can go to flee
Do you know what I miss? Wall calendars. Yep, I know I’m showing my age! The reason I miss having one, though, is the feeling I would get when opening a new calendar and flipping the page to a new year: JANUARY. That clean slate. That new beginning. You don’t get to experience that in the same way on a phone calendar. New beginnings are all around us, even in the dead of winter. I am extraordinarily aware of new
On Sunday, December 4, the congregation voted unanimously to extend a call to Rev. Kari Bahe to serve as our Senior Pastor. Although pastors have 30 days to decide whether to accept a call or not, by the next day, the Bishop had received Pastor Bahe’s decision to accept the call to serve as our next Senior Pastor! Thank you to the members of the Transition Team and Call Committee for their work and dedication throughout this process. “I thank
ELCA Good Gifts are the perfect gift for the giver who wants to make a difference—and for the receiver who has everything! The Lutheran Church has always made Christ known in both word and deed. One way we do that is by providing meaningful resources to people in need, both in our country and all over the world. The ELCA provides a wonderful avenue for gift giving, appropriately called: “Good Gifts”. The ELCA Good Gifts website (ELCA.org/goodgifts) provides the best
In the October newsletter, I wrote about Jesus’ story of the shepherd leaving 99 sheep to go find that one sheep who did not show up for the morning roll call. We considered that there is an element of that story we don’t often focus on. Not only was the one found, but there were also 99 who were there to bring the one back to. The 99 made being together possible. The 99 made the reunion and celebration possible.
Since we live in the land of 10,000+ lakes, it seems fitting to use the early church imagery of an anchor as we draw ourselves to the truth that we have a hope that is sure and certain. Jesus is our anchor in every storm and in the still waters as well. We are in the middle of a sermon series called: “Strength for Today and Hope for Tomorrow.” The last few years have challenged all of us in unsettling
Oh, that picture of Jesus carrying the lost sheep back to the fold! It is an image that most anyone who attended Sunday school has in their memory bank. Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who leaves 99 of his sheep to find the one that is lost. That one lamb being carried on the shoulders of the Great Shepherd, Jesus. What a loving image of a God who never gives up on us, and never tires from bringing
The truth revealed in these words provides a daily guide. God is the author and sustainer of all things and is the strength we need for today and the hope we have for tomorrow. When the way forward seems unclear, God’s people have learned to rely on the truth that God is always at work. It is true for us individually and collectively. “God will make a way. He works in ways we cannot see.” It is a line