We pray that your journey through the remainder of Holy Week be full of deepened insights as we gather around the Story of the passion of Jesus Christ. May your sense of sadness and wonder grow deeper and broader as we journey through the coming days where we remember the passion of Jesus our Lord.

I gather quotes. Here are a couple that popped out at me as I skimmed through my folder. The themes of weakness, humility and the Theology of the Cross keep grabbing me this year in my own prayer and reflection.

"At some thoughts one stands perplexed, above all at the sight of human sin, and wonders whether to combat it by force or by humble love. Always decide 'I will combat it by humble love.' If you resolve on that once and for all, you can conquer the whole world. Loving humility is a terrible force: it is the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it."
- Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

"What remains incontestable is the fact that, in spite of what is reported about his curing the sick and raising the dead to life in Galilee and other places, Jesus displayed on the cross nothing but utter helplessness and weakness. Nowhere does the passion narrative depict Jesus except in this utterly powerless image. The reason is that love, in terms of this world's values, is forever vulnerable and helpless...Jesus, powerless on the cross, is the symbol of love --nay, the very incarnation of Love."
- Shusako Endo

To summarize: the theology of the cross
is a theology of faith (not sight);
a theology of hope (not con-summation);
and a theology of love (not power).
And if you want to understand what the theology of glory is
you just have to turn this ordering of the virtues around:
it is a theology of sight (not faith),
of consummation (not hope),
and of power (not love)."
- Douglas John Hall, Seminary Ridge Review

"Had he only suffered, Jesus might still have been applauded as the Messiah. All the sympathy and admiration of the world might have been focused on his passion. It could have been viewed as a tragedy with its own intrinsic value, dignity and honor. But in the passion Jesus is a rejected Messiah. His rejection robs the passion of its halo of glory. It must be a passion without honor. Suffering and rejection sum up the whole cross of Jesus. To die on the cross means to die despised and rejected of men. Suffering and rejection are laid up Jesus as a divine necessity, and every attempt to prevent it is the work of the devil, especially when it comes from his own disciples; for it is in fact attempt to prevent Christ from being Christ."
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship 95f.

"...Christ had no need at all for this suffering; but we and the whole human race needed this suffering. Thus it was a gift which was given and presented to us out of pure grace and mercy."
- Luther LW Vol. 51 p. 197 f

Have a meaningful remainder of Holy Week and a joyful celebration of the
Resurrection of our Lord.

Whole-Hearted Food at Easter

When we come together with family and friends around the table for Easter dinner, what will be at your table?

What will be there besides those favorite traditional foods of Easter?

Will there be PIE?

 

Pr. Larry Strenge, Director for Evangelical Mission, has written an article about whole-hearted living. SW MN Synod is taking on whole-hearted living in a variety of ways. We may not call it that but let me assure youit is happening as we learn, live and love together, as we are the Body of Christ in the world, living whole-heartedly for ourselves and for our neighbors.
Click here to read as you think about the questions above.

 

Meet ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

Bishop Eaton will be in the SW MN Synod on Friday, April 25 at Calvary Lutheran Church, Willmar from 1:00-3:00 p.m.  

 

We are excited to host our new Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. She is completing a loop of gatherings in the Dakotas and Minnesota in our gathering. We hope you can come to learn more about God's mission that we participate in, our church body's life as we seek to grow more vital congregations full of gracious and fruitful disciples and get to know more about our presiding bishop as a Christ follower.  

 

In honor of World Malaria Day being the same day as Bishop Eaton's visit we will be taking an ELCA Malaria Campaign offering at this event.
Our gift will be matched $1 for $1!

 

Let's give our new Presiding Bishop a warm Southwestern Minnesota welcome!

No registration is necessary. 

 

This morning, during Holy Week 2014, while running and praying in a neighborhood near our house in Charlotte (Indian Trail) NC-the place I am living for just a few more weeks while caring for our son, Dan, as he receives treatment for Chronic Fatigue Immune Disorder (CFID)--I was taken back to a good memory. The memory emerged as I saw these garbage cans sitting by the side of the street awaiting the truck and driver to come and clear out the past week's trash from this household and neighborhood's lives. 

It has come to my attention that congregations can still apply for healthcare reimbursements offered through the Affordable Health Care Act for employed staff even if they missed earlier filing deadlines.

If your congregation missed applying for reimbursement in the last four years, you can still apply. On May 15th, the deadline for the year 2010 arrives. After that deadline you lose the ability to receive health care payments for 2010 through this Act.

Our synod office has received these reimbursement in recent years. It has made a significant difference. Many congregations have already applied for this reimbursement. If you insure people on your staff beyond your pastor and have not looked into this it could be worth exploring. Our accounting firm and our audit firm have helped us do this.

I want to thank Brian Ulrich, who serves as congregational treasurer for Living Waters for bringing to my attention the possibility of congregations seeking these reimbursements in years that have passed within the time limits of the program.

I think most accountants would know how to apply for this reimbursement. Brian is willing to answer questions and help people learn more about this. His business called Congregational Audit Services. His contact information is brianulrich@centurylink.net Phone: 320-250-2354.
 

St. Andrew Village, New London

Pastors, join us for an "all-inclusive" family camp week together with other families who understand the special dynamics of being a "pastor's family." Whether you choose to use this week as continuing education or a family get-a-way, you together with your family, will be able to enjoy all the camp favorites like campfire, worship, swimming, Bible Study and Games. This special week will be led by Rev. Dr. Hans Wiersma.

The theme for the week's focus will be The Vocation of Family.

Martin Luther introduced a new understanding of family. For Luther and for the Lutheran tradition, the roles and duties and joys and hardships of family life are part of each believer's God-given call. We will explore the Bible, the writings of Luther and others, and modern understandings (including the contributions of media and popular culture) as we investigate the messy-yet-holy business of being part of a family.

April

April 25 - P.I.E. (PROSPER INVEST ENDOW): A Recipe for Generosity (morning)

April 25 - ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton (afternoon)

April 25 - Pastoral Staff Support Time (PSST) Healthy Staff Relationships Retreat (evening)

April 26 - P.I.E. (PROSPER INVEST ENDOW): A Recipe for Generosity

175 East Bridge St. PO Box 499

 507-637-3904