Posted by rgarza |
This is the beginning of Holy Week, a week of celebration. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, "Behold thy king cometh." (Matthew 21:1–11) "He says with the words, behold, or take notice, he wakes us up from our sleep and unbelief, in that he would announce something great, unusual, remarkable, which had long been desired, and which should be received with joy." (Luther's notes on the Bible)
…Posted by jbrudvig |
Lately, I have struggled to make sense of the news of war, displaced refugees, and the sheer magnitude of the world’s brokenness. If we are not careful, despair and hopelessness can quickly envelop us like a quagmire from which we cannot free ourselves. When this happens, I find it helpful to give to God what is simply too difficult for me to bear. The same is true when a dreaded diagnosis or…
Posted by hlewis |
I was recently surprised to hear our scripture for this week, the beloved story of the prodigal son, described instead as the story of the forgiving father. How would you describe it? The story of the spoiled kid who wasted his inheritance? His father who continued to spoil him when he returned? His loyal brother who was taken for granted? We tend to err on the side of judgment: how we feel about…
Posted by lcooper |
Spring is only a few days away. It is a time of awakening and renewal, a time of organizing and cleaning out our lives. Everyone does some type of spring cleaning. We open our windows when it is warm enough and let in the fresh air. We also can do this with our spiritual lives, a cleansing of our souls. We clean out the cobwebs and bring in fresh perspective and light. Spring also gives us hope…
Posted by tgraham |
After the Lenten service last Wednesday evening, Pastor Jon handed me four pages, front and back, that I have read a few times now as I decide what direction I need to go for my personal growth during this Lenten season. The importance of me taking the different suggestions, creating a plan of action, then carrying them out to the best of my ability is exponential. My hope is that this helps me…
Posted by rgarza |
It’s March and 70 degrees out. Wow! And the start of the Lenten season. Each year my family lets my mom know what we are going to give up for Lent. Some drop off, and maybe some of the grandchildren will get involved. And when Easter Sunday is here we talk about it as a family.
My mother knows we will all get tempted at one point or another, but does this for us to think about what we…
Posted by svanbaale |
My family has not been to church in almost two years. It is not because we don’t believe in God, or had a falling out with leadership, or that we don’t like our church anymore, but because of COVID.
Before COVID, we were not casual churchgoers. We attended every week, unless someone was sick or the weather forced us to stay home. My daughter was baptized there, and my kids attended the…
Posted by jbrudvig |
Dear Partners in Ministry,
The “bright sadness” of the Lenten season will soon be upon us. Lent, a Christian practice dating to the 4th century, involves a 40-day journey when we “fast before we feast.”
It is a time of mindful preparation, one that the author Martin L. Smith refers to as a “season for the Spirit of truth” that begins with the words, “Remember that you…
Posted by hlewis |
As we continue through the miraculous stories in the season of Epiphany that reveal Christ to us, I am eagerly anticipating my favorite season in the church year: Lent. Yes, you read that right! Many would prefer skipping the season of Lent, especially those pesky, emotional services during Holy Week, and go straight to the celebration of Easter, but not me. I love turning inward, dwelling in the…
Posted by lcooper |
My name is Laura Cooper, and I am the new office administrator at Salem Lutheran Church. I have 20 years of experience working in a church environment. I spent all those years at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood,…