Treasure Valley Prays

Reimagining Church Together

We are ELCA leaders and pastors from the Treasure Valley and Northwest Intermountain Synod.
Together, we are reimagining and revisiting what it is to be church together with daily devotions.

Oboe Lessons

Kathryn Baerwald February 9, 2021 1 Comment

Nearly five years ago, I started oboe lessons. This was something I wanted to do since I was in elementary school. When the time came in fifth grade to start learning a band or orchestral instrument, I really wanted to play something with flashy, silver keys and that had a cool instrument case. Instead, I

Wait!

Keith Hammer February 8, 2021 No Comments

“Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) Recall the childhood game of “Hide and Seek.” I expect many of us have memories of how we played that simple game.

Birthday Reflections

Brooke Freiheit February 7, 2021 No Comments

As I write this, I’m celebrating my 29th birthday, enjoying donuts and a latte on my couch. Last year, I celebrated with 25 of my friends, playing games together and all munching on a giant kitchen-island-turned-charcuterie board. COVID-19 has changed so many things, and it has been a year of challenges and struggles, currently feeling

Doing Faith

Heidi Gainan February 6, 2021 2 Comments

In fact, (St. Paul) dares to say (in Galatians 5:6), nothing else matters except faith expressing itself in love. Brian McLaren, “Faith After Doubt” Every day I walk a three to four-mile route through my neighborhood. It’s part prayer time and part working through the things that are on my plate to deal with (I

Choosing Calm

Penelope Smith February 5, 2021 4 Comments

Trinity is committed to the principles of “year-round stewardship”. At our January meeting, the Stewardship team selected monthly themes for 2021. Some months fell into place quite easily. March would be Stewardship of Our Building, with the annual pre-Easter church Spring Cleaning/Work Day. May would be Stewardship Benefiting People Around the World, coinciding with our

Conspire with Others!

Kent Schaufelberger February 4, 2021 3 Comments

We have heard a lot about “conspiracy” lately. What comes to you mind when we talk about it? Often we think about “cover-ups”, scandalous dealings”, “treachery” or some other skullduggerous mayhem, most often by groups who have less than honorable intentions or purposes. Think about them: Watergate; 9/11; the moon landing; Prince Diana’s death; JFK’s

The Best Time of the Year

Kelly Preboski February 3, 2021 2 Comments

Yes, I know that Christmas is over, but for me … this time of the year is among the most exciting and hopeful in my work in ministry. Outdoor Ministry sites across our country are praying, discerning, recruiting, interviewing, and hiring our summer staff teams. Those 18 to 26ish year olds willing to get excited

Sanctuary…

Sara Manning February 2, 2021 1 Comment

Being quarantine buddies and spending time at home with Tigress (my cat) I was able to observe her migration around my apartment throughout the day from sunny spot to sunny spot as the sun shifted its location through the day. And as the seasons changed these spots where the sun came in changed and so

Holy Roofs and Strange Sights

Sarah Henthorn February 1, 2021 2 Comments

Jesus Heals a Paralytic One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed.

Seasons

Mary Braudrick January 31, 2021 No Comments

Obviously, we are now in the throes of winter even though it’s a warm January at the moment. Winter is my least favorite season even though it sometimes provides great beauty to the eye. I dislike its unpredictability, and as I’ve aged, I just don’t like being cold! But dressing in soft layers helps and

Blessings in Disguise

Kari Sansgaard January 30, 2021 2 Comments

“But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” (Genesis 33:4) Well this was unexpected. Two brothers who, from the womb, had wrestled with one another – for parental love – for position – for favor – for blessing. For decades, their relationship was

Simple Serving

Kelly Loy January 29, 2021 2 Comments

I am thinking about my Grandma today. And I am thinking about Communion. I miss Communion in our churches, all of us coming together at the Lord’s Table for the Holy Supper with our hands and hearts open to receive. I miss the regular connecting with Jesus, in/with the bread and the wine, and feeling

A Star Word Worthy of 2021

Susan Bruns Rowe January 28, 2021 4 Comments

Did you happen to get a star word this year on Epiphany? This is the second year I’ve had a star word. My word for 2020 was “pray” which made a lot of sense, even before the pandemic and other cataclysmic events of last year unfolded. Although we couldn’t pass out star words in church

Where Do You Come From?

Justin Tigerman January 27, 2021 1 Comment

When I was in seminary, I remember one conversation I had with a friend who had enrolled in the PhD program. I asked what he was pursuing, and he replied that he was going to explore the field of comparative religions. To be honest, at that time, I thought it was a trendy discipline more

Living in Community is Hard Work

Diane McGeoch January 26, 2021 4 Comments

“Peace is not when everyone agrees. It is when we can respect our disagreements and still play in the sandbox together.” Unknown Tweet My neighborhood loves fireworks. The 4th of July fireworks start several days before the 4th, and last until several days after the 4th. The 4th of July in 2020 was especially noisy