Mark 9:38-50 In the mid-1990s a husband and wife from Minnesota decided to go to Florida during a particularly icy winter.  They planned...

Matthew 9:9-13 Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.   Happy St. Matthew Sunday friends of St....

Mark 8:27-38 Today’s ministry spotlight focuses on Worship & Music.  Worship is the thing that brings us all together.  The word...

Mark 10:13-16 Today is Rally Day!  It’s the day we kickoff the program year at St. Matthew.  After a time of summer sabbath, kids are...

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 I recently got poison ivy for the first time in years.  I spent the past two weeks scratching my skin, pouring...

Written by: Dan Smolnik

It's hard to believe that the summer is almost over. Children are returning to school & churches are gearing up for the start of their year.

The big question I’ve been grappling with as we catapult toward the educational year is: What does God want us to know this year? 

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.   “Too Tough To Swallow” is the title of this section of scripture in...

This transcript was presented to the St. Matthew Congregation on Sunday, August 18, 2024 as part of an ELCA Youth Gathering Reflection.

John 6:35, 41-51 Like many of you I’ve been following the Olympics lately.  I love sports in general and I always find it amazing to...

John 6:25-35 Bread is a staple of civilization.  Every culture has it in some form: some type of grain that’s the basis of every...

Empowered by the Holy Spirit and Christ’s promise of love and grace and freedom—let us follow our call to be prophetic disciples. 

Mark 6:1-13 There’s 1997 movie called Gattaca that’s set in the not so distant future of our world where people have started using...

Mark 5:21-43 I recently read the story of a therapy dog named Elsa. Elsa and her owner Sharon would visit hospitals and nursing homes to...

Mark 4:35-41 When I was growing up a thunderstorm was always an adventure. I have fond childhood memories of sitting with my dad and my...

Mark 4:26-34 and Ezekiel 17:22-24 Grace and Peace to you on this wonderful day from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Growing up in...

Mark 2:23-3:6 There’s a story about an aging woodsman and his young apprentice who have an all-day wood chopping contest. The apprentice...

Luke 20:27-40 In the reading we just heard from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is having a conversation with the Sadducees. There’s a lot of...

John 3:1-17 The year was 381 AD. Emperor Theodosius had just called the second ecumenical council for Christian theologians to debate...