Posted by hlewis |
Last week our confirmands continued their faith journey in the Rocky Mountains at the beautiful Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp (RTLC). Nora, Ava, Faith, Samuel, and Ruby (along with Paul, Ken, and Mikhaelle) navigated high and low ropes courses, 4-13 mile hikes, white water rafting, fun dance parties, delicious meals, and meaningful Bible studies and worship.
RTLC is very intentional about…
Posted by jmarple |
Over the first weekend in June, Joyce Benedict, Renee Loya, and I attended the annual Synod Assembly for our Central States Synod. The main order of business was to elect a new synod bishop. After five rounds of voting, those gathered (more than 300, the majority being lay members from all over Kansas and Missouri) elected Rev. Dr. Donna Simon. But this was more than an election — it was a question…
Posted by svanbaale |
This Sunday is Pentecost. We celebrate the birth of the church and wear red. But when I did a search on the internet for the word Pentecost, it was interesting to me that not only the Christian celebration came up, but also the Jewish one.
In Acts 2:1-21 (our First Reading for this Sunday), the Jews were celebrating Shavuot. They were “all together in one place” to celebrate…
Posted by svanbaale |
Hello, Salem! It will be my privilege to walk with you for a time in worship and supply work on April 27 and May 4.
Since we’re going to be walking together, it would be good for you to know a little bit about me.
My name is Pastor Merle Brockhoff. (I go by Pastor Merle; as shorthand I am sometimes just called “PM.”)
I’ve been a Lutheran pastor for 40 years, serving…
Posted by svanbaale |
Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday, then progresses to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. But have you heard of “Spy Wednesday”?
When preparing services for Holy Week, I came across information on this little-known day. According to Augsburg Fortress, Wednesday in Holy Week “was formerly called ‘Spy Wednesday,’ an allusion to the gospel accounts in which Judas is identified…
Posted by svanbaale |
I have been volunteering with the Home-Delivered Meals ministry, formerly known as Meals on Wheels, through Salem for several months now. Honestly, at first I was hesitant because I wasn’t familiar with how it worked and worried about the time commitment. But serving others and making a positive impact on our community is something that matters deeply to me, so I reached out, asked about the ministry…
Posted by hlewis |
Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior passed that way, He looked up in that tree, and He said:
“Zacchaeus, you come down! For I’m coming to your house today!”
This song is how I learned about Zacchaeus as a child. It certainly…
Posted by svanbaale |
I want to share about the Good Faith Network and the impact it has had on my faith journey.
Many of you know, but for those who don’t, the Good Faith Network is in interfaith organization in Johnson County comprised of almost 30 faith communities across three faith traditions — Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. We advocate for justice around the most pressing issues in Johnson County. We…
Posted by svanbaale |
The Creation Care Team is a collection of people from Salem Lutheran Church, Overland Park Lutheran Church, and Overland Park Presbyterian Church that meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. by Zoom to discuss issues and to schedule events related to God’s creation — the natural environment. Next up is a retreat sponsored by the Creation Care Team from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on…
Posted by svanbaale |
Salem’s Welcome Statement: We, the members of Salem Lutheran Church, affirm the belief that we are all created in God’s image and are called to love one another as God loves us. We are a community that welcomes people of all ages, cultures, economic statuses, ethnic backgrounds, family blends, gender identities, physical and mental abilities, races, and sexual orientations. We seek to…