By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora) United Methodist Churches In my own personal devotions I have been taking much comfort and joy from the writings of Paul in his Letter to the Philippians. I believe Paul’s writings in the Bible are timely for the days in which we live. Many people express to me how … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Lamenting with God
By Pastor Nissa Peterson Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches February is always a tough month. We get through the anticipated cold and ice of January and we are emotionally ready for spring. Enter February. Although it’s short in days, February is often cold, dreary, and drags on for approximately a million years. This year we don’t even have Lenten Wednesdays at … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – Deep water
By Pastor Pam Seebach Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 5 begins with a story about Jesus trying to teach the people while standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret (which is also known as the Sea of Galilee). The people crowd closer and closer until Jesus finally hops in a boat and asks the owner to put out a little way … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion: Please and thank you…
By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free The desperation of my heart came pouring out. I wanted healing to happen and life to return to normal. I wanted everything to be ok, but it wasn’t. I started looking up, eventually my eyes drifted down feeling defeated, and then I hit my knees. When it was all said and done my face was flat on the floor, profound … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – An attitude of gratitude
By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston and Spring Valley If I had my “druthers” in the winter, I would either fly to a warmer climate like the snowbirds, or go into hibernation like some other woodland creatures. I’m not a fan of winter. It’s common at this time of the year to go for weeks without seeing my … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Unprecedented?!
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 Devotion: “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 – An attitude of gratitude
By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston and Spring Valley The late Rudyard Kipling was an author of poetry and of several classic books, including the Jungle Book. During his lifetime, his writings made him both famous and wealthy. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, “Mr. Kipling, I just read that … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion: A time for renewal, revival and re-creation
By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora) United Methodist Churches It is good to greet you in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! Recently I was listening to some old recordings from two musical groups – The Sounds of Praise and the Spokesmen Gospel Quartet. These musical groups offered uplifting musical … [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...]