Outside of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Beatrice, Nebraska on a beautiful Holy Trinity Sunday and Memorial Day weekend Sunday. On Holy Trinity Sunday, Sunday May 26, 2024, I had the privilege to be with God’s people gathered as Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Beatrice, Nebraska. Thank you so much to Pastor Kathee Forrest for the invitation, and to the whole congregation for the warm welcome. I was invited to come and preach and assist in worship, to lead a forum and conversation time with the congregation, and enjoy a wonderful potluck lunch too. At the beginning of worship I also brought greet ..read more

Outside of beautiful St. Paul’s Lutheran in Gilead, Nebraska on a pleasant spring morning. I had the great privilege and joy to be with God’s people gathered as St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Gilead, Nebraska on Sunday May 5, 2024. I was invited to come first of all and speak about mission share. The congregation had some questions about that come up at their annual meeting and in council meetings, and they wanted to come and share about that, so I was grateful for that invitation and opportunity. In addition to sharing that as a Temple Talk, I was also invited to come and lead worship and prea ..read more

Outside of Spirit of Hope Lutheran, early on a beautiful and crisp mid-March morning. I had the privilege to be with the good people of Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Nebraska on Sunday March 17, 2024. Thank you to Pastor Day Hefner and the congregation’s council who invited me to come and visit and preach on stewardship. In addition to preaching, I shared words of greeting from the Bishop and the whole synod, as well as words of gratitude for all that the congregation does, especially through its continued participation in mission share. What follows is the majority of the manuscr ..read more

Outside of Bethany Lutheran in Axtell on an early and very sunny March morning. I had the privilege to be with the congregations of Zion American Lutheran Church in Macon, Nebraska and Bethany Lutheran Church in Axtell, Nebraska on Sunday March 3, 2024. Thank you to Pastor Marcia Dorn for the invitation and to both congregations for the warm welcome. In addition to preaching on stewardship, I was invited to bring greetings on behalf of the Bishop and words of gratitude about the congregations’ participation in the larger church for all they do in and beyond their congregations, and to explain ..read more

Outside of Bethany Evangelical Lutheran on a crisp but glorious winter morning, as the two congregations prepared to gather together for worship at Bethany. I had the privilege of being with God’s people gathered as Bethany Lutheran Church and First Presbyterian Church in Lyons, Nebraska on Sunday February 18, 2024 thanks to the invite from the congregations and their current interim pastor, Pastor Bob Oleson. I was invited to come and preach on stewardship, bring greetings to the congregations from Bishop Johnson as well as on behalf of the ministry cluster and their Dean, Pastor Allison Sibu ..read more

Outside of beautiful Christ Lutheran Church between Louisville and Plattsmouth on an early snowy Sunday morning. Even though it was blue sky, the wind was blowing, so there was some drifting snow. I had the joy of being with God’s people gathered as Christ Lutheran outside of Louisville, Nebraska on Sunday January 21, 2024. Pastor Janet Anderson invited me to come and preach on stewardship, share words of greeting from the Nebraska Synod and about how we are church together, and to lead worship. It was a beautifully cold winter morning. What follows is the majority of the announcements I gave ..read more

Outside Salem Lutheran, on a beautiful winter day in early 2024. (Don’t worry it wasn’t this snowy or wintry looking on December 24th- though that would have been fun for an even more snowy “White” White Christmas.) It’s always a little strange when Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday as it did this year. But as such, Salem Lutheran Church in Fontanelle, Nebraska decided to move up the start of Advent this year a week earlier. That allowed for a little more time to dwell in Advent themes but also an opportunity to do something a bit differently on the last morning of Advent, on the morning of Sund ..read more

Outside beautiful Trinity Lutheran on a sunny fall morning. I had the joy of being with God’s people gathered as Trinity Lutheran Church in Hildreth, Nebraska on Sunday October 22, 2023. I was invited to preach on stewardship and mission as part of the congregation’s Mission Sunday and to be present for conversation during Bible Study as well as during a Harvest Luncheon fundraiser after worship, and to bring greetings from the Bishop as well as some words about what a deacon is and gratitude for mission share as part of the announcements. It was a beautiful day. What follows is the majority o ..read more

Editor’s Note: I have begun being a regular contributor for the weekly Lectionary Reflections column of the Stewardship of Life Institute. Beginning this week, I will share beginning excerpts to each of those posts and then link with the larger post available at the Stewardship of Life Institute website. Generally, I currently offer reflections for the fourth Sunday of the month. Key Verse: “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 20:15) “But it’s not fair…” Eventually the two girls were ready together to take a picture ..read more

Outside of Immanuel Lutheran in Bellevue on a very sunny Sunday morning. It was a joy to be with God’s people gathered as Immanuel Lutheran in Bellevue, Nebraska on Sunday September 17, 2023. I was invited to visit and preach by Pastor Paula Lawhead, and also by the congregation’s stewardship committee and vitality team. In preaching I was invited to help launch the congregation off on its stewardship emphasis for the year based on Psalm 24:1, as well as by the vitality team to share some stories out of Immanuel’s journey through the Nebraska Synod’s Vitality Initiative for Congregations. What ..read more