Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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Last month, my Pastor’s Corner article explained the “call” process of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Over the past six weeks, I considered a call to serve as pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Saint Ansgar, Iowa. It involved a visit to the congregation, much discussion, and, most of all, a lot of prayer. People in the community have also been praying for God’s will to be done (or, as some people have told me, praying that God’s will be that we stay!). Over the cours...
Recently, I’ve had any number of people ask me, “Are you leaving?” Unfortunately, I can’t answer with a simple “yes” or “no,” because the answer has much less to do with me than with the denomination to which I belong. This month, I want to shed some light on what is, in fact, going on, and why it’s happening. Those of you active in congregations understand that there are times when, for one reason or another, a new pastor needs to be found. But, it can come as a surprise tha...
Much happens around Easter. Adults hide eggs, and children hunt passionately for them and the candy they hold inside. People spend significant amounts of money on that candy, as well as other gifts that may or may not fit in Easter baskets. At some malls, children can even sit on the fabled Easter bunny’s lap to tell him what they want for Easter. Much is also written about Easter. Some atheists write disparagingly against those who would even consider celebrating Easter. O...
The past week, our country lost an icon. Unless you live in Ohio, where he was a senator, you probably knew John Glenn as the first American to orbit the earth. In 1998, he also became the oldest person ever to travel into space. The death of this famous astronaut brings our imaginations back to the great space race of the 1950s and 60s. Many children grew up wanting to be astronauts - to blast off into space, to orbit the earth, even to walk on the moon. However, the country...
This week, I lost a brother in Christ to a terrible tragedy. Many of you lost a pastor, a bus driver, a helper or a friend. I won’t soon forget Tim Hauge, and neither will many of you. I worry, though, that our culture has stolen away the fullness of the Gospel from the Church. When people are old or terminally ill, our culture sees death as a helper, a welcomed guest and a release from the burden of our bodies. But, as we have all experienced this past week, death is a...
“I’m spiritual, but not religious.” Generally, this means that the speaker wants to throw out “organized religion” in favor of more mystic, individualized, or vague ideas of belief and life. Time spent at church, traditions, rituals, and other “religious” actions mean little or nothing. The problem is, this idea ignores reality. Yes, people reject going to church, praying with others, wearing certain clothing or symbols, or participating in other rituals because of the “relig...
