Welcome to our latest edition of Treasure Valley Connections. We are welcoming readers from the Upper Snake Cluster this quarter. We are pleased to include a submission on Community Asset Mapping. That piece, the Listening with the Ear of My Heart Workshop, and this newsletter are all fruits of our cluster work with consultant Alicia Griffith.
“When (the Roman soldiers) had tied him up with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who is uncondemned?” (Acts 22:25) The verse above is part of today’s reading (Acts 22:22-23:11) from the Daily Lectionary (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 1150). The reading
Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”(Mark 9:24) Today is Halloween. What does that mean to you? Halloween began as Samhain, first observed by Celtic Pagans. It marked their New Year, the end of summer, and the end of the harvest season. It also signaled the beginning of winter,
If you’ve been following along with the lectionary, you might be aware that a major theme of our recent gospel lessons has been prayer. It’s been a great opportunity to talk with our kids in the children’s message about the ways we pray and what happens when we pray. Far too often, we think of
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master at the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.(John 2:7-9a) We often
Having grown up in the Midwest and lived most of my adult life on the East Coast, much of the Mountain West landscape was unknown to me until a few years ago. Yes, I had traveled along the Pacific Coast and throughout much of the Southwest, but I had not been to the “must see”
The LORD himself goes before youand will be with you;He will never leave you nor forsake you.Do NOT be afraid;do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV) Fear is paralyzing. Anyone who has lived into young adulthood and beyond has a story to tell about fear. Perhaps it was a simple fear of some seemingly easy
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to
I’ve been trying to write this devotion for weeks. I thought maybe I’d write about this or that, but nothing seemed quite fitting. My brain feels like cotton balls, all mushy and soft, not able to form complete thoughts. The thoughts are fleeting, like two dragonflies chasing each other on air waves. I thought, “I’ll
“There is a boy here who has five small loaves of barley bread and two fish. But what good is that with all these people?” (John 6:9) Over the past 35 years, I have belonged to churches which have consistently allowed me to volunteer in my “sweet spot”…. that place where my gifts, my passions,
The texts for this next week include citations from Jeremiah and Luke. I want to pull from those writings two ideas that seem to be well-connected in our world today. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and
Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” (Genesis 9:16) Whenever I see a rainbow, it takes my breath away. In the Treasure Valley we are often blessed with double rainbows after those evening summer
“See I am making all things new.” Revelation 21: 5 I was standing in the kitchen of my former home in Maryland. Only it wasn’t the kitchen anymore, the current owners had turned the space into an eating nook. The old dining room became the kitchen, and I admired the new appliances and cupboards and
I’m sitting on a rocking chair overlooking lake Coeur d’Alene at Lutherhaven. The air is crisp and quiet with a sprinkle of birdsong and the sporadic rush of wind through pine. I am here for the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Total Inclusion Symposium, representing Luther Heights Bible Camp as a board member. When you hear the
Hildegard of Bingen was born into a noble family in Bermersheim in 1098. She experienced visions from a young age but did not tell anyone about them. At the age of eight her family gave her to the care of a religious noblewoman, Jutta of Spanheim, who took Hildegard with her to be enclosed as
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To resume the discussion on the birth stories, recall that I held up the two Gospel narratives found in Matthew and Luke, and encouraged you
There are a whole lot of things I like about the revised Common Lectionary but the one thing that I most resist is how quickly
And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words
Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) Christmas is my favorite time of year, with all its rituals, music,
Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46) Mary’s song (often called the Magnificat from the
Readings for the Fourth Sunday in AdventIsaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25 The readings for the fourth Sunday of Advent help me
A few years into my call at Trinity I took a day trip to Our Savior Lutheran in Twin Falls to do a presentation on
One of the activities I love this time of year is the chance to worship midweek, in the evening on Wednesdays. I greatly enjoy Advent
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42) How I think about “church” has
What are we preparing for?What are we waiting for?Second Sunday of Advent – December 4, 2022Isaiah 11:1-10Matthew 3:1-12 Let’s start with Isaiah. The time of
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