By Pastor Stuart Weist First Baptist Church of Preston In our world today, many Christians seem to have lost who they are.  Everywhere I look there is hatred, vanity and angst.  People on social media often post comments they would never say to someone’s face and our youth get caught up in a desire for greed, lust and approval.  I have been privileged to work with youth more … [Read more...]

By Rev. Debra Jene Collum Chatfield United Methodist and Commissioned EarthKeeper of the UMC There are some things that are incomprehensible to me. Like the fact that helium is in short supply because there isn’t more helium that can be made. Isn’t helium just air that makes us talk funny and keep our balloons inflated? Can’t you just make it from regular air? Somehow? You … [Read more...]

By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish Churches: Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora) Over the years I have much appreciation for Charles Schulz and his Peanuts characters.  On Facebook I enjoy “Snoopy’s Everybody’s Best Friend.”  Now as summer moves ever closer to autumn, I saw a Peanuts cartoon which kind of spoke to a late summer … [Read more...]

By Pastor Jeff Jacobs Unity Lutheran Parish - St. Paul, Saetersdal and St. Matthew’s, Granger A recent Gospel recounted Jesus’ parable about the weeds among the wheat, Matthew 13.  He compared the kingdom of heaven to someone sowing good seed in his field, when an enemy sowed weeds at night. As both sprouted, the servants noticed the difference and asked the householder … [Read more...]

By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish Churches: Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora) A long time ago I was doing some work at the old church in Lenora.  As many of you know, the historic Lenora Church has been a labor of love for me over the years.  While working in the yard, my shovel struck a buried rock about a foot under the ground.  … [Read more...]

Rev. Peter J. Haugen St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church On the night when our Lord Jesus was betrayed, the hearts of His disciples were troubled. He had been explaining to them yet again that it was necessary for their own sakes that He depart from them, and that they themselves knew the way to where He was going. But the hearts of the disciples were troubled. So an … [Read more...]

By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish - United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston and Spring Valley For about the last 15 years, our parish church in Cherry Grove has hosted a Cowboy Church Service at 6 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month. Musicians from around the area come to share their vocal and instrumental music talents and all are welcome … [Read more...]

By Pastor Pam Seebach Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches I remember as a child being intrigued by the many ‘‘other’’ churches in our town. I was raised in the United Methodist Church and am still a United Methodist today. But I wondered why there were so many different churches – what’s that about?  What goes on in a Catholic Church, I wondered?  How is a … [Read more...]

By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free How can I bloom where there is no water? If you are like me, you may have been praying for rain with more fervency these days.  The farmers and those who make a living from the soil have been praying hard for rain.  How can things grow without water?  When we think of this call to bloom where you are planted, we think I … [Read more...]

Rev. Peter Haugen Chatfield, MN Our Lord Jesus said, “It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you, but I do know Him, and keep His word” (St. John 8:54-55). Jesus knows God. None better. And when He taught us to pray, He did so, saying, … [Read more...]

By Pastor Stuart Weist First Baptist Church of Preston I heard this before, both in my youth and as an adult.  I have heard more than a few times Christian parents weaponize this phrase out of Ephesians 6:1 without giving any thought to the rest of the passage.  Their goal is to simply have children that follow their every command.  But that’s not what the Bible says, and … [Read more...]

By Rev. Debra Jene Collum Chatfield United Methodist and Commissioned EarthKeeper of the UMC Do you remember when the movie “The Shack” came out? What is it that you remember most? Are you like many people who can’t remember exactly what the movie was about but do remember Octavia Butler as Papa God? What did you think? Were you of the delighted or the shocked camp? … [Read more...]

By Pastor Bridget Sheely Racine/Wykoff/Sumner Center UMC Spring has sprung and summer is right around the corner.  What a wonderful time of year! I can’t help but feel a sense of renewed life this time of year and as I drive through the countryside all the wonderful sights only confirm my senses.  Newborn calves dot the landscape, flowers are waking from their winter … [Read more...]