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Cowboy church message emphasizes human connection

Special church service part of Lake Benton’s annual Saddle Horse Holiday

LAKE BENTON — Is it truly a “Happy Father’s Day when our Heavenly Father is ignored?” was one of the questions the Rev. Daren Junker of the United Methodist Church in Lake Benton asked during his cowboy church message at the Lake Benton Opera House Sunday morning.

Junker, having brought his own special needs son to church with him, gave a message on human connections beginning with that question and others.

“Doing something (like worship) out of rote (mindless repetition),” he said, “causes the activity to lose its meaning over the generations.”

Junker was the guest speaker at cowboy church during the 72nd annual Saddle Horse Holiday weekend in Lake Benton. He also serves United Parish Church in Elkton, South Dakota. He was sharing the pulpit with the Rev. Bruce Berg of Grace Lutheran Church of Lake Benton who was the liturgist.

Humans focus on their lives and enjoying them rather than focusing on their creator, he said.

“Connections in the 1950s were often made at church picnics, now we’re connected by all this technology,” he said. “Technology is wonderful, and we may think all our connectual needs are being met, but that’s wrong.”

“People were made for connection,” Junker said, “but the connections made through social media still leave people isolated.”

A case in point, he said, was a Facebook connection between two young people discussing suicide and slashing their bodies to get attention.

“This wasn’t in the big cities,” Junker said. “These young people were from small towns near Lake Benton.”

Other illustrations Junker used was prisoners in isolation and how being isolated can make a person go crazy, and how some suicide prevention chat rooms designed for human connection are being manned by robots. Chat bots, he called them.

“Technology lies to us,” Junker said, “and makes empty promises. It’s not always reliable.”

Junker said that while counselors are used around the world to help people sort through their problems, one place does not, and that is Greece.

“In Greece, we don’t need counselors,” he was told, “because we have real friends.”

But, not even your best friend can always be there for you, he said. They are sometimes busy with their own activities.

But Jesus is always there, Junker said. Just like in the hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

Hurting people can find love at church. Fellowship with other believers who reflect God’s great love for mankind.

“God commanded us to love one another (John 15:12),” Junker said. “There is a great need for that kind of love.”

Can we reach out to them (the two young people who were contemplating hurting themselves) without judgement? Junker asked.

“Can we forgive the adulterous woman thrown at our feet?” he asked, giving another example of opportunities to show God’s love to others. “We are the body of Christ and should be the one’s reaching out to these people with the love of the Lord.”

It’s about what’s in your heart, not about your appearance to the community, he said. We need to be open to those who are wounded and need that love connection.

“Have we followed the American church too much and not the Christian love (teachings)?” Junker asked. “We need to be about the business of heaven, not worrying about technology.”

Berg read Scriptures based on faith the size of a mustard seed from Mark 4:26-34.

Hymn singing was accompanied by Karen Lichtsinn on the electric keyboard for “How Great Thou Art.” “Beautiful Savior” and “I Love to Tell the Story.”

A collection was taken with the donations going to the Lake Benton Food Shelf.

There were over 50 in attendance at this service designed to help vacationers and cowboys attend church prior to the trail ride, parade and horse show later in the day.

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