Last week at the Advance, Pastor Scott Seeke, shared the text from 1 Samuel 3:1-10 about the boy Samuel learning to listen to God. What a great scripture for us to use this Lenten season as we focus on listening. Samuel first thought that his mentor Eli was calling him, but found that it was…

My hearing is failing with old age and my listening skills could use some help as well! The Lenten Devotional, “Listening with all your heart, soul, and mind”, is exactly  what I need to prepare my heart for Easter.  My children frequently  complain about my inability to hear them. I jokingly reply with the saying,…

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” Matthew 12:25 More and more each day I see how this wonderful nation that we inhabit is becoming more and more split apart. It no longer seems that we are united, but divided. You are…

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Anthony De Mello has a story in “One Minute Wisdom” that puts human wisdom and natural loss into perspective. The visiting historian was disposed to be argumentative. “Do not our efforts change the course of human history?” He demanded. “Oh yes, they do,” said the Master. “And have not our human…

“He that is angry without cause, shall be in danger; but he that is angry with cause, shall not be in danger: for without anger, teaching will be useless, judgments unstable, crimes unchecked.” ~St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica  For lent, I have decided to give up “being okay”The reality is, I am not okay. My heart has…

February 21 brought a morning of worship, followed by the Annual Congregational Gathering. Pastor Dave reminded us that God’s voice at Jesus’ baptism is good and trustworthy. We listen to God’s voice that tells us we are beloved; we don’t need to listen to the voices in the world that try to tell us otherwise.…

I remember when I was kid how I loved to play with my uncle’s set of magnets.  He had all sorts of magnets with a large range of magnetic power.  I loved the big heavy one because it could pick up a bunch of paper clips all at once.  At school, we had a show and tell magnet…

Dear God, In this season of Lent, we’re reminded of our own difficulties and struggles. Sometimes the way has seemed too dark. Sometimes we feel like our lives have been marked by such grief and pain, we don’t see how our circumstance can ever change. But in the midst of our weakness, we ask that…

Dear Children of God, Part of my spiritual development was going to confirmation with Rev. Otto Neuchterlein at St. John’s Lutheran in Keystone, Iowa.  We studied the essentials of the Christian faith through “Martin Luther’s Small Catechism.” One of the benefits learned was the working of the Holy Spirit in Baptism. In the Small Catechism, in his…

John 3:1-2 John 3:3 “In reply, Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of GOD unless he is born again.” Have you ever been asked “Have you been born again?” It is an interesting question to me. I used to be uncomfortable when I was asked this, but after…