built on a rock
- By Pastor Joe Steenholdt, Christian Reformed Church, LuverneDecember 24, 2024Another Christmas has come and gone, leaving us in this reflective week at the end of the year—an in-between week to consider when to take down decorations and plan for New Year’s. We may feel hopeful about the future or anxious about what lies ahead. The message of Christmas is still fresh in our minds, yet I invite us to reflect beyond just the baby in Bethlehem. In the Gospel of Mark, he…
- By Pastor Mark Eliason, Palisade Lutheran Church, Rock CountyDecember 11, 2024And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Luke 1:46-49 (NRSV) Imagine, if you can, the story of a young girl, around 14 years old, engaged to a man she barely knows…
- By Pastor Andrew Palmquist, Bethany Lutheran Church, LuverneNovember 20, 2024Psalm 147:7 says, “Sing out your thanks to Him, sing praises to God.” Nothing makes you more aware of God’s presence than praising him. There’s a story about a woman who struggled to believe. She said, “When I go to church with my family and sing a song, during the song I’ll believe in God — for five minutes. But when the singing stops, my doubts begin.” How wonderful it is that singing the…
- By Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, St. John Lutheran Church, LuverneNovember 13, 2024The mythical King Arthur was known as the “Once and Future King.” T.H. White, in his book by the same name, described a prophecy that Arthur would return when Britain needed him most. The legend of King Arthur seems to reappear quadrennially in American politics. Every four years each political faction seeks to persuade us that their candidate alone is the savior we need to rescue society from…
- By Pastor Sarah Zender, Grace Lutheran Church, LuverneNovember 06, 2024As I write this article, it is the day before our national election. When this is published, I hope that the results are clear and defined. Uncertainty creates a lot of tension in our collective hearts. It does not always bring out the best in people’s actions. As I prepare to vote, I am also preparing to preach on Sunday. At the church in which I serve, we follow a lectionary, which is a…
- By Pastor Joe Steenholdt, Luverne Christian Reformed ChurchOctober 09, 2024Seeing the combines out in the field reminded me of a phrase that stood out in a series study on the book of James this past summer, “a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:18). As we assess this year’s crop yields, let’s also consider the yields of our lives. Is there evidence of a harvest of righteousness in 2024? The book of James is a lot like the book of Proverbs in showing the value of…
- By Pastor Jeremy Wiersema, Reformed Church of SteenOctober 02, 2024I am sure that many of us have noticed the extra farm vehicles on the road recently. In southwest Minnesota it is harvest time, and I love it. This love for the harvest began in me at an early age. I have fond memories of riding with my grandpa in the combine or my uncles in the tractor pulling wagons. I also remember the rides to the elevator, and if I was good, there might have been a glass…
- By Pastor Mark Eliason, First Lutheran Church and Palisade Lutheran ChurchSeptember 25, 2024For years churches have been coming up with ways to give people the opportunity to worship with their congregation. Since the early 1930s, churches have broadcast their services on the radio. One of the longest-running radio broadcasts is Lutheran Vespers. It has been on the air since the mid ’50s and continues today on radio stations in the Chicago area. Also, for years many congregations…
- By Pastor Josh Hayden, Living Rock Church, LuverneSeptember 17, 2024I’m going to open a can of worms and discuss something that will not be resolved in this article. It will lead to another discussion, but the issue I think that is interesting to think about is social media censorship. How much should social media be held accountable to what is promoted, shared, posted, not posted? Who should be held responsible for things being posted and being taken down?…
- By Pastor Bob Junak, Rock River Community Church, LuverneSeptember 11, 2024I like riding motorcycles. In fact, I belong to a local chapter of Christian motorcyclists. In our Chapter, several of us ride Harley Davidsons. However, not all of us. If you were to join us on one of our rides, you would find Hondas, Yamahas, Can Ams, and one guy rides a big ole’ Indian. As a Harley guy, I often joke that if you have to shut your bike off to hear if the bike next to you is…
- By Pastor Andrew Palmquist, Bethany Lutheran Church, LuverneSeptember 04, 2024When you’re on vacation and walk down a hotel hallway, what do you often see hanging from the doorknobs? Little signs that say, “DO NOT DISTURB!” Those three little words communicate a clear message. We don’t want to be bothered. Unfortunately, that same phrase is often an accurate description of the attitude many people have toward Christ and the Gospel. Not only on Sunday mornings but every…
- By Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, St. John Lutheran Church, LuverneAugust 28, 2024I’m tired. Aren’t you? We live in a world that never seems to slow down. Everywhere we turn, there’s something demanding our attention like work, family, school, social media, and politics—don’t get me started on politics! It is as if being busy has become a badge of honor. We keep our kids busy; we keep ourselves busy, but deep down we know that running on empty just isn’t sustainable. God…
- By Pastor Sarah Zender, Grace Lutheran Church, LuverneAugust 21, 2024Authenticity. It is a quality of God in that God is. God is God’s self. In the Old Testament, Moses asks God what God’s name is, and the reply is, “I am who I am.” (Exodus 3:14) God cannot be anything other than God. Jesus is also authentic. Jesus is both divine and human, which is a concept challenging to understand with the human mind, even if Christians embrace the truth of it. Jesus acts…
- By Rev. Dr. Steven Voris, First Presbyterian Church, LuverneAugust 07, 2024The modern rejuvenation of the Olympic Games happened in 1896 in Athens, Greece, as 14 nations brought their best athletes to compete in sporting events and to strengthen ties between peoples. Through the years, the Olympic ideals have been honed to this taken from the Olympics website, “The three values of Olympism are excellence, respect, and friendship. They constitute the foundation on which…
- By Pastor Mike Geiger, Crosspoint Church, Georgetown, TXJuly 31, 2024Life can be difficult and wear us out. Perhaps unlike any other stretch, all the turmoil in the world is taking a toll on us, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. The uncertainty, the unrest in our country and the divisiveness of elections challenge even the strongest. We look for an escape … or at least a reprieve. Something to refresh our soul, to clear our mind, and give…
- By Pastor Joe Steenholdt, Christian Reformed Church, LuverneJuly 24, 2024Do you wanna give it a try?” Scott asked as I was eyeing his ’78 Goldwing motorcycle one summer afternoon in the early 2000s. I had a minibike as a kid and knew how to ride a bicycle, but jumping on a full-size motorcycle seemed a little intimidating. I ended up taking him up on the offer and taking the bike for a spin up and down the road. Scott, who would become my father-in-law, had been…
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