Staff Trax

This Sunday is Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion and the start of Holy Week. Salem children and youth will enter the sanctuary waving palms to commemorate Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. They will read the Passion of Christ, the story of Jesus prior to his being arrested until his death on the cross. We will hear of his brutal suffering. But before that, we triumphantly shout Hosanna.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which marked the start of Lent. We began our journey toward Easter. Ash was placed on our foreheads as a sign of remembrance, showing others our belief in Christ. It usually is in the shape of a cross, reminding us of our sin and that Jesus died on the cross for us.

According to the

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, (Jesus) saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea — for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the…

If anything good has come out of the pandemic, it is the ability to worship anytime, anywhere. Prior to March 2020, for most churches, if you were not able to attend worship on a Sunday, you missed it.

In March 2020, churches shut their doors rather abruptly and had to come up with innovative ways to worship, not only on Sundays but for Easter, Christmas, and other major holidays. Prior…

(Jesus said) “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

“But…

While this coming Monday is the federal holiday known as Columbus Day (also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in some states), did you know that the state of Kansas celebrates neither?

In case you have forgotten what you learned in history class, Christopher Columbus was a European explorer who set sail in August 1492 (remember the old rhyme, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue…”?)…

Summer is almost over. School started a couple of weeks ago, and before you know it there will be a chill in the air. It is time to get all of those things on your summer “bucket list” done before you run out of time.

Kids started a normal school year for the first time since 2019. Masks are optional, classes are normal schedule, and activities are back in full swing.

A few weeks…

(Jesus) said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones,…

Many of you might not even be aware, but this past Sunday we celebrated the first new federal holiday since President Reagan added Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in 1983. Until Juneteenth, there had been 10 federal holidays. The fact that the last two new federal holidays honor civil rights shows something about the state of our country today.

When I read the date that MLK’s birthday…

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you…