Hello Gloria Dei, Sometimes in life it is good to ponder the big, first order questions. Why am I here? What is my purpose? Is there a God? If so, does God care about me? As Christians, we trust that not only is there a God, but also that God has done everything to set […] The post Made for Praise and Worship appeared first on Gloria Dei Lutheran Church ..read more

Hello Gloria Dei, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Happy Labor Day weekend everyone. Way back in 1894, Congress passed a bill recognizing the first Monday of September as Labor Day and made it a […] The post Happy “Vocation” Day! appeared first on Gloria Dei Lutheran Church ..read more

Hello Gloria Dei, I’ve shared this with you before, but I love the story about the photographer who was on safari doing a photo shoot in Africa. All of a sudden he came across a lion, only ten feet away. He managed to get a picture, but the lion began to walk slowly towards him. […] The post The Gift of Prayer appeared first on Gloria Dei Lutheran Church ..read more

Hello Gloria Dei, Pastor Amy here. I hope you are doing well today. It is hard to believe it is the middle of August already. The middle of August always seems like a transition time for me. We are nearing the end of summer and preparing for fall. Kids are going back to school, nights […] The post Royal Priesthood appeared first on Gloria Dei Lutheran Church ..read more

Hello Gloria Dei, “The Lord will watch over your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” –Psalm 121:8. Psalm 121 is one of my favorites. It is often listed in the category of Psalms called “Travelers or Sojourners Psalms”. Sometimes it is called a “Song of Ascent”. Jerusalem, sitting on […] The post A Travelers Psalm – Psalm 121 appeared first on Gloria Dei Lutheran Church ..read more

Hello Gloria Dei, A Judge, a King, and a Prophet. I know, I know, it sounds like the start of a corny joke. Use your imagination and let me know what you come up with. In reality, this is the title of our current three-week sermon series. This past weekend, Pastor Heidi led us off with a look at Gideon, one of the Old Testament judges, as told in the book of Judges. After the period of the Judges, the people of Israel wanted to have a king. Why? Mostly because they saw other nations with kings, and so they asked God to have a king. God told them that they really didn’t need a king, because He ..read more

Hello Gloria Dei, Over the past six weeks hundreds of you have attended the focus groups regarding a possible capital campaign for Gloria Dei. You have provided valuable input. Thank you! The vast majority of you have communicated that you feel now is the right time to move forward. So, after much prayer and deliberation, the Church Council has decided to go ahead with a campaign with the following priorities and in this order. Pay off our current mortgage. Create a maintenance fund for current building needs. Expand our church campus. Our vision is a large one. God calls us to step out in ..read more

Hello Gloria Dei, Today I want to remind you of Gloria Dei’s five core values. And while we could list dozens of values in addition to these, our five core values help to guide and lead us to always be about the ministry of Christ and, as they say, “To Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing”. 1. Proclaiming & Living Out the Gospel – If there is anything we want to be known for at Gloria Dei, it is “that the Good News of God’s Love for the World, centered in Jesus Christ, is proclaimed strongly and boldly.” God’s gift of salvation comes through Jesus. Hearing the good news creates and strength ..read more

Hello Gloria Dei, As we continue in our preaching series “Favorite Passages of the Bible”, this weekend we read from Acts 8:26-40. I invite you to read this ahead of time. In this account from the book of Acts, Philip, one of Jesus’ followers, shares about Jesus with a man from Ethiopia. It is a fascinating story. The man has been in Jerusalem, probably arriving there for the festival of Pentecost (See Acts 2:11). He is reading from Isaiah 53, a prophecy about Jesus. Philip lets this man know that Jesus is the one whom Isaiah 53 is talking about. I can imagine Philip explaining how Jesus live ..read more

Hello Gloria Dei, As we arrive at the middle of June, I hope your summer is off to a good start. Maybe you have travel plans, or lake plans, or just some extra time to get a break from the normal, busy routines. One of the joys of summer is the opportunity to see and hear different musical groups. The Levitt near Falls Park is up and running with its music each week. Lorrie and I were outdoors last week listening to music while dining on the patio of a favorite restaurant. I want to let you know of another wonderful musical opportunity to put onto your calendar. On Thursday, June 27, at 7:30 ..read more