By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish Churches: Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora) Did you know that this powerful Christian hymn is 250 years old this year? 2023 marks the 250th anniversary of this great hymn written by John Newton. John Newton has a remarkable conversion experience in completing surrendering his life to Jesus … [Read more...]
Our focus in Lent is Christ
By Pastor Michael Harman St. Johns Lutheran Church and School Many Christians are in a part of the Christian Church year called Lent, a period of 40 days plus Sundays before Holy Saturday (the day before Easter). Lent reminds us of Jesus fasting in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights tempted by Satan. Some begin with ashes placed on the head as a symbol of repentance. … [Read more...]
The altar
By Pastor Jeff Jacobs Unity Lutheran Parish - St. Paul, Saetersdal and St. Matthew’s, Granger One of my favorite poets is George Herbert, who is commemorated in the Lutheran church on the date of his death, March 1, 1633. He was born April 3, 1593, in Montgomery, Wales, into an aristocratic family. In 1609 he began studies at Trinity College, Cambridge, where in 1616 he … [Read more...]
The importance of your witness
By Pastor Paul Hauschild Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once told a story about a circus that caught fire. The flames from the circus fire spread to the fields surrounding the circus grounds and began to burn toward the village below. The circus master, convinced that the village would be destroyed and the people killed … [Read more...]
Sweethearts find faith and family the best cure
For Harmony couple, John and Jacque Ryan, it was the arts that brought them together at a young age, but it was their faith which gave them strength to overcome adversity. “We kind of fell in love in art class. We were very good friends; we had this friendship that started even the year before that. We had a good time in there,” Jacque shared. “And his sense of humor, he … [Read more...]
The temple of the Lord
Rev. Peter J. Haugen St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church The glory of the Lord was once found in the pillars of cloud by day and of fire by night. That glory filled the temple, but that glory departed from the temple in judgement before the Babylonian Captivity. That glory did not return when the temple was rebuilt, not as it had been. And that glory is now found in … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Smoke in your eyes meant meat on the table
As the boy crawled on his stomach with his face near the ground, there were about four inches of clean air below the smoke. No, he was not escaping a burning building. The building was not on fire, but it contained a fire. It was just one of many chores for young Warren Lange during the early 1930s on the family farm on South Ridge in Houston County. In the smoke house, there … [Read more...]
Spiritual affective disorder
By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston and Spring Valley You may have heard of “seasonal affective disorder,” a condition in which the shorter hours of sunlight during the winter months may affect a person’s moods and ability to cope with life effectively. I had an uncle who suffered from this disorder and … [Read more...]
Love is in the air
By Pastor Nissa Peterson Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches Today I bought Valentine’s cards for my kid’s school classes- because if I don’t buy them early, I’m making a frantic shopping trip Febuary 12 and nobody wants that. And even over a month before Valentine’s day, there was a whole aisle of red and pink choices — because the world is ready to talk about … [Read more...]
Winter carnival being held in Wykoff on Saturday, January 28 St. Johns Lutheran Church & School hosts annual carnival as part of National Lutheran Schools Week
St. Johns Lutheran Church and School invites the community to its annual Winter Carnival on Saturday, January 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Wykoff Commons in Wykoff. The youth-oriented event will offer fun, games and activities, featuring multiple inflatable bouncy units and a balloon artist. St. Johns is hosting this event as part of National Lutheran Schools Week (NLSW), … [Read more...]
