Staff Trax

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
— Philippians 1:3-6

On Tuesday afternoon I attended…

It has only been about two weeks now since it began, though it seems like a lot longer. Before then, not many had heard of the term “social distancing.” Now it is a staple in our everyday lives.

Some of us may not have left our homes at all in the last couple of weeks, preferring to work from home and have everything delivered or do without.

Others haven’t changed their…

As some of you may have heard, this week will be my last one as office administrator at Salem Lutheran Church. I have accepted a full-time opportunity with Crossroads Hospice. This is a blessing for both me and my family, and I am excited to share the work and importance of hospice when it comes to end-of-life care. I will miss all of the wonderful people of Salem and look forward to seeing and…

I drove a full van of our kids to Snow Creek Feb. 16, and loved listening to them sing at the top of their lungs. One youth who has always hesitated singing in church told me she wants to lead worship during that ride, so of course I said "when?" Come this Sunday and hear her beautiful voice!

At our first Wednesday evening Lenten service March 4, Marty Taylor did a fantastic presentation…

No matter where you are in the world, a pipe organ will have a keyboard of some sort. Whether it has black keys with white flats and sharps or white keys with black flats and sharps, it will have a keyboard. Some organs can have as many keyboards as can possibly be reached. For example, the pipe organ used at the Boardwalk Hall auditorium in Atlantic City has seven keyboards.

Pipe organ…

Did you know that there are not really 365 days in a year? There are actually 365.242 days, or about 365¼. Leap years occur every four years on Feb. 29, making those years 366 days. This Saturday is Leap Day, and we get a whole extra day to enjoy.

Julius Caesar was the one who started leap year. The early Romans had 355 days in their calendar, with a 22 or 23 day month every second year.…

Dear Salem Lutheran Church,

My family of five has been so blessed by this congregation. We’ve loved worshiping, the children’s choir, Sunday school friends, decking the halls, packing Pantry Pack boxes, taking trips with the youth, playing games, great conversations, having plenty of baby snugglers, cooking BBQ, and walking this journey with all of you.

We are sad to leave,…

"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
— Matthew 5:16b

From Carmen to Declan to Payton to Piper, and this coming Sunday, Avery — five baptisms! It has been a long time since in my ministry a congregation has had five baptism in five months! The rich experience
of each one of these…

With the realization and acceptance that I had played a part in the way my life had turned out came a dramatic change in my outlook. In the past I had always blamed others, either God or other people, for my circumstances. My decisions have been based on fear, pride, or ego. As a result those decisions led me on a path at times of self-destruction. Today I try to allow God to guide me. I am responsible…

Cue the "The Phantom of the Opera" and along comes the organ melody of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. This invasion of silence by the grandiose presence of the pipe organ is the most well-known song of the organ. If Toccata in D Minor doesn't click for you, just think … dah-duh-dah … dah-dah-dah-duh … dah ...

The organ is much more than background music in a movie, or even…