Pastor’s Ponderings is now ~ “Ask the Pastor” Rev. Bond Haldeman Do you remember the “Dear Abbey” and “Ann Landers” newspaper columns? Readers would write letters asking questions of the advice-givers, who would respond with answers given in the newspaper for everyone to read. It was in some ways like contemporary social media, where people […]
“Provoked to Profession of the Church” “I believe in the . . . holy catholic church.” Lutherans still confess these words in the Apostles’ Creed. While some “believers” think they can do without the Church, we recognize and confess the significance of the community of faith. There are no “Lutherans on the loose.” If you […]
“New Year’s Resolutions” When our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Repent” [Matt. 4:17], he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy. Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such […]
“Light of the World” I have especially noticed the early darkness since the time change a few weeks ago. It makes me much less excited about evening meetings. But I have also noticed the lights that began with Halloween but have continued and increased now with Christmas. Many windows are filled with decorations, houses lit […]
“A Season for Worship” How does the phrase go? “If you don’t like the weather in Wisconsin, just wait 30 minutes.” As I write, it was just this past Saturday that we had a 30 minute snow storm—in October—nearly whiteout conditions—with accumulation (at least for a few minutes). Exaggeration aside, the seasons are changing, and […]
“Give Thanks Always” For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: . . . a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2). For the past few years my family has participated in a weekly community supported agriculture (CSA) share. Each week […]
“Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Above is a translation of a popular quote from Saint Augustine. It expresses a deep truth and one that is informative for me regarding addictions. As some of you will know, I recently preached a sermon that touched on the role of the Church in a […]
Straws, Sticks, and Stones Come to Him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: “See, I […]
ELCA Youth Gathering! About this time next month, I will be with five youth and two other adults at the 2018 ELCA National Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas. Every Three years, 30, 000 high school youth and their adult leaders from across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America gather for a week of faith formation […]
Time to get running! Time to get praying! So there finally seems to be hope for sustained nice weather. Many of you know I have no great love of cold weather or just being cold. And so, I am looking forward to warmer temperatures, and outdoor activities in the sunshine. On the few brief nice […]