Pastor's Summer Message, 2007: "UP NORT"
I have a wonderful friend Pastor Ed Zaiser whose father also was a pastor. I shared with you that in the very rural area that his father served, two farmers were known to have a fight. Holy Communion was being celebrated. Would they make up, or not? Finally, one of the farmers got up and shook hands with the other, and they went to Holy Communion together.
What a tremendous illustration of Mark 11:25: "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you." The Lord wants to forgive, but we actually can block Him if we shoose to be divided. I am concerned that in our community where people know one another for a long time, it's easy to get tremendous walls and the devil be served more than the Lord Jesus Christ.
Demon Possession
Recently, I shared during a sermon that demon possession is inspired by satan and is commonly referred to in the Bible (eleven times in Matthew, eleven times in Mark, and twenty-three times in Luke).
Summer Worship
I am concerned that neglect of worship in the summer-time is like playing with satan. Please take care of yourselves!
Confirmation Reunion
Elaine Anderson shares that some 150 have said that they will be at the Confirmation Reunion on August 5th at 10:30 a.m. at St. John's. We are so fortunate! We know that you not only will lay out the carpet with tremendous food, but also with welcome to those whose roots are so deep here. I am looking forward to it with much joy!
RAGBRAI
We are delighted that we get a 4th year to share with our three darlin daughters and also with three of their friends on "Team Lucky Dog" (named after Fred our Basset Hound).
During my absence, Jan King will be sharing, and also Pastor Bryan Robertson. Both are from Decorah Lutheran. Jan is a first-year seminary student; she is second career in believing that the Lord is calling her into ordained work. Pastor Bryan you know as one of the joyous pastors of Decorah Lutheran.
Pastor's Summer Message, 2006: "UP NORT"
"UP NORT" is a term often used in Minnesota to describe a cabin or a place that people go for a vacation. In this case, it simply refers to events going on at both Hauge and St. John's Lutheran churches, and really does apply to both congregations.
The following are some news items that Pastor Gene knows about:
Pastors typically have four weeks, usually in the summer, when they can travel, read, and rethink. This summer Pastor Gene is traveling an unusual amount, including the following:
1. Attending the graduation of his and Ruby's oldest grandchild, Meggie Meyer, from Connecticut College in New London, CT.
2. Following the Nordic Choir in what is called the "companion tour". (They were thrilled to hear the Nordic Choir in Italy, Austria, Germany, and Czechoslovakia.)
3. Attending the graduation of their grandson, Joe, from Appleton Wisconsin High School. Both Ellie Meyer and Joe Olynyk will be students at Luther College next year.
4. Pastor Gene and Ruby intend to camp for a few days and then also go on "RAGBRAI" with their three daughters; and finally,
5. To attend the Hermeier Reunion August 18th through 20th in Door County, WI. This happens every three years.
Birthdays & Oldest Member
We have some interesting birthdays coming up in the congregation soon, including: Luella Young, 96 (she and Leila Matter, both age 96, were in the 1924 Confirmation Class. Immanuael Weiss will celebrate his 90th birthday on July 17th. St. John's oldest member is Jeanette Holkesvik, 103.
Trees Down
A tree coming down is never fun; however, two large walnut trees that were endangering the slate roof and the structure of Hauge did have to be removed.
Click here to see a pre-removal picture for old time's sake: Old Walnut Tree
Flags
We wish everybody could be here to see and enjoy the beautiful flags flying at both Hauge and St. John's. The Christian and American flags are flying side by side as an announcement to the community that we really do believe in "One Nation Under God."
Small World
Pastor Gene and Ruby's daughter, Nancy, is in the Department of Development at St. Norbert's College in Wisconsin. Recently, Vernon & Dorothy Ellickson attended the wedding of their granddaughter, Diedra, at the college. She teaches English for that school.
Annual Summer Events
The traditional Memorial Day luncheon at Hauge was a great success, as was the yearly big-time Ice Cream Social at St. John's.
Sunday School Singing at Green Lea
The Sunday School students from St. John's sang at Green Lea Manor Nursing Home. We do hope that they will be able to spread their talented gifts to many other homes in the area.
Pastor Gene and Pastor Steve McKinley
Pastor Gene and Pastor Steve are scheduled to be Stewardship Leaders at two congregations in Appleton, WI this fall. This involves meeting with the people and sharing the sermon on one Sunday during the fall.
Pastor's Fall Message, 2006: "UP NORT"
I always got a kick out of how Minnesotans define "UP NORT" as anything north of the Twin Cities. Southern Minnesota I always thought was for making a living, and "UP NORT" was that vague place of little lakes and all that stuff for having fun.
Maybe that applies here too. I live in Decorah, but the two congregations that I have the privilege to serve are a little bit "UP NORT".
One of the things I wanted to deal with this month is to say a great big THANK YOU for the tremendous amount of praying and love and acceptance that you have given me during my recent illness. It's kind of tough, as many of you know, to live all of your life not even thinking about your health, but just going about life, and all of a sudden to be hit by incredible pain. That is quite a thing to deal with.
Something that comes to mind when I think of pain is the blessing that is done in the laying on of hands during our Confirmation services. I doubt that many people remember the service, but the blessing goes like this: "The Father in heaven for Jesus' sake, renew and increase in you the gift of the Holy Ghost, to your strengthening in faith, to your growth in grace, to your PATIENCE IN SUFFERING, and to the blessed hope of everlasting life."
I wonder how many people in their vibrant health ever think about what those words "patience in suffering" really mean. They're certainly not to be blamed if they didn't understand it.
It has been difficult to find out what I've been dealing with, but now I'm pretty sure we are on the right track. It has to do with my spinal column shooting tremendous pain down through my left shoulder blade and arm. The situation was complicated by medicine that was wrong.
Now, it looks as if we are on the right track with medicine; we simply are using straight Tylenol, and that seems to do the job pretty well. If I take two pills every four hours, I seem to get along okay. I have yet to be able to sleep in a bed, but hopefully that will come soon, too. I will be undergoing a milogram at Mayo Clinic on November 28th, and then we will be reviewing all of the information to see what can be done in the way of therapy. There are things as simple as an injection into the troubled area, or there may be surgery. We'll just have to wait to see; our daughter Kari, who is a nurse from the Milwaukee area, will accompany me as I talk with the doctors in Rochester.
Church Happenings
Advent: Advent comes at a rather "clumsy" time this year, namely December 3, 10, 17, and 24. The 24th is, of course, also Christmas Eve.
Advent is designed to be a time for Christians to get ready for Christmas, not only with trees and presents and everything else, but especially spiritually in re-thinking the wonder of what it means that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son."
Advent will conclude on December 24 with Sunday services at at 11:00 a.m. (Because of Pastor Gene's recent surgery on his injured vertebra, and because Pastor Paul Hougen cannot be here the evening of December 24, special evening services on the 24th have been canceled for this year.)
Prayer Group: It's exciting to see the Prayer Group doing so well. Prayer is the energy of God translated through people that moves not only individuals, but also entire churches. When we started the the Prayer Group, I thought we would be fortunate to have three to five people regularly praying together ("oh ye of little faith"). Lo and behold, there have been regularly ten or more intercessory prayer warriors at the Wednesday night prayer sessions. You are welcome to participate!!
The agreement is that the Prayer Group will meet each Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m., alternating each month between the churches. The rest of November will be at St. John's, and then December the meetings will be at Hauge. It should be a great time as this continues.
Confirmation Classes: I'm sorry to have been unable to meet with confirmants Aaron Larson and Michael Halse. However, we will get back on our regular schedule beginning November 29th, then (as previously scheduled) on December 6th and December 13th, after which we will break for Christmas and New Year.
Normal Yearly Meetings: As the Congregational Chairpeople shared with me at our meeting on October 19th, following are regular annual meetings:
1. June - the last Sunday, St. John's Ice Cream Social
2. Lent - 6:00 p.m. soup supper, 6:45 Worship (joint at St. John's)
3. Confirmation - first Sunday in May
4. Baccalaureate - the Sunday before Graduation
5. October, first Wednesday - St. John's Bazaar
6. October, second Tuesday - Hauge Bazaar
7. Memorial Day Luncheon - at Hauge (last Monday in May)