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Faith

Faith Briefs for Feb. 28

First Lutheran of Marshall five-part Lenten drama worship The People vs Judas Iscariot is a five-part series for First Lutheran’s upcoming Lenten worships in March and April. These dramas will be the “sermon portion” of its traditional Holden Evening Prayer and take the shape of a court hearing in which Judas undergoes his punishment phase. Prosecution and defense attorneys attempt to sway the judge and you, the congregation with evidence based upon the Bible and tradition. Various witnesses are “subpoenaed” to testify, including Peter, John, Mary Magdalene, and others. ...

What’s that there in your eye? A log? 

I was reminded of an age-old, but also important, adage at the poker table recently: You can’t judge a book by its cover. And that’s a vital reminder about human relationships. Yes, even for us pastors! If you would allow me to digress for just a moment: The thing most people who don’t play tournament poker don’t understand is that it can consist of hours upon hours of sheer boredom while you fold bad hand after bad hand, punctuated by seconds of scintillating excitement when you finally are dealt something of value that you can play. So, the key is: You gotta do something ...

Despair is for the privileged; pour yourself into someone instead

This week our large homeless shelter/food pantry organization held a winter “picnic” just to say thank you to our community which has resoundingly responded to support us in our hour of need these past six months. Everyone was invited for food, music and fellowship! Now admittedly, our organization is not entirely financially fixed, but we’re stable, and that’s a far cry better than where we were six months ago! And so we felt compelled to share the joy! At that event, one of our shelter’s guests approached to tell me how much he appreciated the work we’ve done to save ...

Faith Briefs for Feb. 14

St. Mary’s youth group chili and soup supper St. Mary’s Cottonwood annual youth group chili and soup supper and silent auction will be 4:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26. The menu includes chili, vegetable beef soup, potato soup. Freewill donation. Take-outs are available. Bidding for silent auction items ends at 6:30 p.m. Retreat for married couples Feb. 28-March 2 Come spend a weekend of prayer with your spouse at the Schoenstatt Retreat Center and Marian Shrine in Sleepy Eye, which has been designated a Jubilee Pilgrimage Site in this Holy Year 2025. The retreat is open to ...

Faith Forum

Liberalism, California fires and the Bible Liberalism is a desire to be free of authority and where it all started, I believe, is in the Garden of Eden, where the first two liberals, ever, are found. They were told by God that they could eat of any tree in the garden except from the “ tree of knowledge of good and evil...”(Genesis 2:17). “Now the serpent was more crafty ... and said to the woman ‘You will not surely die ... your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil.”(Gen. 3:1-5). They didn’t want to abide by the rules but wanted to be the rule ...

Please listen! You are enough!

You are enough. I don’t know who needs to hear this right now, but please know that you are beautifully created in the image of our Maker. And, as such, you are enough. You are loved, and you are vital to the larger fabric of all creation. You are needed to complete the rest of us! A curious thing happened to me while I was away working at a convention last week. One night, a few of us who were peripheral to the conference skipped the banquet as we had nothing at stake in the big event, and instead jumped in an Uber to headed to a local steakhouse. During the course of the ...