Greetings!
We put out this weekly devotion and newsletter to keep members and friends of our congregation up-to-date on current happenings. If you know of someone who might like this information, please forward this to them and encourage them to join our mailing list. Its easy and its free. God bless and we hope to see you at worship soon.
Pastor Tony
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This Week's Devotion 
Just Add Dirt
by Pastor Tony Haglund
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly.
Isaiah 58:8
My Golden Retriever has developed a small sore on her skin. I don't know where it came from but I know it started very small and now, because she has become obsessed with it, the sore has grown larger and has become pretty disgusting. I love this dog but she drives me crazy because if she would have left the sore alone, it would have healed just fine but she had to lick it and bite at it until now a small problem has developed into a much bigger deal.
I repeat this goofy behavior in my life all the time. Every time I obsess about what I don't have rather than being grateful for what I do have, I take what would be a minor want and turn it into a major need (at least in my own mind). Every time I fret about a small hurt that someone causes me rather than being grateful for all the kindnesses they've shown me in the past, I turn that small hurt into a gaping wound.
There's a small plaque in my office that says; "it isn't hard to make a mountain from a mole hill, just add dirt."
It seems sometimes that we're our own worst enemy. Might Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross invite us to obsess over different values? Might Jesus' invitation to take up our cross and follow, be one of the ways that forces us to stop focusing inward so that we might be healed through a life lived outward?
We all have wounds to our life and to our soul but the good news is that Jesus' love is at work doing the healing. The prophet Isaiah says that when we "share our bread with the hungry and care for the homeless and cloth the naked" then our light shall shine and healing will be ours. Now there's something to obsess about.
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What's Happening at the Church
Choir Members Needed
CLC's Adult Gospel Choir practices every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. and performs the third Sunday of each month. This is a fun group of singers and a great way to share your musical gifts for the sake of God's Kingdom. All are welcome to join. You don't need to have a great voice, just a love of music and a desire to join with other brothers and sisters in Christ to offer glory to God. Come check us out. |
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Is the Holy Land on Your Bucket List? Join us Sunday evening, Oct. 11th at 7:00 p.m. at Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls for an informational meeting regarding a planned trip to the Holy Land for Oct. 2010. This is going to be a wonderful trip and a unique opportunity to make a Christian pilgrimage. If you're interested in learning more, contact Pastor Tony. |
Potato Bake
CLC's Annual Potato Bake will be held Thursday, October 22nd from 11am to 1pm. We're looking for lots of help to make this a great event as it always is. Look for more info to come soon. |
Baptismal Preparation Class
If you're planning a baptism between now and the end of the year, we ask that you join us on Saturday morning, Oct. 17th at 9:30 a.m. for the needed preparation class. During this workshop we go through the meanings of baptism and help you schedule your special day. |
Cameroon Speaker at CLC
Dr. Daniel and Mrs. Catherine Salpou will be speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 13th at 2:00 p.m. at CLC in the library. Dr. Salpou is the medical director of the Cameroon Lutheran Health System. Catherine is the daughter of Sato Marte, who was the director of Women for Christ of the Lutheran Church of Cameroon. We are very proud and excited that they have agreed to visit us and share their story during their brief trip to the US. The SD Synod is the companion synod for the Lutheran Church in Cameroon and a free-will offering will be taken to benefit teh Cameroon Roof Project. This is one of those rare opportunities to connect with brothers and sisters in Christ from another part of the world and you won't want to miss it. |
