In my mid 30’s as I started to engage more with my faith and God, I was encouraged to have a “daily quiet time” with Jesus. This usually meant five minutes of Bible reading and five minutes of prayer—a quick and efficient routine. It wasn’t uncommon for someone at men’s bible study to ask how your “daily quiet time” was going, and for many, it was just another task to check off.

After more than a few conversations with folks this past week, it has become increasingly evident to me that many of us hate turning on the news. When I have asked the question, “How are things with you?” the answer has increasingly become, “I am good if I can ignore the news.” People are tired of the onslaught of bad news. 

A pastor tells a story about his professor in seminary. In class one day he gave his students a challenge. He had one of the students read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 out loud to the class.
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4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Lessons you learn at camp:

1. I am a part of God’s creation. The bugs that bite me and the frogs that belch in the fire swamp and lightning bugs that dance across the lawn are all created by God. I am created by God.
2. God’s creation is good. That means I am good. I can try new and hard things. I can survive a week away from the comfort of my home and the safety of my family.
3. We connect with God through creation. When we slow down and disconnect and pay attention to the trees and animals and people around us, we can know God better. 

It should have been a small matter between neighbors. It should have easily been discussed and easily resolved. But unfortunately, it wasn’t.
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It all started with a home improvement project. A backyard do-it-yourself project that started on the weekend. Then the rain comes up and a muddy mess is created. That muddy mess then unexpectedly moves into the neighbor’s yard. Then to the neighbor's patio and sidewalk. 

​Joy. The word that best describes my week at the ELCA
Youth Gathering is joy. Joy in being with the youth and
adults from Holy Trinity. Joy in being the church with
16,000 Lutheran youth. Joy in feeling the Holy Spirit move
in the lives of these kids. Joy in homecoming. J-O-Y…joy

This past Saturday, I learned of an assassination attempt on former President Trump. I found myself shocked at the news. My initial thought was “At least they stopped the attempt on the former President’s life before anyone was injured.”

What does it mean to care?

The word care traces its origin in the word chara, which means “to lament, to grieve, to participate in suffering, to share in pain.”
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With that in mind, to care is to cry out with those who are sick, confused, lonely, isolated, and forgotten.

​In March of 2023, the Congregation Council had its first discussion of a capital campaign to address needs identified by the Property Team to sustain our building into the future. Fifteen months later, we have concluded a Capital Campaign to fund those improvements. We set a three-tiered goal: $1.5 million to do the minimum. $1.8 million to do what was essential. $2 million to do all we hoped to accomplish. As it stands, we have received commitments of $2.352 million from 203 households of the congregation.  

It is graduation season in America. Over the last few weeks, I have experienced a lot of graduations. My oldest child graduated with her master’s degree and my youngest graduated from high school. All occurred within a few short weeks.​