Firm Ground or Sinking Sand?

In a well known portion of scripture, Saint Paul writes about secret of contentment to the church of Philippi. This is what he wrote, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,…

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;             I will counsel you and watch over you.                                     Do not be like the horse or the mule,                                     which have no understanding  Psalm 32:8-9 Which part of the week are you spending learning about God outside of sitting in worship…

Last week, I was at the church council meeting for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Community Lutheran Church is a congregation of the ELCA. In 2023, I was nominated to serve on the church council of the ELCA. The national (ELCA) church council operates a lot like our own church council here at…

Someone posted this online. It was too good not to share. Those who are called (or sense God’s calling) push on and do not quit.

I know you may find this hard to believe, but I think a lot about my calling as pastor. As you know I am far from perfect but I constantly think about how effective I am and how that varies depending upon the situation and the people I am interacting with. I know it might…

It is Thursday before Christmas and all through the church… the Bethel staff have been working feverishly! They are getting ready for services on Christmas Eve. That is no exaggeration. Every staff person who came to church today has been tying up all the loose ends of all our Christmas planning to make sure everyone…