Staff Trax

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…

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…

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…

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…

This Sunday we will celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord. I did a quick Google search on the topic, and AI told me all I needed to know about Transfiguration. See the results below.

The Transfiguration in the Bible is when Jesus' appearance changed to reveal his heavenly glory. The word "transfiguration" comes from the Latin words trans- ("across") and figura ("form, shape").

This past Sunday was Groundhog Day. As you may know, the official groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter. But don’t despair; his prediction is usually more wrong than right. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says between 2014 and 2023, Phil was right only 30% of the time.

Do you ever feel like you are repeating the same day…

We are about a week into 2025. As with every new calendar year, I find myself filled with anticipation. I can’t help but wonder what the year will hold. Will I look back on it next December fondly, fearfully, angrily, or a mixture of all three?

At the beginning of the year, just like in this week’s Gospel reading, we are filled with anticipation and the unknown. We will celebrate the…

This week’s Gospel begins with some strong words. John addresses the crowd who have come to be baptized by him with the words, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” I am sure those harsh words got their attention!

He goes on to say, “every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

According to

The month of November in the church calendar starts with All Saints Day and ends with or near Advent, depending on the year. Between those, Christ the King Sunday is also observed. We also have the American holiday of Thanksgiving, a time to gather with friends and family and celebrate our gratitude and blessings, and Election Day, which may or may not be a time to celebrate, depending if your chosen…

At the end of this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus reiterates what he said at the end of last week’s Gospel in Mark 10:31, “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

James and John come before Jesus with an arrogant request, asking to be seated at his right and left. They want to be closest to him.

Instead of granting their request, Jesus repeats what…