By Pastor Jeff Jacobs Unity Lutheran Parish - St. Paul, Saetersdal and St. Matthew’s, Granger The Christian Century, a Protestant periodical, began as The Christian Oracle, then in 1900 became The Christian Century, with hope “genuine Christian faith could live in mutual harmony with the modern developments in science, technology, immigration, communication and … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Beware of Robbers on the River
First of a two-part series Surely praiseworthy were the pioneer settlers of southeast Minnesota, immigrants from Europe or those moving west from previously settled areas of the United States. Hard-working farm families and merchants established communities, built churches and schools and were even willing to leave their families to serve far from home as Civil War soldiers. … [Read more...]
Fresh Off the Farm – “I’m Sick of Being Sick!” You too?
“It feels like we’ve been sick most of the cold and flu season,” she sighed. Forced to skip two of their favorite weekly activities, she stayed home with sick kiddos while being sick herself. Personally, I vote that moms shouldn’t be allowed to take care of sick kids while being sick themselves, but colds don’t care to listen to me. Seems like everyone needs mom even … [Read more...]
Singing with Tom Petty While in Winter’s Icy Grip
We’ve all had brushes with fame. Maybe you’ve met a teacher or a nurse, or shook hands with a firefighter or a police officer. I sang with Tom Petty once. It’s a golden memory I’ve pressed into my little black book of golden memories. It was just the one song—”Runnin’ Down a Dream.” That was enough. Tom Petty was on the radio, and I was backing my car out of … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Any Little Gopher Hole Might Start a Washout
Part two of a two-part series “Any little gopher hole could and did start washouts,” wrote Houston area historian Ingrid Julsrud. Washouts of train tracks were expensive mishaps for the railroads and inconvenient interruptions for the daily lives of residents. During the first two decades of the 1900s, the tracks around Mound Prairie were especially susceptible to washouts … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – “Lift Up Your Eyes Round About, and See”
Rev. Peter J. Haugen St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Herod was troubled at the news of the Christ Child’s birth, as were the religious leaders and all of Jerusalem. But the magi rejoiced and worshipped the Infant King, even as had the shepherds before them. God grant us the faith to join the magi and the shepherds! “For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep … [Read more...]
Thyme & Again – A Fresh Starter
By Angela Denstad Time and again a new year dawns and we’re urged to identify areas in which we might improve ourselves. And just as quickly, we’re presented with grim statistics of how few of us reach our goals. “Quitter’s Day” was last Friday and, if you failed to observe it, good for you! But are the majority of us just lazy and uninspired? I choose to believe … [Read more...]
The Running of the Noses Launches in January
January is the month of Mondays when puffer jackets proliferate. This is the year I’m going to change. I change every year, but this time, it’ll be for the better. That’s why I was in the binder organization aisle of an office supply store. I’d planned on picking up a few binders and becoming more organized than Marie Kondo was in her prime. Kondo was an expert in the … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – All Were Possible Passengers – Dead or Alive
Two young, probably teenage, cousins were on a passenger train from Houston, Minn., to visit relatives in Northfield, when they understood the conductor to say, “The coach is on fire.” But when the train stopped, they were the only ones to grab their coats and baggage in preparation to detrain. What the conductor had actually said was, “There’s a colt in the wire.” Two train … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Christmas is With You Every Day!
By Pastor Nissa Peterson Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches I was driving home from a Christmas celebration one year late at night. At 11:58 p.m. on December 25 the radio station played a Christmas song. And the very next song, starting at 12:01 a.m. on December 26, returned to classic rock. For much of the world, Christmas ends at midnight on the 25th. But for … [Read more...]