Trinity Lutheran Church

February 28, 2024

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Lent 2024: “Why Follow?” Holden Evening Prayer worship at 6:30 pm, Meal at 5:30 pm every Wednesday night starting on February 21^st.

Purpose (February 28): Following Jesus gives a purpose and direction to our lives in an increasingly complex and confusing world. Galatians 5:13. Meal served by the Men of Trinity Strength (March 6): Following Jesus gives us strength beyond just ourselves. Matthew 11:28 -30. Meal served by Church Council.

Hope: (March 13) Following Jesus gives us hope for the future and an assurance that God’s mercy is for us. Hebrews 11:1. Meal served by the Women of Trinity.

Grace: (March 20) Following Jesus allows us to live in God’s grace each day and to share that grace with others. Ephesians 2:8-9. Meal served by the Youth Gathering Youth.

Crew on March 3rd, 3:30 pm till 5pm for all 3^rd-6^th graders.

Order Easter Lillies! You can adorn the sanctuary with Easter Lillies for Easter by ordering them by Sunday, March 10^th.  Make checks payable to Trinity.  See attached form.  No orders will be accepted after March 10^th. 

Butter Braids  Order Butter Braids to support our Youth Gathering Youth and Confirmation Youth!  Sale ends on April 7^th.  Please see any youth gathering youth or confirmation youth.  There is also an order form on the table in the Narthex.  You can also click on this link, select any student, and order from them:  https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/0ced3a55-9230-4e70-b708-e3cd8d6e1eff

Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in April! Every Saturday in April, from 9 am till noon, we are collecting items as a fundraiser for the Women of Trinity.  All items should be clean and in good condition.  Place clothes and shoes in trash bags and all other items in boxes.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  We live in an amazing age when all sorts of cool things are in existence and can happen.  I can go to either Florida or California and take a ride on the Millenium Falcon!  I’ve seen electric scooters that have been decked out to look like a Star Destroyer.  I can get a skin for my car and make it all tricked out with Star Wars stuff (do you see a theme here?)  I could even order a t-shirt at this very minute of Darth Vader playing golf (www.lifeisgood.com just in case you would like to order me one).  There is so much stuff that is Star Wars themed. I have eaten meals where I have used a Star Wars plate, silverware, drank out of a Star Wars glass, wiped my mouth with a Star Wars napkin, while wearing a Star Wars shirt, pants, and socks, with a Star Wars movie on the TV.  See what I’m getting at?

  Which is why the following is so disappointing (and no, it is not that so many of you reading this have never watched a Star Wars movie.  Please go do this. Make your pastor happy).  For over two weeks now I have been using a CPAP machine and it has gone fairly well. Outside of the first night, when I strapped the thing to my face but didn’t turn it on (because when the machine is ON all the lights are OFF, but when it is OFF, the lights are ON.  That was confusing), I have adjusted fairly well.  But I have one huge beef.  In 2024, it is just outrageous.  Outrageous.  What is this outrage? 

  MY CPAP MASK DOES NOT LOOK LIKE DARTH VADER’S MASK.  I’m literally breathing into this mask.  I can tell that sometimes I even sound, while breathing, like Darth Vader.  But I can’t get a Darth Vader CPAP mask (at least, not one my insurance will probably cover).  Why isn’t this a choice?  When I went to the CPAP store to try on mask, why wasn’t that an option? Why can’t we have other options as well?  You could have masks decorated with your favorite teams colors, or bedazzled, or in camo, or with you favorite Disney character on it!  The sky is the limit.

  But not.  They are clear.  With some gray.  That’s it.  So boring.  And so every night, as I strap on my mask, I say a little prayer.  I ask that the Lord might create a CPAP mask that looks like Darth Vader’s mask.  That maybe someday my dream may come true.  Because then, as I fall asleep with air pumping into me, I can say, “Luke, I am your Father.  Ooooo,  bbrrrrr.” 

  Have a wonderful and blessed week!

February 18, 2024

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Lent 2024: “Why Follow?” Holden Evening Prayer worship at 6:30 pm, Meal at 5:30 pm every Wednesday night starting on February 21^st.

Belonging (February 21): Following Jesus together gives us a sense of belonging and community with one another. Matthew 4:18-22. Meal served by the Youth Gathering Youth.

Purpose (February 28): Following Jesus gives a purpose and direction to our lives in an increasingly complex and confusing world. Galatians 5:13. Meal served by the Men of Trinity Strength (March 6): Following Jesus gives us strength beyond just ourselves. Matthew 11:28 -30. Meal served by Church Council.

Hope: (March 13) Following Jesus gives us hope for the future and an assurance that God’s mercy is for us. Hebrews 11:1. Meal served by the Women of Trinity.

Grace: (March 20) Following Jesus allows us to live in God’s grace each day and to share that grace with others. Ephesians 2:8-9. Meal served by the Youth Gathering Youth.

Lagers with the Lord  February 19^th, 6 pm, at Buckshot’s. 

Crew this Wednesday, February 21^st, 3:30 pm till 5pm for all 3^rd-6^th graders.

Looking for an usher for March.  If you are willing, please contact PB.

We are looking for substitute crossing guards.  Looking for especially afternoon shifts, a few times a month.  Shift is from 3 pm till 4 pm.  Training and equipment provided.  If you are interested, contact PB. 

Order Easter Lillies! You can adorn the sanctuary with Easter Lillies for Easter by ordering them by Sunday, March 10^th.  Make checks payable to Trinity.  See attached form.  No orders will be accepted after March 10^th. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

“When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:16-17

  When I have to remind myself of something, I put it on a post it note.  It could be shopping list when we need groceries, it might be a to-do list that is next to my computer in the office.  Heck, even on this computer I have a digital post-it note to remind myself of things. That doesn’t even count the reminders that come from the calendar that is on my phone of upcoming events and appointments and the rest.  I really need a lot of reminders because not only do I have ADHD, but I tend to be busy and have a lot of balls in the air.  Maybe you are very similar.  You need those post-it notes, those text reminders, those calendar alerts to keep your life in order and to remember everything you are supposed to do.

  That is why the following verses give me comfort.  Because even God needs a reminder.  These verses are the end of the Noah’s Ark story.  God has flooded the earth but has made a covenant, a promise, with Noah and his descendants, to never do it again.  But to make sure God doesn’t forget that promise, God puts the rainbow in the sky to be a reminder of God’s promise.  Even God needs a post-it note.  Even God needs a reminder.  Even better, the rainbow isn’t just a reminder for God but a reminder for all of humanity of God’s promise to us as well.  For we of course would forget about the promise God made to us as well.

  Jesus is a reminder as well of God’s promise to love us.  We forget that we are loved and Jesus is that reminder that we are loved and that we have the promise of eternal life.  In those moments of doubt and pain, of searching and longing, Jesus is the assurance that God has not forgotten us.  Jesus is the reminder that God is there, defeating sin and death for us and bringing us to eternal life.  For it is easy to forget, even the biggest things in life. 

  Post-it notes remind me of the tasks and things I need to do in life.  The rainbow is a reminder to God, and to all of us, of God’s promise to us.  And Jesus is a reminder that no matter what, I am saved by grace through faith.  That I am loved and not alone.  Jesus is that same reminder for all of you.  If you ever doubt that you are loved, that there is hope, just look to Jesus. He is your reminder.  He is your post-it note that there is hope, that you are loved, and that you are saved.  May God bless you today and always!

February 11, 2024

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Lent Begins on Wednesday, February 14^th.  Worship  is at Noon and at 6:30 pm.  February 14^th is Ash Wednesday and features a Baked Potato Bar served by the Confirmation Youth for the meal at 5:30 pm.

Lent 2024: “Why Follow?” Holden Evening Prayer worship at 6:30 pm, Meal at 5:30 pm every Wednesday night starting on February 21^st.

Belonging (February 21): Following Jesus together gives us a sense of belonging and community with one another. Matthew 4:18-22. Meal served by the Youth Gathering Youth.

Purpose (February 28): Following Jesus gives a purpose and direction to our lives in an increasingly complex and confusing world. Galatians 5:13. Meal served by the Men of Trinity Strength (March 6): Following Jesus gives us strength beyond just ourselves. Matthew 11:28 -30. Meal served by Church Council.

Hope: (March 13) Following Jesus gives us hope for the future and an assurance that God’s mercy is for us. Hebrews 11:1. Meal served by the Women of Trinity.

Grace: (March 20) Following Jesus allows us to live in God’s grace each day and to share that grace with others. Ephesians 2:8-9. Meal served by the Youth Gathering Youth.

Lagers with the Lord  February 19^th, 6 pm, at Buckshot’s. 

Looking for an usher for March.  If you are willing, please contact PB.

We are looking for substitute crossing guards.  Looking for especially afternoon shifts, a few times a month.  Shift is from 3 pm till 4 pm.  Training and equipment provided.  If you are interested, contact PB. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  Lent is often a time in which we give something up as an act of faithful discipline. Just as Christ gave his life for us, we give up meat, or booze, or cookies, or something else as a way to show our faith and acknowledge what Christ has done for us. Or, like me, I like to take something up, like eating vegetables or working out more or reading the Bible every day. But here is a new idea, one that comes from my wife Amy from a friend of hers. 40 days of giving. Instead of giving something up or taking something up, you give something every day for a charity.

   Maybe it is a tube of toothpaste, a canned good, or some socks. Maybe it is a financial donation to a charity of choice. Maybe it is giving an hour or two of your time to volunteer, whether it be at church, or for an organization in the community, or for your neighbor down the street. Whatever it is, you give something for the sake of something else.

  After all, giving is part of the traditional Lenten discipline, along with fasting and prayer. You can bring any items to the church and we will distribute them to Mission Partners that can use them. One thing that we will be hoping to collect when we head to New Orleans for the ELCA Youth Gathering for our mission partners there are cooling towels. These will be given out to the homeless and to the needy to help with the extreme heat that occurs in New Orleans. That can be an item you give as part of your 40 Days of Giving. You could designate a gift to a ministry of Trinity, like our Missions, our Youth Gathering Youth, or the General Fund.  Whether you participate or not, I hope that Lent is a time in which you grow in your faith and in your commitment to Jesus Christ. May God bless you today and always!

February 4, 2024

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Lent Begins on Wednesday, February 14^th.  Worship  is at Noon and at 6:30 pm.  February 14^th is Ash Wednesday and features a Baked Potato Bar served by the Confirmation Youth for the meal at 5:30 pm.

Lent 2024: “Why Follow?” Holden Evening Prayer worship at 6:30 pm, Meal at 5:30 pm every Wednesday night starting on February 21^st.

Belonging (February 21): Following Jesus together gives us a sense of belonging and community with one another. Matthew 4:18-22. Meal served by the Youth Gathering Youth.

Purpose (February 28): Following Jesus gives a purpose and direction to our lives in an increasingly complex and confusing world. Galatians 5:13. Meal served by the Men of Trinity Strength (March 6): Following Jesus gives us strength beyond just ourselves. Matthew 11:28 -30. Meal served by Church Council.

Hope: (March 13) Following Jesus gives us hope for the future and an assurance that God’s mercy is for us. Hebrews 11:1. Meal served by the Women of Trinity.

Grace: (March 20) Following Jesus allows us to live in God’s grace each day and to share that grace with others. Ephesians 2:8-9. Meal served by the Youth Gathering Youth.

Lagers with the Lord  February 19^th, 6 pm, at Buckshot’s. 

Looking for an usher for March.  If you are willing, please contact PB.

We are looking for substitute crossing guards.  Looking for especially afternoon shifts, a few times a month.  Shift is from 3 pm till 4 pm.  Training and equipment provided.  If you are interested, contact PB. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  A hodgepodge today (this is a word that we all should use more.  Hodgepodge).

I can’t believe I got to golf in January.  It is amazing.  I feel like I have fulfilled a top five life goal (which might say something about my life goals).  As I got ready to tee of on January 31^st, I kept telling myself to not take it for granted, to not worry about how I played and instead have fun.  I needed that since I hit my tee shot so far right it landed in the ocean.  It was great fun and I even ended the day holing a very long birdie putt.  I may never, ever, ever in my life get to tee it up in January in Northern Wisconsin, so I will savor the memory for a long time.  I also hope that there are things in your life that you take a moment to savor, to appreciate, to not take for granted.  To take it all in.  I said that to our dear Katie Wagner when I dropped her off at the airport for her trip to Disney World.  Enjoy it.  Take it all in.  Don’t worry about doing everything, just do what you want and enjoy everything around you.  I know, for myself, I’m trying to do that a little more.  I can be a little to go-go-go. 

You know who could be a little more go-go-go?  Baxter.  He loves to run around the house like a bat out of hell, but when we go on walks, he tends to stop.  A lot.  Sometimes being very stubborn and not moving at all.  Is he tired?  Is he scared?  Does he just want Mom and Dad to carry him like some privileged prince?  I’m not sure.  But it is messing up our walking flow.  He was a little better yesterday but he needs to get better quick otherwise he doesn’t get to come on walks with Mom and Dad, which would be sad for us.  Of course, every time I get frustrated with him, I see this face (see below in Picture of the Week) and I’m like, “Shoot.  Can’t be mad at that.” 

I have an obsession with shows about drug lords from the 1970’s-1990’s.  What can I say.  You make a show about a narco from that period, I’m going to watch it.  I’ve watched every season of “Narcos” I’ve watched countless documentaries about people like Pablo Escobar, and Amy and I just finished “Griselda” on Netflix about the female drug leader in Miami.   Ironically, never really watched “Breaking Bad.”  Maybe I just need by drug kingpins real.  I’m not sure.  It’s just weird. Now I need a show about a bacon cartel talked “Pork King” or something like that and I would totally be in.

After finishing “Griselda” last night, I was searching for something to watch and stumbled across “The Fugitive” with Harrison Ford.  They were only about 40 minutes in or so and I watched the rest of the movie.  Great movie.  Even better, a great Chicago movie.  Lots of great settings there.  Made me think of my favorite movies not only set in Chicago but shot in Chicago.  The shot in Chicago is important as though National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is set in the Chicago area, it was not shot there (sorry, not mountains around Chicago).  Here are my Top 5.

Honorable Mention: The Road to Perdition.  An underrated movie based on the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and future James Bond Daniel Craig.  It is a great Chicago Mob movie with Tom Hanks playing a hitman avenging the death of his son.  A great atmosphere movie with a slow build and great performances and Tom Hanks like you have never seen him.   

5. The Untouchables:  Brian DePalma’s masterpiece starring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert DeNiro, and a young Andy Garcia.  Lots of great shots all over Chicago, especially Union Station.  The Connery monologue about “the Chicago Way” is an all-timer. 

4. While You Were Sleeping:  A great romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock that features the “L.”  Just a fun movie, though if you think a little TOO hard, it can be slightly disturbing.  Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman really make it worth it. 

3. The Fugitive:  Harrison Ford.  Tommy Lee Jones.  The St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  Great shots of downtown and even some of Chicago neighborhoods. A young Jane Lynch (a Chicago area native) shows up along with Julianne Moore.  For me, my favorite Easter Eggs are seeing actual local Chicago broadcasters playing the media in the film, including John Drummond, Pam Zekman, and a very young Lester Holt, now lead anchor for NBC Evening News.

2. The Blues Brothers.  My Dad’s favorite movie.  John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. All-time music in this movie. Features Wrigley Field and Daley Plaza and lots of shots of the suburbs.  Special shout out to Joliet, where the film begins, my birthplace (not the prison.  The town).  Give me four fried chickens and a coke. 

1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: John Hughes sets a lot of his movies in Chicago and its environs (Home Alone, Breakfast Club, etc), but this is the best and a top five movie for me all time.  So many iconic locations from Wrigley Field (I never not say, “Hey batta batta batta hey batta batta batta SWING batta!” when I go) to the Art Institute to Lake Shore Drive to the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) and the parade scene downtown, just an grade A classic.  Life moves pretty fast.  If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.   

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

How can you ever be mad at this for too long?

January 29, 2024

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Super Bowl Pizzas!  Order Pizza’s by February 4^th to support our youth going to Luther Park Bible Camp this summer.  Pick them up on Super Bowl Sunday, February 11^th.  Form included in this email.

Annual Meeting on Sunday, February 4^th, at 10 am.

Lent Begins on Wednesday, February 14^th.  Worship  is at Noon and at 6:30 pm.  February 14^th is Ash Wednesday and features a Baked Potato Bar served by the Confirmation Youth for the meal at 5:30 pm.

Lent 2024: “Why Follow?” Holden Evening Prayer worship at 6:30 pm, Meal at 5:30 pm every Wednesday night starting on February 21^st.

Belonging (February 21): Following Jesus together gives us a sense of belonging and community with one another. Matthew 4:18-22. Meal served by the Youth Gathering Youth.

Purpose (February 28): Following Jesus gives a purpose and direction to our lives in an increasingly complex and confusing world. Galatians 5:13. Meal served by the Men of Trinity Strength (March 6): Following Jesus gives us strength beyond just ourselves. Matthew 11:28 -30. Meal served by Church Council.

Hope: (March 13) Following Jesus gives us hope for the future and an assurance that God’s mercy is for us. Hebrews 11:1. Meal served by the Women of Trinity.

Grace: (March 20) Following Jesus allows us to live in God’s grace each day and to share that grace with others. Ephesians 2:8-9. Meal served by the Youth Gathering Youth.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  I woke up this morning thinking about a couple of my friends.  I knew they were hurting, gutted inside.  I knew that maybe they didn’t sleep well or if they did, they might have woken up and felt like they had been through a nightmare.  I said a little prayer for them, a prayer that they might find comfort, that they might get through the day ok, that they might see the light in the midst of the darkness, some joy in the midst of their sadness.  Why were they sad, you ask?  Well, their football team, the Detroit Lions, blew a 17 point halftime lead to the San Francisco 49ers and were defeated, keeping them from their first trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history.

  Now, I know it seems stupid to think this way about a game, and it probably is.  I do the same things for people who have had real losses in life, like the death of a loved one, loss of a job, the ending of a relationship, and the like.  But the pain is still real.  You who are Packer fans know this.  You have experienced a lot of NFC Championship game losses in recent years (though, I admittedly, don’t feel as bad for you because you are so mean to me much of the year.  My Lion fan friends are much nicer!).  But I also know that pain, of being so close and falling short.  It hurts. 

  But the worse thing is that it can color everything else.  The pain of a loss like that takes away from the joy of a great season.  They won their first playoff game in three decades!  The won a division title!  It was a magical season for the Detroit Lions and it is easy to lose sight of that.  Frankly, in any loss, no matter how big or small it is, we often look only at the loss, instead of the what we got to experience.  Instead of the joy that was present before the loss.

  Think about relationships in your life that ended.  When they first end, you grieve that ending, you bemoan the pain of the relationship that has ceased, whether it be romantic or a friendship or whatever.  But over time, as the pain of the ending fades, you see the good times more than the bad.  When I think about my Dad, gone now for 30 years now, I don’t dwell so much on his death but on all the wonderful moments I had with him, all the good memories instead of the terrible ones at the end.  I know one of the reasons the Bears loss in the Super Bowl in February 2007 hurt so bad was that it would have brought some joy into awful times since my Mom died in November of 2006.  But as time as gone on, I have given thanks for that great season just as I have given thanks for all my memories with my Mom, including the time I spent with her in the hospital talking with her about the Bears that season.

   Losses hurt, no matter what form they take.  The hurt and they leave scars and they can stay with us for a long, long time.  But there are also victories, joyful moments, times of success and hope and fun.  The key for us is to not let the losses overwhelm the others.  After all, we have a Savior in Jesus Christ who gives us hope every day, who shows us that in him we have the victory every day and that nothing has power over us. Not any loss.  Not even death. For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”  

January 21, 2024

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

First Communion Class for any youth 3^rd grade or above on Sunday, January 21 at 10:30 am.  Make up class on January 28^th at 6 pm.  Parents should attend with their child. Please bring a Bible.  Please contact PB if you are coming on the 28^th. First Communion Sunday is February 4^th at 9 am. 

Crew on January 24^th, 3:30 pm till 5 pm for all 3^rd-6^th graders.

Lagers with the Lord, January 22^nd, 6pm at Buckshot’s

Super Bowl Pizzas!  Order Pizza’s by February 4^th to support our youth going to Luther Park Bible Camp this summer.  Pick them up on Super Bowl Sunday, February 11^th.  Form included in this email.

Annual Meeting on Sunday, February 4^th, at 10 am.

Lent Begins on Wednesday, February 14^th.  Worship  is at Noon and at 6:30 pm.  February 14^th is Ash Wednesday and features a Baked Potato Bar served by the Confirmation Youth for the meal at 5:30 pm.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  We can easily experience something a bunch of times and start to take it for granted or think that we know it all.  Take your favorite movie.  You know it inside and out probably.  But that also means that there are times, even when you are enjoying it, that you might not be giving it your full attention.  I’ve been rewatching all the Star Wars movies in narrative order recently (side bar: narrative order means that I’m starting with Episode I: The Phantom Menace, released in 1997, not Episode IV: A New Hope, released in 1977) and I’ve been trying to play really close attention.  I have been noticing things here and there that I’ve never seen before, or enjoying parts better than before and so on. 

  We can get that way with our faith.  Think about the Lord’s Prayer.  We say it every service and it can just roll off our tongues without much thought.  When was the last time you took a moment to think about what you were praying?  Or the Apostle’s Creed?  When was the last time you took a moment to think about what you were confessing?  It is human nature to take stuff for granted.  But it is also important to take a moment to remember why we say the things we say and do the things we do.  

    At the same time, we must also have patience, for sometimes faith isn’t the easiest of things.  One of the reasons we do some of the things we do is that it brings comfort in the midst of its familiarity.  It is why I watch Star Wars movies when I’m sick or just need to veg out for awhile.  I know them so well they bring me comfort when I need to turn my brain off.  It is ok if you aren’t going into deep contemplation every time you pray the Lord’s Prayer or sing “Amazing Grace.”  But I do hope that, from time to time, you take a moment to think about those things that we do so often and can take for granted.

  Lastly, I hope that you never take for granted the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  It is easy to take this most precious of gifts for granted, for we are reminded often that we are loved and saved through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  But we need that reminder so that we do not forget, so that we do not take it for granted.  Today, take a moment to give thanks for the salvation you have received in Jesus, and every now and again, reflect on your faith and those things we often take for granted.  And watch the Star Wars movies!  They are fun! 😊

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Annual Reports due on January 14^th.  Annual meeting on February 4th, 10 am. 

First Communion Class for any youth 3^rd grade or above on Sunday, January 21 at 10:30 am.  Make up class on January 28^th at 6 pm.  Parents should attend with their child. Please bring a Bible.  Please contact PB if you are coming on the 28^th. First Communion Sunday is February 3^rd at 9 am. 

Crew on January 17^th, 3:30 pm till 5 pm for all 3^rd-6^th graders.

Lagers with the Lord, January 22^nd, 6pm at Buckshot’s.

Super Bowl Pizzas!  Order Pizza’s by February 4^th to support our youth going to Luther Park Bible Camp this summer.  Pick them up on Super Bowl Sunday, February 11^th.  Form included in this email. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  Amy and I were flipping channels the other night and we came across “The Lion King.”  There are, of course, a lot of great songs in the movie but my favorite is probably “Hakuna Matata.”  Do you remember from the movie what that means?  It means “no worries.” I would love to live like that.  To have no worries.  To not fret or be anxious about anything.  Yet, that isn’t the case.  I worry all the time.  Maybe you do as well.  What are we to do with our worries?  Should we just keep singing “Hakuna Matata?” 

  Maybe our help comes from God’s Word.  As it says in Philippians 4:6, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” You could say it is the Bible’s own version of “Hakuna Matata.”  When we have a worry, we have a Savior that we can go to, a loving God who is there to hear our worries, our anxieties, our fears.  In the Lion King, it is Timon, Pumba, and Simba who are together to sing “Hakuna Matata.”  For us, we have our Lord by our side, the same Savior who takes those worries, those fears, those anxieties, and defeats them on the cross. This same Savior who promises to carry our burdens and to be with us always. 

  The thing I’ve realized over the years is that I won’t be able to stop worrying.  It will always be there.  But I can’t just forget them either.  Rather, I can give them to the Lord.  I can talk to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and know that he is there to listen, to take those worries, and to walk with me in the midst of my anxiety and worry.  And this Lord is there for you as well.

  May God bless you today and always!

December 30, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Office closed on January 1^st. 

High School Lock-In, Saturday, January 6^th, 6 pm till Sunday, January 7^th, 7 am.  Friends welcome!  Sign up in the Narthex.  I need parent drivers for the Scavenger Hunt at 6:30 pm. 

No Sunday School on December 31

Crew January 10^th and 24^th

Annual Reports due on January 14^th

First Communion Class for any youth 3^rd grade or above on Sunday, January 21 at 10:30 am.  Make up class on January 28^th at 6 pm.  Parents should attend with their child.  Please contact PB if you are coming on the 28^th. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  As a new year approaches, you might be sitting on December 31^st and reflecting upon 2023 and the year that it was.  For some of you, it might have been an incredible and awesome year.  Maybe some amazing things happened, things like a wedding, healing from a health condition, a new job, the birth of a child or a grandchild, an incredible vacation, or many other such things.  You will look back on the year and see it as an incredible gift and you might even be a bit sad to see it end.

  For others, you will look back on 2023 and think of it as one of the worst years ever.  Maybe there was a death of a loved one, a terrible health diagnosis, workplace stress and drama, family conflict, and other hardships and suffering.  You will look back on the year and see it as an incredible disappointment and you will look forward to the start of a new year, saying “good riddance” to 2023. 

  No matter where you fall on those two spectrums, as you prepare to say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024, I offer you this perspective: your Savior Jesus Christ was there in all of it.  Jesus was present in the good of 2023, celebrating with you, rejoicing with you, giving thanks with you.  At the same time, Jesus was present in the terrible of 2023, comforting you in your grief, giving you strength in the midst of weakness and pain, consolation in the midst of setbacks.  No matter what happened in 2023, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was there with you.  Laughing with you.  Weeping with you.  Lifting you up when you needed it and filling you with joy in the happy moments. 

  As we start 2024, remember the promise that Jesus is with you always.  Always.  In the good and the bad.  In the joys and the sorrows.  In the successes and failures.  Jesus is there for you in whatever way you need.  That is the promise of Jesus Christ, who dies on the cross and rises from the grave to bring you to eternal life, who promises to carry your burdens and rejoice in your joyful moments.  Jesus is there and will always be there for you always.

  Happy New Year and God bless!

December 17, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Men’s Band Christmas Concert. Sunday, December 17^th, 6 pm at Trinity.

Spaghetti Meal, Sunday, December 17^th, 5 pm.  served by our Youth Gathering Youth.

Crew December 20^TH  for all 3^rd-6^th graders from 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm.

Christmas Eve Worship Services, Sunday, December 24^th, 9 am, 2 pm, 4:30 pm, & 9:00 pm.  Please note that the 9 am service will not have a Candlelight portion.  All services have Holy Communion. 

No Wednesday Worship on Wednesday, December 27^th.

Office closed December 25-29. 

Office closed on January 1^st. 

High School Lock-In, Saturday, January 6^th, 6 pm till Sunday, January 7^th, 7 am.  Friends welcome!  Sign up in the Narthex.  I need parent drivers for the Scavenger Hunt at 6:30 pm. 

Please consider bringing your Deer Hides to Trinity!  They can be placed in the shack in front of the church.  Please hides only, no heads or feet. 

Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School.  Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  On Thursday, I stood in front of my pastoral colleagues (and our Synod bishop), and led worship in a Elf costume.  Yep, an elf costume, the last thing I had to do as part of our Mission Madness.  I got lots of laughs from my colleagues and a few people who said they were not surprised in the least! 

  But as I thought about preaching in that outfit, it gave me some inspiration.  An elf is a servant.  The elves in the North Pole make the toys, make sure the North Pole runs, takes care of everything.  They work for Santa, they are not Santa, but they are servants.  Santa needs them.  Without them, nothing happens.

  We are elves for Jesus, servants who serve for the sake of the mission of Jesus in the world.  We share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed to others, shining the light of Christ on the world.  We don’t save people, Jesus does.  But we show people the love of God in Jesus Christ.  We tell them of what Jesus has done for them. How Jesus carries their burdens, forgives them their sin, strengthens them in weakness, and is with them always.  We serve the Lord in word and deed, no matter where we are.  We are elves for Jesus.  You are elves for Jesus.

  I hope that as you get ready to celebrate Christmas that you would give thanks for the babe born in Bethlehem who has come to save us.  And I hope that you might remember that you are an elf for Jesus, serving the Lord in whatever way that you can.  May you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Me in my elf costume with my pastoral colleagues

December 12, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Crew December 13^th & December 20^TH  for all 3^rd-6^th graders from 3:30 pm till 5:00 pm.

Men’s Band Christmas Concert. Sunday, December 17^th, 6 pm at Trinity. 

Spaghetti Meal, Sunday, December 17^th, 5 pm. 

Sunday School Christmas program, Sunday, December 17^th, 9 am.

Christmas Eve Worship Services, Sunday, December 24^th, 9 am, 2 pm, 4:30 pm, & 9:00 pm.  Please note that the 9 am service will not have a Candlelight portion.  All services have Holy Communion. 

Please consider bringing your Deer Hides to Trinity!  They can be placed in the shack in front of the church.  Please hides only, no heads or feet. 

Sign up to bring snacks for Crew and/or Sunday School.  Any and all are very much appreciated. Sign ups are on the table in the Narthex.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  The other night, Amy and I watched “A Muppet Christmas Carol,” which is my favorite of the adaptations of the Charles Dickens book.  (They are, in order, “A Muppet Christmas Carol,” “Scrooged,” “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” and the George C. Scott one).  Anyways, I assume you all know the tale and the thing that always strikes me when I watch any of the adaptations is that it is, to me, about Ebenezer Scrooge becoming generous.  Generous to his employees, his family, and the poor.  To be generous with what he has for the sake of others and the generosity of spirit, of having care and compassion for your fellow humans. 

  When I think of this past week at Trinity, that word generosity really comes to mind.  Generosity of spirit, generosity of time, generosity of resources, all the support and lift up the mission of the church.  We had so many volunteers on Wednesday during lefse making that I left to go replace my failing phone!  There was so many moments of laughter, of connection, of a generosity of spirit as we toiled over the lefse.  So many people gave the generosity of their time to make it all happen, and then of course all of you who made items for the bake sale and brought them.  Though it is a lot of work, one of the reasons I love lefse week is that generosity of spirit, of time, of being together in a shared purpose and mission.

  Of course, there was also the generosity of resources throughout the whole weekend.  The Youth had a record-breaking Silent Auction and Soup Lunch, raising over $9,000 total between the two and cash donations given in advance.  To be honest, we were pretty worried and many of our kids were concerned about the auction.  They got turned away a lot more at businesses this year and many of those businesses weren’t the nicest about it.  There was frustration.  But we were so thankful for the donations we did get, for the generosity of church members who brought items in, and of course the incredible response from the community.  Your generosity means that we can be confident that we have the resources to send our kids to New Orleans for the incredible faith experience of a National Youth Gathering. 

  Christmas is about joy, about hope, about giving thanks that our God loves us so much to become flesh in the form of Jesus Christ and save us from our sins.  And it is about generosity, of being generous in spirit, hope, love, and resources for the sake of the other.  Of responding to the amazing miracle of the birth of Christ and our salvation that comes with it.  And so I give thanks for your generosity, for the ways in which you show the love of God in the ways you are generous in the world.  May you see this day and every day the generosity of your loving God and may you be filled with Christmas spirit, joy, hope, and faith.  God bless us everyone!