Final part six of a series It’s said that Isadora Duncan, the world-famous dancer, wrote a letter to Bernard Shaw saying, “You and I should have a child who would inherit my beauty and your brains.” The whiskered playwright is reported to have replied. “Miss Duncan, I am flattered, but just suppose the child should inherit your brains and my beauty.” Sister Agnes Hafner … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – The Fasts We Keep
By Rev. Anders Nelson Mabel-Henrytown Tri-Point Parish - Mabel First Lutheran Church, Scheie Lutheran Church and Henrytown Lutheran Church This last Sunday, the scripture texts from the Revised Common Lectionary included a passage from the prophet Isaiah as the prophet was calling God’s people in the midst of exile into a better understanding of what it means to take up a … [Read more...]
Eat Well, Be Well, Have Fun – “Wine is the intellectual part of a meal while meat is the material.” -Food Reference
Speaking of meat! We had a boys weekend last week that included my pal Mike, his brother, and another best pal John. This is a trio of meat lovers! Don’t get me wrong, I can carve up the protein with the best of em; but this group, left to their own devices without spouses in the great Wisconsin Northwoods is bound to consume some protein. We had not really coordinated a … [Read more...]
It Was Einar’s and It Was a Hardware Store
Farms were evacuated. A national emergency was declared. You are about to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Your next stop wasn’t the Twilight Zone. Everyone and their yellow dogs were going to Allis-Chalmers (AC) Day. It was even better than getting the Christmas wish book, a 600-page … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Hey Mortal One, Listen Up!
By Rev. Debra Jene Collum Chatfield United Methodist Hey mortal one, listen up! That is one way to translate the familiar passage in Micah 6:8. Hey, human being, you who breath, open your ears and listen! In the 8th century before Jesus, when Micah and other prophets were writing, the problems in society looked very similar to any human century. Reading carefully, the … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage – A Love Story
Some days stand out above others. For me, January 31 holds precious memories. It was on that day, 50 years ago that my husband asked me to be his wife. As I look back on the past 50 years, we have had good times and some difficult times. But with the perspective of time, it is easy to spot one characteristic that is noticeable. It is faithfulness. The World Book Dictionary … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Don’t Peek at Cake in the Oven
Part five of a series Three boys were arguing whose dad was the best. “My dad can take a scrap of paper, jot down a few notes, call it a poem and get $50.” Second boy: “My dad can jot down a few notes, call it a song and gets $100.” Third boy: “My dad jots down a few words, calls it a sermon, and it takes EIGHT people to collect all the money!” Sister Agnes Hafner … [Read more...]
The Kitchen Was a Place of Meals, Meetings and Memories
How do we prepare for severe weather in Minnesota? We go to the store. I brought the necessities home and carried them from the attached garage, through the entryway, and into the kitchen because it’s conveniently located. I grew up taking a similar path, except the garage was a shed located a respectful distance from the house. My wife was going through old church … [Read more...]
Are You the Adventurous Type?
By Pastor Bridget Sheely Co-Pastor of Prairieland Parish Are you ready for an adventure? If you were asked today to drop everything, trust in the Lord and believe that He will guide you down a new path and take you on a journey that will change your life would you be willing to take that first step? As Jesus walked along the beach one ordinary day, he met some fishermen … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – The Most Exciting Times: Chicks, Root Beer and Threshing Days
Part four of a series Little Willie rushed into the house, excitedly exclaiming, “Mother, I just saw a man making a horse! Mother told him that was not possible. Willie replied, Well, anyway, I just saw him tacking on the feet!” Sister Agnes Hafner included many jokes when publishing her recollections of growing up on a Houston County Farm in the early 1930s. She noted … [Read more...]