Opposition

As I read headlines about our ELCA and some of the reactions to our churchwide assembly votes, it has caused me to reflect on who we are as communities of faith, and to what degree we need to be in agreement to move forward with the mission of Christ.  Also, I am looking to my [...]

Confirmation Class of 2009

On Sunday, October 25, 2009, 15 young men and women affirmed their baptismal vows.  Congratulations to–and heartfelt prayers for–each one.
Here are a couple of pictures of our Confirmation Class, with their Mentors.  Thanks for being such a great group!  Your lively spirits will be missed!

Current & Proposed Ministry Policies Now Online

You can find the ELCA guidelines for Vision and Expectations for Rostered Leaders, as well as the WORKING DRAFT of PROPOSED CHANGES to them, here.  I encourage you to read the original documents as well as the proposed changes, which are at the bottom of the page link. 
NOTE:  You can view the documents easily by [...]

Hey! We’ve Been Noticed!

In tracking back some of the hits we’ve received to our blog recently, I found out that we have been featured on a site called “Pretty Good Lutherans.”  [Aww, shucks.  Tiny curtsey.  And thanks for noticing our little corner of ministry in that big, big world of cyberspace.]
I am intrigued by this site.  The stated [...]

Are We Serious?

This devotion was written with the Gospel reading for this Sunday, October 18, 2009 in mind: Mark 10:35-45, which can be found here.
A couple of weeks ago a group of ELCA Lutherans met in Indiana to discuss their reactions to the church assembly decisions about rostered leaders in same-sex relationships. They call themselves [...]

Meet Our New Senior Pastor & Family

An excerpt from our October 2009 Newsletter column, for all you readers in cyberspace who may not get the paper edition!
1.  Welcome, Pastor Charlie & Cindy.  Tell us a little bit about yourselves–where you grew up, your career paths, your family life.
Cindy grew up in a parsonage, born in Osceola, Nebraska and then moved with her [...]

Bishop Usgaard’s Invitation to Conversation

For those of you interested in our local response to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly vote for changing some ministry policies to include those in same-sex relationships, please click the link below and follow the directions for viewing the video.
http://www.semnsynod.org/bishopsbits/CWA09video.html

What Must I Do?

This Sunday, October 11, 2009, the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, we will be reading a tragic story about a rich young man.  You can find the text here.

Kneeling before Jesus, earnestly trying to find the magic secret for eternal life…Jesus looks upon the young man and loves him.  Loves him so much that he tells that [...]

One Year Later

We have been using this weblog for approximately 13 months.  (Though it was designed in July 2008, there were no actual posts until September).  So in that time frame–and as of this writing–5,025 of you have looked us up, found our site by accident, or otherwise become readers of the First Lutheran of Blooming Prairie [...]

Bishop Usgaard’s Reflections on the 2009 Churchwide Assembly

There is a new video that you may view online by our SE MN Synod Bishop, Harold Usgaard.  Thought-provoking and helpful pastoral words for all of us.
Click on the link below and follow the directions for viewing:
http://www.semnsynod.org/bishopsbits/CWA09video.html