Below are the comments I made Mar. 14 as worship began indoors, in-person for the first time in a year. A number of people asked if I’d share them in print. Thank God for the newsletter!

March 14, 2021:

52 Sundays ago, exactly a year ago tomorrow, we were among the first church families in the area to cancel worship in response to COVID-19. It was a difficult decision.

“I can’t wait for Easter!”

I have heard some form of this comment from several corners of my world. This deep need for the resurrection story. It feels as if the world has been in the tomb and resurrection day is nearly here. I too feel it in myself, in my body, this need for the resurrection story. Some days it feels like my bones are jumping around, eager to be free of their confinement, or maybe that is my spirit longing for days when being free felt differently.

The First Lutheran Foundation Fund is proud to be able to help support ELCA organizations that are continuing the work of First Lutheran Church. One such worthy and deserving organization is the Sugar Creek Bible Camp.

INSIDE: Sacred Storytelling and Easter Sunday

INSIDE: Holy Week & Easter Sunday Schedule, In-Person Small Groups, Chicken Dinner

Download here…

• Newsletter as PDF

INSIDE: Palm Sunday, Easter Flowers, Holy Week Schedule, Easter Sunday

INSIDE: Small Group with Precautions, In-Person Worship continues, Preschool Registration

INSIDE: Daylight Savings, In-Person Worship & Faith Alive! U: Creativity

INSIDE: Drive-In and In-Person Worship

I’ve been on more than a few road trips in my life. As a kid, I remember driving from northern Illinois to Orlando. For my Youth Gathering, it was a 24-hour drive from Medford, WI, to New Orleans. A few years ago, I led our family on the well-worn path from our area to Yellowstone and back.

I was sad going into Ash Wednesday, missing you all and missing the rituals of the day whose meaning is made stronger by your presence. It was so strange, even after 11 months, to stand staring at empty pews just beyond the camera. I was sad going to sleep on Ash Wednesday, happy to have seen some of you in person, but it still wasn’t quite right.

The First Lutheran Foundation Fund supports organizations in the larger community and also those that are part of First Lutheran Church’s own mission outreach. Included in the latter category is the First Teen Clothes Closet, which was established in 2012 as both a mission to serve youth in need in our community and as a volunteer opportunity for the youth in our congregation.

INSIDE: Drive-In Worship, Holy Week Schedule, Scholarships

Download here…

• Newsletter as PDF

INSIDE: Drive-In Worship and Preschool Open House Tours

INSIDE: Grade 4 Faith Building Block, Faith Alive! U: Teen Mental Health, Holden Evening Under the Stars