pastor column
- 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 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 Pastor Jeremy Wiersema, Reformed Church of SteenJuly 17, 2024Wishes are something I find fascinating. They have found a place in the life of every person I have ever met. It seems we all wish for something. Over time our wishes might change, but sometimes they stay the same. Wishes are something I learned about early in my life. As a young boy I vividly remember being told to make a wish before I blew out the candles on my birthday cake. I don’t…
- By Pastor Andrew Palmquist, Bethany Lutheran Church, LuverneJune 19, 2024I suppose you might call it faith if you believe in the sun, even on a cloudy day. We probably all have that kind of faith. There are places where it might cloud over for weeks at a time. It’s easy to get discouraged by the gray sky. Yet, even in cloudy weather we know the sun is still up there. It’s still providing heat and light. It’s still making life possible. What happens if our life…
- By Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, St. John Lutheran Church, LuverneJune 12, 2024Family is one of God's first and greatest gifts. From the beginning, God created the family as the foundation of human society. He gave us husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters. In the family we find love, support and a sense of belonging. It is within the family that we first experience unconditional love and learn to love others in return. The family is a…
- By Rev. Dr. Steven Voris, First Presbyterian Church, LuverneMarch 06, 2024Of the many different types of verbal and nonverbal prayer, intercessory prayer is the type that is pure love. There isn’t anything wrong with praying for oneself or praying for a close family member or friend. Jesus prayed for himself in John 17:5. However, when we pray for someone we don’t know, or for a troubling situation far away that doesn’t impact our daily lives, then that intercessory…
- By Pastor Walt Moser, First Baptist Church, LuverneFebruary 28, 2024At the heart of Christianity lies a symbol that transcends time and culture: the cross. Christians around the world hold the significance of the cross beyond its physical form; it embodies the very essence of their faith. Its importance is multifaceted, representing sacrifice, redemption and hope. At the core of the Christian message is the belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who willingly…
- By Pastor Nita Parker, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, HillsFebruary 07, 2024“Created to Be” is the theme for the summer program at Shetek Lutheran Ministries for summer 2024. Our theme verse is Psalm 139:14 “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” In our Bible studies each day we will be looking at passages that show God’s love for us and how He knows us intimately. The verse before our theme verse, Psalm…
- By Pastor Andrew Palmquist, Bethany Lutheran Church, LuverneNovember 26, 2023As you might imagine, a national day of Thanksgiving wasn’t part of Martin Luther’s life. Thanksgiving Day is an American phenomenon. Although Americans were celebrating Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday in November since the first presidential proclamation in 1863, it wasn’t “official” until congressional legislation in 1941 made Thanksgiving Day a national holiday. Martin Luther did…
- By Pastor Josh Hayden, Living Rock Church, LuverneOctober 11, 2023(Editor's Note: Due to space limitations in the Sept. 12, 2023, Rock County Star Herald, Pastor Hayden's column was shortened. This on-line version is the column at the original length.) The Church is a hospital! How so? It is a saying that many people know and even proclaim: the Church is a hospital! It is a place for broken, hurt and lost people to come. It is not a museum for those who…
- By Pastor Jeremy Wiersema, Reformed Church of SteenSeptember 01, 2023To the brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ our Lord: May the peace of Christ be in you and with you always. I am writing you today because there is a problem. We are all being lied to. Our culture, the powers that be, the rulers and authorities in this land have been working for decades to silence us. They have told us that we must keep our faith to ourselves. That it is not welcome in the…
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