The Pastor’s Pen – Easter!
I heard of a local mega-church that raised a “sunrise” colored billboard one year that said simply “Easter: April 18-21.” The message implied a multi-day “come-when-you-can” Easter bonanza. The dates simply conflated the Church’s...
The Pastor’s Pen – Holy Week
HOLY WEEK. For people who are accustomed to being at worship just once a week, the shift from once-weekly worship to the five liturgies of Holy Week (count them!) is a huge planning-calendar adjustment!...
The Pastors Pen – Dive Into Lent!
LENT. Some years the season of Lent becomes merely a six week narrative of following Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem. This year, when St. Mark tells our gospel stories, is a good time...
The Pastor’s Pen – WHAT IS IT that makes for a good story?
A novel that grabs and keeps our attention gradually reveals that which is not known. A novel, at each turn of the age, reveals the detail and progression of the story. The time after...
The Pastor’s Pen – Advent
ADVENT is about the art of waiting. BUT … holiday decorations have been on the shelves in our “box stores” since well before Hallowe’en, and the world will declare that every day after Thanksgiving...
Green Phase Update
This past month, we have begun the process of reopening the church buildings for worship, ministry activities, and outside groups. Starting July 19th, we began holding in-person outdoor worship in the lawn by the...
Farewell – Live in Peace with One Another
Greetings St. John’s Lutheran Church! Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be...
What Faith Questions Do You Have?
Greetings St. John’s Lutheran Church! Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he...
St Johns COVID Closure Updates June 2020
Church Closure & the Yellow Phase Out of an abundance of caution to keep the most vulnerable among us safe, and after weighing guidelines from the state, the wider church, and our insurance company,...
Opportunities to Connect With God and Each Other in June!
Greetings St. John’s Lutheran Church! Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I...