By Pastor Bridget Sheely Racine/Sumner Center UMC, Stewartville UMC Children’s Ministry Coordinator Well folks, the time has come around again where we close the door to yet another year, 2021 and open the window to welcome the fresh breezes of a new year, 2022. It is natural this time of year to reflect on what was and what is to be. As I ponder the past, there is one … [Read more...]
Pastor Devo: “Comfort, O comfort my people”
Rev. Peter J. Haugen St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church The “Hallelujah Chorus” of Handel’s Messiah is rightly famous, with its triumphant “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” and “For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth” and “King of kings and Lord of lords! Forever and ever! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” Much less known is how “Handel’s Messiah” begins. After the overture, a soaring … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – Good, very good, and supremely good
By Pastor Pam Seebach Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches “When God began to create the heavens and the earth – the earth was without shape or form, … God said, “Let the earth produce every kind of living thing: livestock, crawling things and wildlife.” And that’s what happened. God made every kind of wildlife, every kind of livestock and every kind of … [Read more...]
“The Old Stone Church at Lenora”
By Pastor Mark Woodward, Pastor Devotions Maple Leaf Parish Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora) United Methodist Churches My mother passed away in 2016 at the age of 95. During her life she used to enjoy writing. Recently, I have been going through more of boxes which contain clippings, writings and poems. My mother took an active … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – Living into the unknown
The last year has been one of unknowns. A pandemic. An election. Constant changes in policies and procedures for churches, grocery stores, gyms, and schools. Just about everything has been unknown. There are many other unknowns for each of us in our lives – new or ending relationships, employment changes, graduating or starting school, moving to a new home or into a care … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Cornerstones
By Pastor Pam Seebach Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches A few years ago, my husband decided to build a woodshed in our side yard. Well, our house is built on top of a hill and the yard slopes away on both sides. As he considered various locations for the woodshed, it became apparent that the cornerstone of the building was going to have to be very … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – “Sunshine in My Soul”
As many of you know, I am not a good singer, but I love happy, joyful, uplifting music! One of my favorite composers is Scott Joplin who lived in the early 1900’s and wrote contemporary ragtime music of his era. Happy, upbeat, toe-tapping music – the kind of music that brings smiles! Some time ago, I ran across an old hymnal, a songbook from the early 1900s. I thumbed … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Family values
By Pastor Jeff Jacobs Unity Lutheran Parish - St. Paul, Saetersdal and St. Matthew’s, Granger We usually consider the Bible very family oriented. God is our Father, and we are sisters and brothers in Christ’s family. The first of the Ten Commandments dealing with human relationships is “Honor your father and your mother.” Jesus welcomed children and defended marriage … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions: God hears and knows
By Pastor Pam Seebach Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches On the morning I wrote this, the thermometer read 4º when I got up. Brr! Something compelled me, though, so I put on several layers, covering all but my eyes, and headed out the door for my morning walk. It was cold, but as a true Minnesotan, I knew it could be worse! I walked west for a bit, then … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions: A future with hope
By Pastor Jeff Jacobs Unity Lutheran Parish - St. Paul, Saetersdal and St. Matthew’s, Granger “Surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Six hundred years before the birth of Christ, the Jewish people in the Holy Land faced one of their darkest times. The northern … [Read more...]