God’s Beloved, I am beyond grateful for my call and to serve as your Pastor at St. John. Getting to know this community and all of you beloved Christ followers, has enriched my time here in ways I cannot express. The conversations, the laughter, and the love shared has truly blessed our ministry together. There is a life-giving energy here, and the Holy Spirit continues to show up each day, as we journey together. The Church Council and I have ..read more

God’s Beloved, Blessings for the month of August. This month we will spend time dwelling in the Gospel of John, and will focus much of our attention on Jesus, the Bread of Life. Unique to the Gospel of John, there is no Passover meal/Last Supper like we find in the Synoptic Gospels. Rather, the Gospel of John focuses on how Jesus is the Bread of Life. A theology that is deeply rooted in Jesus’ life, God’s abundance, and sustenance. As ..read more

God’s Beloved, Blessings for the month of July. The summer is in full swing and is a busy time for many. Recent graduates are preparing for what comes next, or you may be enjoying weekend get-aways and vacations, there are family gatherings/reunions, and then there are those unexpected situations that pop up without much warning. For all the joy and excitement that summer brings, as with all things in life, there are also going to be times of stress, worry, and pain. And in those times, we need to hear the ever-present reminder of God’s good promises. Thankfully for us, there are many such pa ..read more

God’s Beloved, Blessings for the month of June and the start of summer. May the longer hours of daylight remind you of the light of the world, and how we are called to share Christ’s light through our love. May the longer hours of daylight remind you that Christ is always present, even as you venture off for summer vacations or weekend get-aways. And may the longer hours of daylight remind you that God’s love is poured out each day to you, through shimmering grace. I hope you are able to find time to connect with our St. John community this summer—through Worship, Adult Study, Book Club, VBS ..read more

God’s Beloved, Blessings for the month of May, a month of many opportunities at St. John. • Saturday, May 4th is Spring Cleaning, at 9:00 a.m. come when you can • Sunday, May 5th our 8th grade confirmation students will have a chance to celebrate all their hard work with a bowling outing, followed by them serving the community dinner at First Presbyterian Church. • Monday, May 6th the Book Club will meet to discuss The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. • Sunday, May 12th we will celebrate Mother’s Day and all of our graduating seniors with a Blessing of the Blankets. • Tuesday, M ..read more

God’s Beloved, Blessings for the month of April. A popular slogan for this month has often been April showers, brings May flowers. A time of year when we often need rain; to refresh the lands and rivers around us, to give way to hope, and to help birth new creation only found during spring (and maybe to help melt some snow from the most recent snowfall). As we know, God is always bringing about new beginnings. And God does so even with the element of rain. Rain is necessary for plants to grow, to replenish our fresh water reserves, and is a reminder of God’s presence and God’s promises. The p ..read more

God’s Beloved, Blessings for the month of March, a month of many happenings, especially this year with how the Liturgical Calendar falls. A few things we will observe together are Daylight Savings, The Spring Equinox, Holy Week, and Easter. With the longer daylight hours, it feels as though the earth is waking from its long winter slumber. A time for us in Wisconsin to wonder, when will the last snowfall be? When will we see those hearty and beautiful spring flowers? The start of spring is a time of anticipation, excitement, and hope. Which can be wonderful, while at the same time, this can p ..read more

God’s Beloved, Grace and peace to you all. I hope you had a joyful Christmas and a very happy new year! Now that the new year is upon us, let us pray. Renewing God, with hearts of gratitude, we give thanks for the start of a new year. A time when possibilities seem endless, when life shimmers with excitement and hope. Inspire and fuel the people of St. John. Open us to the movement of your Spirit, and help us deepen our relationship with you and with one another. As we journey together, may Christ’s light illuminate our path and guide us this new year. Amen.” The new year and all of its pos ..read more

God’s Beloved, Grace and peace to you all. February is upon us, and with that we look to Ash Wednesday and Lent. Our mid-week Lenten services this year will be, Created for Community. As our ELW states, We are created for communion with God, to love one another, and to live in harmony with creation.”   As I recently discussed with our confirmation students, Lent is a sacred time. It is a time to reflect, repent, acknowledge, anticipate, and hope. In addition to this, Lent, in the early church, was a time of intense preparation. Preparation specifically for those who would be baptized on ..read more

God’s Beloved & Members of St. John, Blessings for this month of October. I look forward to kicking off the month with our Fall Chili Raffle & Living River Concert on Sunday, October 1! October is an important month for our church and other Lutheran churches, as many will celebrate Reformation by commemorating Martin Luther’s posting of the Ninety-five Theses.  We will commemorate Reformation on Sunday, October 29 (actual day of Reformation is October 31). In addition to Martin Luther, October is also a month to commemorate St. Francis of Assisi (his day of commemoration is Octo ..read more