By Pastor Kris Hertsgaard Kincaid Christ Lutheran Church, Preston “You are the salt of the earth!” This familiar phrase is from a sermon Jesus gives in Matthew. He tells the crowd – you are the salt of the earth.  Put simply, when your life is the right amount of salty, your actions enrich and benefit other people. When Jesus was giving this sermon, a crowd was gathered. … [Read more...]

By Pastor Jeff Jacobs Unity Lutheran Parish -  St. Paul, Saetersdal and  St. Matthew’s, Granger A few Sundays ago, April 21, was “Good Shepherd Sunday,” the day in the Easter Season focused on images of Christ as our shepherd. There’s a story about a seminary professor who told his classes that in the Holy Land a shepherd went in front, and the sheep, knowing his … [Read more...]

By Pastor Paul Hauschild Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches “When God measures a person, He puts the tape around the heart instead of the head,” someone once said. Very true! In Scripture we read something similar. “…they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b).  I believe unity is a desire the Lord puts in our … [Read more...]

By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish Churches: Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora)  In the spring before grass and plants begin to grow and before the trees leaf out, I love to walk in the woods.  I feel renewed walking in remote areas during that time when winter ends and before spring unfolds.  I walk on a carpet of brown leaves and … [Read more...]

Rev. Peter J. Haugen St. Paul Evangelical  Lutheran Church When our Lord God instituted the Passover, He said, “I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the LORD” (Exodus 12:12). The Exodus is not simply a temporal, … [Read more...]

By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish -  United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain,  Preston and Spring Valley  In a book entitled “Becoming a Whole Person in a Broken World,” author Ron Davis tells a story about a mother and daughter who, long ago, were caught in an earthquake in their native Armenia. The 36 story apartment building in which they … [Read more...]

By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish Churches: Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston  (and Lenora)  Pictured here is a colorful butterfly depicted in stained glass on the front door of the Preston United Methodist Church.  The butterfly is a powerful symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It portrays the power of new life and that Jesus has … [Read more...]

By Pastor Nissa Peterson Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches At the beginning of Holy Week, the church prepares to experience the stories of Jesus’ walk to the cross. These stories can be really uncomfortable to experience. For those of us with young children, we wonder how our kids might be scared by the stories, and ask really hard questions that we don’t … [Read more...]

By Pastor Pam Seebach Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches The dictionary defines “wondrous” as inspiring a feeling of wonder or delight.  When I think about the season of Lent, I can find wonder, but I do not find delight as I consider Jesus’ last days or weeks on earth.  Spoiler alert: Jesus dies!  but then he is resurrected! There is an American folk … [Read more...]

By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free What’s in a conjunction?  Do you remember School House Rock?  I know this dates me, but Conjunction – Junction what’s your function?  Maybe some of you can hear that little jingle in your head.  Oh the power of a catchy jingle, isn’t it incredible.  So, when Jesus came why wasn’t it grace or truth?  Many today are not … [Read more...]

By Pastor Stuart Weist First Baptist Church of Preston Many in our world today don’t believe in God because they say they cannot see him. They claim that if God would simply show himself or come down before them then they would believe. However, for those that follow Christ we already know the error in this line of thinking. Christ has come (Jn 1:14), did reveal himself as … [Read more...]

By Rev. Debra Jene Collum Chatfield United Methodist For those in the mainline churches it is the season of Lent. A time of reflection and preparation for embracing and embodying the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Some will do this by fasting from something. Usually something pleasurable and notable. Which is a great way to center one’s focus on spirituality. … [Read more...]

By Pastor Bridget Sheely Racine/Wykoff/Sumner Center UMC 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...]

By Pastor Mark Geselle Valley Christian Center, Spring Valley Well the big game is over and what a game it was! I don’t know if your team won or not, but I was hoping for a different outcome. In talking with some friends its funny how you can start the game and not really care who wins, but as the game progresses you get drawn to one side or the other. That reminds me … [Read more...]

By Pastor Kris Hertsgaard Kincaid Christ Lutheran Church, Preston “These days of dust. These days of despair. We can hear reality speak to us in a clear, ringing voice. So we approach. Carefully. Barely ready to hear the heard truths we long to be told about beautiful, terrible death.” -Kate Bowler, “Have a Beautiful Terrible Lent” This Wednesday, February 14, is the … [Read more...]