2007 Past Articles
What will happen to my father? February 2007
The Shadow of Death
Summer - Time - Faith
The Benefits of Creation
How do we pick the readings each Sunday?
Who know!!
Thanksgiving 2007 The real Thanksgiving story
The Dilemma - Mission Seeds December 07Top Ten Reasons to attend Christmas Church Services
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What will happen to my father? February 2007 St. Ansgars Lutheran Church “LINK”
Matthew 9:1-2 And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town. 2 And just then
some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
Mark 9:23-24 Jesus said to him, "If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes."
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out, "I believe; help my unbelief!"
Marge came out of her father’s hospital room. Without looking or paying attention she entered the elevator
and pushed the main floor button. She walked out the door not noticing the people coming and going. Marge
was upset and preoccupied. Her father was dying. He had inoperable cancer. That, of course, bothered her but
what really worried her was his faith.
Sol, like many men, was a man of few words. He didn’t talk much about sports, weather, even family. He just
wasn’t a talkative guy. Marge knew this and for most of her life
it didn’t bother her. Even though Sol didn’t say
much he let his family know he loved them. Marge always said, “Nothing says love like one of Dad’s hugs”.
Usually his silence didn’t bother her but now it did. As she watched him go through what no doubt were his
final days, she worried about his salvation. What did Dad believe?
Sol didn’t go to church very much. He went Christmas and Easter and for confirmations, baptisms, weddings
and funerals but he wasn’t an every Sunday Church go-er. Marge had always believed he had faith and
attributed his lack of church attendance to his quietness, not putting himself in situations where he would have
to talk. But now, with his days numbered, she worried, “What will become of Dad?”
Many people are concerned about their loved ones’ faith because they love them. Sometimes parents worry
about their children’s faith; children worry about their parents or brothers and sisters and friends.
Faith in Jesus Christ is a very important thing, a wonderful thing. It gives us life and hope and joy. However,
let us not fall into the enemy’s trap of losing our faith when we are concerned for others. If we believe that
Jesus’ love and forgiveness and life everlasting is for us, which we do, then why are we worrying about our
loved ones? Don’t we believe that Jesus’ love is unconditional? Don’t we believe that he died for us while we
were yet sinners? Why do we fail to believe that this same love and forgiveness is also for our friend, brother,
sister, daughter, son, mother or father?
It’s not that we should do nothing or can do nothing; after all, we have the example above of those men
carrying their friend to Jesus. The paralytic could not make it to Jesus on his own. His friends carry him and he
received forgiveness and healing. When Jesus sees their faith, he forgives the paralytic’s sins.
Remember, your loved one may have given up on Jesus. They may not even believe in Jesus right now. There
are times when people just can’t bring themselves to pray to ask Jesus for help. We need to remember that
Jesus hasn’t given up and still believes in them. It may be that they need us to carry them to Jesus, to pray
when they can’t. At times the best we can manage is the same as the father who is fighting for his child’s life.
“I believe Lord, help my unbelief.”
Marge fell on her knees at the foot of her bed. She was sad and mad and scared. All she could think of was to
pray. With tears streaming down her cheeks she prayed, “Dear Jesus ,you know I am so scared. I love my Dad
so much but I don’t know what Dad believes. What am I going to do? Jesus, I need your help. Dad needs help.
I don’t know what to do. Her head fell against her bed. She stayed there leaning against her bed for a long
time. She didn’t see any neon lights or hear any voices but as she stood up, went into the bathroom, and
washed her face; somehow she knew she didn’t have to worry. She still was sad but she was not without hope
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The Shadow of Death
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 KJV I am not a big King James Version fan, but newer
versions don't capture the emotion of this verse like the King James.
The “shadow of death,” may not be pleasant, but it serves a purpose. We know that in order for there to
be a shadow, there must be light. If there is no light there can be no shadow; there can be nothing but
darkness. If there is a shadow that means there is light.
We have shadows because something is blocking the light, something behind us or before us. Many
things can block the light of our lives. Many things can get in the way of our seeing life as it really is.
Even though there are shadows, there is still the light and the light will win.
The gospel of John talks about light and darkness as an analogy for Jesus and his mission. All things
came into being through him (Jesus), and without him (Jesus) not one thing came into being. What has
come into being in him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming
into the world. John 1:3, 4, 5, 9 NRSV
We have had way too many funerals recently. We have had 12 funerals at St. Ansgar’s in the past 17
weeks; not to mention the other members of our community we have lost. We have had to say goodbye
to too many members of our families and too many good friends. It does get to feel like we are walking
into the “shadow of death.” This shadow can block our view, cloud our minds, and attack our spirit.
As Christians we do not live in denial. We don't stick our heads in the sand. We are people of reality.
God does not let us turn away and deny that which blocks the light. God calls us to walk through the
“valley of the shadow of death” but as we walk and see the shadow we also see the light around its
edges. Do you see the light? There is a light back there. It might be slivering through or seeping or
cracking or breaking through. As Christians walk through the dark shadows in the valley, we know the
light is behind us and in front of us. The darkness in the “valley of the shadow of death” cannot
overcome the light. Jesus is the light! Nothing overcomes Jesus! The light of Christ will break through
so that the light can shine on us again.
You may be walking in the “valley of the shadow of death.” Maybe you are walking in the shadow of a
broken relationship, or the shadow of a failure, or the “shadow of death.”
When you walk in the Valley of the “Shadow of Death” you can begin to see the brightness
of Christ's light. Remember that there can be no shadow without light, so there is hope. Christ's light
and hope overshadows fear and grief and death. Do not fear. May your heart be consoled. The Lord
is with you. His light will win out. Take heart, have hope.
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SUMMER-TIME FAITH Hebrews 10:24-25 Cannon Falls Beacon June 2007
24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to
meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see
the Day approaching.
I hope that my 21 years of formal education have given me some knowledge and wisdom. The
years have also influenced the way I look at the calendar year. I have not been in school for quite
a few years; however, I still get a little excited when summer comes. The summer marks the end
of the school year and the beginning of vacation. I don't get the summers off anymore but it still
gives me a sense of freedom. I venture to say I am not alone. The summer marks the end of many
of our commitments like school and other activities.
We live in a very busy world. There are many more opportunities than there were in the past.
That means we also have many more commitments than there were in the past. This and our
increasing mobility have dramatically affected our community of faith, the church. People are
busy during the week as well as on weekends. Many don't go to worship in the summer because
they are either out of town or they are just too tired from their other commitments.
With the summer ends many of the year's commitments, and we feel a sense of freedom. What
will we do with that freedom? Summer freedom doesn't mean there is nothing to do. The summer
brings vacations, camps, and trips to the cabin, camping, family reunions, summer sports, and on
and on. Where does that leave the community of faith?
Many of the activities we are involved in are good and healthy pursuits, not to mention fun.
Unfortunately we can't do everything. It may be possible to worship God individually at least in
a limited way but the church by definition is the gathering of Christians. It does not exist without
people. The community of faith not only counts on our financial support; it also counts on our
presence. Each and every one of us plays an important part in the life of the church. We are all
essential for the church to be what it is created and called to be.
So, enjoy your summer – enjoy all the opportunities God has to offer – and remember that the
church continues to need you in all seasons.
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The Benefits of Creation
(Psalms 95:4-6) In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his
also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. 6 O come,
let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
I have a fondness for gadgets, electronics and new technological devices; however, on vacation
this year I really appreciated the beauty of creation. Our family reunion led us to Tennessee. We
have often driven through the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee on the way to visit my family in
Florida, usually in the darkness of the early morning hours. I am grateful that on this trip, we did
not just drive through Tennessee; we actually stayed right in Tennessee.
I know that God has given us the intelligence and the ability that has led to some amazing
technological advances. We live in a time when our technology has given us time-saving and
life-saving devices as well as some fun and incredibly entertaining devices. I really do appreciate
these things and do give the credit to God. We would not be able to do anything without the
intelligence, wisdom as well as the natural resources God has blessed us with.
We confess in the Apostle’s creed that we believe that God has created everything and continues
to create, so God gets the credit for everything, but there seems to be something very special
about what we refer to as nature, which include mountains, valleys, oceans, rivers and streams.
The list goes on and on. The mountains, streams and trees of Tennessee had their influence on
me. I was hit by their beauty, awe and sense of peace. When people ask me about my vacation
and I tell them that I went to Tennessee, they are usually surprised. We picked Tennessee
because of its location—it is a central meeting location for my family. The highlight of the trip,
besides getting back in touch with my family, was the beauty of God’s creation in Tennessee. I
came back with a restfulness I don’t usually have after a vacation.
Spiritual directors say that along with meditating on scripture, prayer and being a part of a
Christian community we need to be out in nature. Being out in nature is an essential part of
connecting with God. It is not the only thing we need, but it is one part of the puzzle. You can’t
say I went to the cabin or to the lake or to the golf course so I don’t need to go to Church, but it
is a very important element of our spiritual health.
One goal might be to be in nature at least once a day. We are very fortunate here in Cannon Falls
to have many places to experience nature. We have some parks, the bike trail, the river and the
lake, among other things. Outdoor recreational activities are great but for spiritual renewal I am
talking about standing, walking, or sitting out in nature. Take a walk on some grass, work in the
garden with your hands, get out of the car, off the bike or Jet ski for a few minutes and be one
with nature. I don’t think it’s enough to surf nature pictures on the Internet or watch a special
“National Geographic” on television. Our nature surroundings are a wonderful gift—let’s enjoy
them and they will be a blessing to us.
God bless you and may you enjoy all of God’s creation.
Pastor Arte
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How do we pick the readings each Sunday?
Dear Pastor:
I was wondering where we get the readings for each Sunday. My friend Valborg says you just
open up the bible and wherever it opens that’s the reading. How are the readings chosen for
each Sunday?
Trudy from 1st Lutheran Tuscaloosa, Mn
Dear Trudy,
That’s a good question. We use what is called a lectionary. A lectionary is simply a system of
readings from Scripture. As you know we are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America. Our official lectionary is The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), a 3 year cycle of
readings containing 3 readings and a psalm for each Sunday..
Where does the RCL come from?
The readings for the lectionary were chosen by representatives from different church bodies
called “The Consultation on Common Texts (CCT).” Then each church body decides whether or not
they want to use the RCL. The majority of Christian churches in North America use the RCL.
So how does it work?
The lectionary is made up of a 3 year cycle of gospel readings: A is the year of Matthew, B is
the year of Mark, C is the year of Luke, with the gospel of John mixed in with all of them.
Is there any rhyme or reason?
The lectionary follows the church year which follows the life of Christ. It begins in Advent and
ends with Christ the King Sunday.
What about the other readings for Sunday?
The first lesson usually comes from the Old Testament except during the season of Easter
when it comes from the book of Acts. Two methods are used for picking the 1st lesson and the
Psalms. One way they use is to choose a reading that goes with the theme of the gospel
reading that Sunday. Another way is just a continuous reading list. We use the list of readings
related to the gospel theme.
The 2nd lesson is a continuous list of readings from the Epistles (Letters of the Apostles). They
are not chosen to relate to the other readings but sometimes God does some amazing things.
If you want to read more about the lectionary you can go online to
http://www.elca.org/worship/faq/lectionary/lectionary.html or
http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/FAQ/faq_lect.htm
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Sharot
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Who know!!
Let mutual love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have
entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2nrsv
Mary and Joseph showed up in Bethlehem after traveling many miles by foot or riding on a donkey. I
guess the public transportation wasn't very good. The common practice at that time, in that culture was
to show hospitality to strangers. No hospitality was shown. To top that off Joseph was not a stranger. He
undoubtedly had family living there. What a disgrace it must have been especially with Mary very
pregnant and expecting to give birth at any time; not to mention that she was to give birth to God's only
Son. Luke 2:1-7
My family and I did not have to travel many miles, no one was pregnant and we didn't have any relatives
at Urland, well Sandy does have some shirt-tail relatives. Unlike Mary, Joseph and Jesus we have been
shown wonderful hospitality at Urland. Everyone we have met has been very nice to us doing everything
to make us feel right at home. We are very appreciative. You have made the transition as comfortable
and easy as possible.
To some extent this is to be expected for a new pastor, at least you would hope so. However, I was
visiting with a young couple who did not grow up at Urland and they said that this was their experience
as well. They were welcomed with opened arms and this community of faith reached out in their time of
need.
One of the reasons I wanted to come to Urland was because I had heard and had felt this sense of
Christian community. Church of our size has the advantage of being able to tell who is a member and
who isn't. We are also able to show hospitality as a family. Some churches our size struggle with visitors.
Everybody knows everybody here at Urland, so if you come as a visitor and don't know anybody you
might feel left out. Another struggle can be that we are so busy enjoying our friends and family that we
don't invite others to come to visit and when new people do come we don't have time for them.
I am not saying that we have any kind of problem with hospitality here at Urland; on the contrary, I have
experienced great hospitality. We want every visitor to experience that same hospitality. We want
everyone who comes in that door to feel welcome so they can know the love of God in Christ Jesus here
at Urland. Not every visitor will want to become a member of Urland. They might be very happy in their
own congregation. However we do want every one leaving Urland to be able to carry the message that
we treated them like family. We want the word to get out about what wonderful hospitality Urland
shows to all of God's children. Just think someone might visit Urland that lives far away but they know
someone who needs a church family in our area. If we do our job they will do our advertizing for us.
The people of Bethlehem missed out on showing hospitality to the Savior of the world. Who knows
maybe we will entertain angels without knowing it.
Yours in Christ, Pastor Sharot
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2007 Nov Mission Seeds Thanksgiving
Thanking & Praising
O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. Psalms 105:1
The real Thanksgiving story
Long, long ago, in a land later to be called the United States of America, way before some Italian guy got
lost looking for spices, there was a Norwegian named Leif Erickson. Leif discovered this new land. The
only thing was, there were people already living there. The Norwegians and the Native Americans got
along famously. The Norwegians taught them important things like how to make Lefse, Rumergrut and
why it's good to get sut in your eye. The Native Americans taught the Norwegians how to live in this
strange new land. They told them where there was hunting, water and good schools to send their kids.
Come spring the Norwegians tried their hands at farming, however the way they farmed in Norway didn't
work in this new world. One problem was that the ground wasn't very fertile and they were overcome by
weeds. The Native Americans used a method that worked very well. They would take some fish, usually
cod that was left over from the winter, and not really good for anything else, not even for the animals
because it was all dried out. They took the fish and put lye on it and planted it in the fields. The fish
would add nutrients to the soil that would help the crops to grow.
As you can imagine, though the Norwegians and the Native Americans got along well, communication
was often a problem. They ran into many problems, none so much as the dried fish miscommunication.
The Native Americans tried to get the Norwegians to understand that they were supposed to place the fish
in a hole deep enough to keep the smell from getting out, and cover it up to help the soil for their farming.
For some reason the Norwegians couldn't get it through their head that they weren't suppose to eat it.
The Norwegians invited the Native Americans over at the end of November to celebrate the harvest. They
would eat, play cards and watch the football games on TV. How embarrassing it was when the
Norwegians brought out this dried out, almost rotten fish as the main course. The Norwegians went on
and on thanking the Native Americans and commenting on how good it tasted with lots of butter. The
Native Americans being good guests said nothing, …..only a few died.
We have a special day coming up that we set aside to give thanks. The colonists celebrated it as a traditional English
harvest feast. They invited the local Wampanoag Indians. The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 to commemorate the
harvest reaped by the Plymouth Colony after a harsh winter.
George Washington and Abraham Lincoln both made
presidential decrees declaring Thanksgiving a holiday.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, seeking to lengthen the Christmas shopping season, proclaimed
1 Thanksgiving History, From fall feast to national holiday
by Damon Goldsmith
Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November. Congress passed a joint resolution in 1941
decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November, where it remains.1
Thanksgiving day is not considered a “Holy day” for the church, however, we Christians won’t let that
stop us from using it to give thanks to God. There are many ways to give thanks to God for all of our
blessings. One way to give thanks is through table prayer. When we say grace or pray the table prayer we
do a number of things; one thing we do in the table prayer is to ask for God’s blessings on the food. This
means that we don’t only hope that we avoid food poisoning but that God would bless us through the food
and drink so that we might be healthy and productive in God’s kingdom. Another reason for our prayer is
to thank God for the food. In the Lord’s Prayer, when we pray, give us this day our daily bread, we
acknowledge that God is the source of all things. Since God is the source of all things and we are sitting
in front of some good food, we say thanks. Another thing that happens is that we are making a
“statement”: we are announcing to the world that God is responsible for this food and praising God for all
our blessings.
Recently I received an email telling me about someone who gave their faith story at one of the churches I
previously served. He told about the time he cut his fingers off in a farm accident. While he was in the
hospital I went to visit him. I thought he was catholic but I used to play basketball with him so I stopped
by, visited and prayed with him. No big deal. He said that my visit told him that Christ Lutheran was a
loving, caring community of faith. He eventually joined there and has been a very active member. Most
of the time, we don’t realize it when God works through us. We can be doing just regular stuff but God
uses it for his purposes. When I received that email and read about that story I felt really good. I don’t
share this story to blow my own horn. I really didn’t do anything but visit a basketball buddy. God did the
work.
When we pray in public, when we tell stories about what God has done in our lives we are giving thanks
and praise. When we give God thanks and praise we are also giving him the credit. This helps Jesus touch
those who see it or hear about and I’m sure it makes God feel really good.
Ironside's Rebuke on Not Giving Thanks
In his book Folk Psalms Of Faith, Ray Stedman tells of an experience H.A. Ironside had in a crowded
restaurant. Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him.
Ironside invited him to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer. When he
opened his eyes, the other man asked, 'Do you have a headache?" Ironside replied, 'No, I don't." The other
man asked, Well, is there something wrong with your food?" Ironside replied, 'No, I was simply thanking
God as I always do before I eat." The man said, 'Oh, you're one of those, are you? Well, I want you to
know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don't have to give thanks to
anybody when I eat. I just start right in!" Ironside said, 'Yes, you're just like my dog. That's what he does
too!"
Source unknown
2 Thanksgiving History, From fall feast to national holiday
by Damon Goldsmith
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The Dilemma - Mission Seeds December 07
THE DILEMMA: What should we get them for Christmas?
Trying to figure out what to get people for Christmas seems to be more difficult now than ever before.
When I was growing up I never thought about how the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas started. I
was just thankful. If I did think about it I would have given a lot of the credit to that jolly old guy who
dresses in bright colors.
Why are we giving and receiving gifts when it is somebody else’s birthday? As I remember, my parents
explained that since God gave the gift of his son to the world we give gifts to one another. That sounds
pretty good, so how did we get into this Christmas gift dilemma?
Buying a gift for someone has often been a challenge. How do we figure out what they want and or
need? Children have instinctively sensed the possibility of this problem as well as the problem of
receiving the wrong gift. They have developed a device to alleviate this problem. The device is called the
“Christmas List”. This helps prevent the disastrous situation of parents getting frustrated and buying
inappropriate, music, games or clothing.
Adults seem to have an aversion to creating a list. Possible reasons for this Christmas list aversion is
either they are embarrassed to let people know what they really want or they themselves don’t have a
clue.
The market place has come to our aid, creating and providing gift possibilities. These are things we
probably don’t need but definitely want. Well maybe we do need them.
One year my Uncle who is quite a challenge to buy for, bailed us out. He said, “I don’t need anything.
Just make a contribution to any charity you would like”. So, we made a donation in his name.
Jesus received gifts from the magi quite a bit after his birthday. They probably visited him up to 2 years
after his birth. That is why we don’t celebrate their visit until January. What if we got into the Epiphany
spirit this Christmas? I mean what if we got the urge to give Jesus a gift for his birthday this year? Talk
about a dilemma, what would you give Jesus? What does the creator and owner of the world need? I’m
not sure but he probably wouldn’t be interested in a Wide Screen Plasma T.V. , unless he would want
me to store it for him. Jesus probably wouldn’t be interested in video games, iPods or a new cell phone.
He certainly doesn’t need any money. Maybe Jesus would bail us out like my uncle did. Maybe Jesus
would want us to make a contribution to some people in need, in his name. That might be a new
tradition we would like to start. Since God gave the gift of Jesus to the world, we follow his lead and give
a gift to the world as well.
Merry Christmas
Pastor Sharot
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TOP TEN REASONS TO ATTEND CHRISTMAS CHURCH SERVICES
TOP TEN REASONS TO ATTEND CHRISTMAS CHURCH SERVICES
10. To keep a great American Tradition.
9. To renew old friendships.
8. To relive childhood memories.
7. To create childhood memories for your children.
6. To listen to great music.
5. To sing favorite carols (Silent Night by candle light)
4. To spend quality time with family and friends.
3. To pray for peace.
2. To keep Christ in Christmas.
1. To worship and pray to the real King with other Christians .
I’m not David Letterman and this is not an exhaustive list. There are many more reasons
to attend Christmas church services than are listed here.
Why is it very important to attend Christmas worship services? In this busy world it has
never been more important to keep our lives in balance. A spiritual life in relationship
with Christ including worship and fellowship is essential. Christmas worship services can
be a great place to start. If you don’t have time to go to church at Christmas when will
you? If you don’t feel comfortable going to church at Christmas when will you?
Christmas is the most nonthreatening time to go to church or to go back to church. It
might even open the door to some new resolutions in January.
The local church schedules are always listed on this page of the paper. Go worship at
our home church or pick one from the list. If you are going to be out of town find out
when and where there will be services wherever you will be. I guarantee there will be
Christmas services wherever you go. Our brothers and sisters in Christ would love to
have you with them to celebrate Christ’s birth, the more the merrier.
Merry Christmas
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