Trinity Lutheran Church

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Last Lent Wednesday Worship, 6:30 pm.  Service is Holden Evening Prayer.  Topic: “Walking with the Shepherd: Salvation”

Brat & Hot Dog Meal served by Church Council,  Wednesday, March 22, 5:30 pm.

Crew is on March 29 at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Palm Sunday Youth Service, April 2^nd, 9 am.

Maundy Thursday Worship, April 6, 6:30 pm.

Good Friday Worship, April 7^th, Noon & 6:30 pm.

Easter Sunday Worship, April 9^th, 6:30 am and 9:00 am.

Easter Breakfast served by Confirmation Youth, April 9, 7:30 am  French Toast, Sausage, Fresh Fruit, Pastries, Beverage, Free-will offering taken.

Lagers with the Lord Monday, April 10^th,  6:00 pm at Buckshot’s.  Join us for some time of Bible study and faith conversation.  All are welcome!

Luther Park is looking for summer staff!  They are looking for college age youth to serve as counselors and other staff.  Go to www.lutherpark.org for an application and more information. 

Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in April  Every Saturday in April, from 9 am till Noon, we are collecting items as a fundraiser for the Women of Trinity.  All items should be clean and in good condition.  Place clothes and shoes in a trash bag and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  Sometimes kids say the darndest things.  The other day, two youth were coming up to my corner after school, and they were both limping.  I asked them what was going on, and one said that they were just practicing their fake limp (kids. I tell you).  The other said that they were broken.  I asked what was broken.  And they said, “I’m broken cuz I’m broken.”  And I thought to myself: whoa.  That is deep. Kids.  I tell you. 

  “I’m broken cuz I’m broken.”  We are broken people.  Broken by sin, by suffering, by grief, by anxiety and worry and a million other things.  But the thing is we so often hide our brokenness.  We are ashamed of our brokenness and we often want to hide it.  When someone asks us how we are doing, we often respond with “fine.”  Why do we do that?  We tell ourselves a lot reasons why.  We don’t want to make the other person uncomfortable.  It isn’t anyone else’s businesses but our own.  No one really cares what is going on with us and they are just being polite.  We might get rejected if we tell the truth.  No matter what any of these are, we hide our brokenness or we aren’t ready to admit it.

  However, what if when we shared how we were really doing, might we find comfort?  Or acceptance?  Or understanding?  Or a connection with someone who might feel broken just like us?  We are full of pride and that can get in the way.  I know it has for me at times when I have felt broken.  When I have been unwilling to share the truth that I’m broken cuz I’m broken.  Where I feel a need to present a joyful and happy face at all times instead of allowing myself to be broken in front of others. 

  We are broken cuz we are broken.  But we are also loved because we are broken.  As it says in Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” Our Lord knows our brokenness and why we are broken.  But our Lord also puts us back together, heals us, strengthens us, and loves us.  Loves us even in our brokenness.  Loves us in the midst of our pain.  Loves us always.  As it says in Psalm 147:3, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

  Even better, I firmly believe the Lord brings people into our lives who show us that we are loved despite our brokenness.  Who accept us for who we are.  Who support us in the midst of our trials and pain and who walk beside us, just as the Lord does.

  Maybe the first step is to admit our brokenness.  To not be ashamed of it.  To be with ok saying we aren’t fine when people ask.  And then, to remember the loving grace of Jesus Christ, who offers to carry our burdens.    Who loves us, broken and all.  And who restores us by defeating sin, death, and the devil on the cross for us.  You are loved by God no matter what.  Broken pieces and all. 

  May God bless you today and always.  

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Lent Wednesday Worship, 6:30 pm.  Service is Holden Evening Prayer.  Topic: “Walking with the Shepherd: Blessing”

Homemade Soup Meal served by the Mission Trip Youth,  Wednesday, March 22, 5:30 pm.

Easter Lily orders are due on Sunday, March 26^th!  Form is attached. 

Crew is on March 29 at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Luther Park is looking for summer staff!  They are looking for college age youth to serve as counselors and other staff.  Go to www.lutherpark.org for an application and more information. 

Butter Braid Sales  February 22^nd through March 22^nd.  Help support our youth by purchasing a Butter Braid!  Confirmation youth will have forms that you can sign or you can go online.  Click the link, select a seller, and go from there!  https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/e857f260-55a0-4175-8e04-b606cc82ec5e ENDS THIS WEDNESDAY!

Reminder that Easter Lily orders are due on March 26.  You can get a form in the Trinity Good News at www.trinityboyceville.com

Palm Sunday Y0uth Service, April 2^nd, 9 am.

Maundy Thursday Worship, April 6, 6:30 pm.

Good Friday Worship, April 7^th, Noon & 6:30 pm.

Easter Sunday Worship, April 9^th, 6:30 am and 9:00 am.

Easter Breakfast served by Confirmation Youth, April 9, 7:30 am  French Toast, Sausage, Fresh Fruit, Pastries, Beverage, Free-will offering taken.

Lagers with the Lord Monday, April 10^th,  6:00 pm at Buckshot’s.  Join us for some time of Bible study and faith conversation.  All are welcome!

Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in April  Every Saturday in April, from 9 am till Noon, we are collecting items as a fundraiser for the Women of Trinity.  All items should be clean and in good condition.  Place clothes and shoes in a trash bag and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  We are in the midst of the NCAA Basketball Tournaments, both Men and Women, and my favorite part of the tournament are the upsets.  We have had some huge ones on the Men’s side, as a number 1 seed went down for only the second time ever and a number 2 seed got beat, along with a favorite like Duke.  I love cheering for the upsets, even if it means my bracket gets busted and I finish last in my pool.  The excitement, the unexpectedness of it, is crazy.  Even in the NCAA Wrestling Tournament there was a major upset as a guy going for his 4^th career title got pinned at the last second in the semifinals.  March Madness indeed!  It is fun to cheer for the underdog.

  Of course, when an underdog does in, we might here them talking about a David taking down a Goliath, a reference to the Biblical story of David, a shepherd, defeating the great Philistine warrior Goliath with his slingshot.  But the cool thing about David’s story, who will not only become a great king of Israel but is also an ancestor of Jesus, is that his underdog story starts long before he meets Goliath. 

  The prophet Samuel has been sent to David’s father Jesse to anoint a new king, as God has moved on from the previous king, Saul.  Jesse has eight sons, including David, and when Samuel sees the first, who is tall and strong, and he thinks that is who God will choose.  But God says, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7  Even at the start, David is an underdog.  And he isn’t even there!  He is out caring for the sheep.

  But the Lord rejects the other seven sons, David is brought to Samuel, and is anointed.  After this he will defeat Goliath, be on the run from Saul who keeps trying to kill him, and eventually become king.  An underdog who becomes king.  It is reminder that it is not what is on the outside that counts, but what is on the inside.  Too often we judge based on the things of this world and not on the heart.  God chooses us to be God’s hands and feet in the world not because we look the part but because of our faithfulness.  Even more so, God is with us.  David defeats Goliath not on his own.  The Lord is him.  And the Lord is with you.

  I don’t know if any of the underdog stories of the NCAA tournament will become champion, but I do know that there stories are reminders that amazing things can happen.  What I do know is that we have the ultimate victory, a victory over sin and death, a victory that we did not earn but was given by our loving God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  May we never count anyone out and look upon their heart, seeing what the Lord sees in those the world so often dismisses.  May the Lord bless you today and always!

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Lent Wednesday Worship, 6:30 pm.  Service is Holden Evening Prayer.  Topic: “Walking with the Shepherd: Comfort”

Spaghetti Meal served by Trinity Men, Wednesday, March 8, 5:30 pm.

Crew is on March 15 at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Luther Park is looking for summer staff!  They are looking for college age youth to serve as counselors and other staff.  Go to www.lutherpark.org for an application and more information. 

Butter Braid Sales  February 22^nd through March 22^nd.  Help support our youth by purchasing a Butter Braid!  Confirmation youth will have forms that you can sign or you can go online.  Click the link, select a seller, and go from there!  https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/e857f260-55a0-4175-8e04-b606cc82ec5e

Lagers with the Lord Monday, March 13^th, 6:00 pm at Buckshot’s.  Join us for some time of Bible study and faith conversation.  All are welcome!

High School Lock-In  March 17, 6 pm till March 18 at 7 am.  Friends welcome. Bring a snack to share.  Need  help for the Scavenger Hunt for Hunger to drive from 6:30 pm till 7:30 pm. See sign-up in the Narthex or talk to Pastor Brad

Reminder that Easter Lily orders are due on March 26.  You can get a form in the Trinity Good News at www.trinityboyceville.com

Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in April  Every Saturday in April, from 9 am till Noon, we are collecting items as a fundraiser for the Women of Trinity.  All items should be clean and in good condition.  Place clothes and shoes in a trash bag and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  There are some things that I never get tired of.  I never get tired of Amy’s laugh or how cute Kapono looks when she is sleeping.  I never get tired of the awesome feeling of hitting a golf ball flush or watching the Empire Strikes Back.  I never get tired of feeling awe when I walk into Wrigley Field or the taste of crispy bacon.  I never get tired of hearing the boys in the Men’s Band harmonizing. There are just somethings that I experience on a regular basis that I never get tired of.

  I also never get tired at how amazing the following verse from Romans is.  It is Romans 5:8, “⁸But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”  Every time I hear it, I kind of freak out.  I freak out because I can’t believe that God loves us so much that God sends Jesus to die for us.  I freak out because if that isn’t enough, Christ dies for us SINNERS!  I could wrap my head around Jesus giving his life to people who are righteous, who are perfect, who do nothing wrong.  But it still blows my mind that Jesus goes to the cross for us sinners.  For us who make mistakes.  Who do dumb stuff.  Who absolutely fail. 

   This is such radical love that I sometimes can’t believe it.  That Christ dies for us sinners, dies to show us that God loves us.  This is grace, what God does for us, saving us not because we have earned it or because we are perfect, but out of love. Freely given.  For you.

  It is just amazing.  And I never get tired of hearing it.  I need to hear it.  It brings me hope, restores my faith, strengthens me in my calling, and guides me in life.  Christ dies for us, sinners, as an act of God’s love.  I hope to never take it for granted, just like I never want to take for granted all the examples I gave above.  They are incredible gifts that I cherish and I will never get tired of.

  May God bless you today and always!

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

March 6, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Lent Wednesday Worship, 6:30 pm.  Service is Holden Evening Prayer.  Topic: “Walking with the Shepherd: Restoration”

Baked Potato Meal served by Confirmation Youth, Wednesday, March 8, 5:30 pm.

Crew is on March 15 at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Come join us to help clean the brass and  the sacristy on Wednesday, March 29th, starting at 9:00 a.m. 

Luther Park is looking for summer staff!  They are looking for college age youth to serve as counselors and other staff.  Go to www.lutherpark.org for an application and more information. 

Butter Braid Sales  February 22^nd through March 22^nd.  Help support our youth by purchasing a Butter Braid!  Confirmation youth will have forms that you can sign or you can go online.  Click the link, select a seller, and go from there!  https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/e857f260-55a0-4175-8e04-b606cc82ec5e

Lagers with the Lord Monday, March 13^th, 6:00 pm at Buckshot’s.  Join us for some time of Bible study and faith conversation.  All are welcome!

High School Lock-In  March 17, 6 pm till March 18 at 7 am.  Friends welcome. Bring a snack to share.  Need parent help for the Scavenger Hunt for Hunger to drive from 6:30 pm till 7:30 pm. See sign-up in the Narthex or talk to Pastor Brad

Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in April  Every Saturday in April, from 9 am till Noon, we are collecting items as a fundraiser for the Women of Trinity.  All items should be clean and in good condition.  Place clothes and shoes in a trash bag and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

   When we do a Children’s Sermon, we have a tradition at the end that the kids give me a high five and each youth gets two pieces of candy, one to keep and one to share.  I stole the candy thing from Pastor Heather Kistner and it has been our tradition for many years.  The kids are usually very good about taking their two, even if they rifle through the entire candy box looking their favorite pieces. 

  Recently, we have had a new youth that comes up for the children’s sermon, an incredibly cute and very young girl.  She comes up with her brother and is just one of the most adorable things ever.  But when it comes time to get her two pieces of candy, let’s say that she often does NOT stop at two.  She might grab five, or six, or ten, or as many as she can fit into her little hands. 

  Now, mind you, I have tried to limit the number of candy that she takes.  Her brother tries to stop her.  Her parents talk with her before the service and before the children’s sermon about only taking two.  They say she understands.  But then she just completely ignores them (and me) and takes what she wants.  I don’t have the heart to really stop her and I figure she doesn’t quite understand but will eventually.

  Or maybe she does understand.  Because as I start the sermon, I see her, walking around the back of the church, handing out candy.  I’m not even sure she keeps anything for herself (I assume she does), but it looks to me like she hands out more than she keeps.  It is so incredibly cute that I can’t help but chuckle when I see it.  But it also means that she understands the lesson we are trying to teach the kids with the handing out of the candy: that is not just about receiving, it is about giving.

  Everything we have in this life is a gift from God.  And God calls us to take those gifts and not only use them for our own needs but for the sake of our neighbor and God’s ministry in the world.  Our ministry does not exist without you taking the gifts of time, talents, and financial resources and giving them in faithful response to what God in Christ Jesus has done for you.  At the same time, we give of those gifts to our partner organizations to serve the poor and support other ministries, like Luther Park.  We receive and we give.  Our cute girl that takes too much candy does the same and teaches us all a lesson about generosity.  She gives with joy. 

  My hope is that we would have similar joyful hearts as we give of what we have been given for the sake of the Lord.  Using our gifts and resources to help those in need, to keep our ministry strong and vibrant.  Lent is a time when we remember to be generous as an act of faith for the salvation we have received in Jesus Christ. 

   I look forward to seeing that little girl, collecting candy during the children’s sermon and handing it out to people in the church.  And I look forward to seeing the fruits your generosity produces in our ministry and in the lives of others.  May you be blessed with cheerful and generous hearts and give thanks for all that God has blessed you with. 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Lent Wednesday Worship, 5:30 pm.  Service is Holden Evening Prayer.  Topic: “Walking with the Shepherd: Relationship.”

Taco Meal served by Women of Trinity, 5:30 pm.

Crew is on March 1 at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Luther Park is looking for summer staff!  They are looking for college age youth to serve as counselors and other staff.  Go to www.lutherpark.org for an application and more information. 

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

Volunteers Needed to remove snow from our sidewalks! Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. We have a new tractor with snow blower that you can use.

Butter Braid Sales  February 22^nd through March 22^nd.  Help support our youth by purchasing a Butter Braid!  Confirmation youth will have forms that you can sign or you can go online.  Click the link, select a seller, and go from there!  https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/e857f260-55a0-4175-8e04-b606cc82ec5e

High School Lock-In  March 17, 6 pm till March 18 at 7 am.  Friends welcome. Bring a snack to share.  Need parent help between Midnight and 5 am.  Deadline is February 22^nd. 

Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in April  Every Saturday in April, from 9 am till Noon, we are collecting items as a fundraiser for the Women of Trinity.  All items should be clean and in good condition.  Place clothes and shoes in a trash bag and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

   One of the things I had to get used to when I moved to Wisconsin over 20 years ago was the Wisconsin wave. Everywhere I drove, people waved at me. Including strangers. It was very weird for me, coming from the Chicago area where you never gestured to anyone (at least, an appropriate gesture!) for fear of what they might do in return. So to come here and wave to people took a little getting used to. Now, I do it without even thinking and I appreciate the waves I get.

  A small act of kindness, of friendliness, can go a long way. In thinking about this, I realized that this is one way that we proclaim the Gospel. It might seem weird that this would be so, but sometimes proclaiming the Gospel is something that happens without words. Small acts of friendliness, of kindness, of compassion, can make a huge difference. It can show someone that they are seen, that they are not alone or invisible in the world.

  And why would think that our God could not act through those small actions of ours? God works in, through, and amongst us and when we show people that kindness and that love, God in Jesus Christ is present and active. Proclaiming the Gospel isn’t always words. It is actions too and we are called to be the hands and feet of God in the world. We proclaim the Gospel by who we are and showing the world who we are. Showing them love. Kindness. Compassion. In ways both big and small.

   So continue to wave to people in your car. Offer a smile to that person you pass in the grocery store. Do those small acts of friendliness and kindness. Wave to that person you pass on the road. You never know what God will do through that small act. It could change a life. 

  May God bless you this day and always!

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Ash Wednesday, February 22^nd, 6:30 pm worship with Holy Communion

Baked Potato Bar served by the Confirmation Youth Wednesday, February 22^nd, 5:30 pm till 6:30 pm.  Free will offering supports our youth going to Luther Park Bible Camp this summer. 

Winter Family Fest, MOVED TO Sunday, February  26^th, 2 pm till 4 pm.  Sled rides, games, food, and more!  All ages welcome!

Crew is on March 1 at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Luther Park is looking for summer staff!  They are looking for college age youth to serve as counselors and other staff.  Go to www.lutherpark.org for an application and more information. 

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

Volunteers Needed to remove snow from our sidewalks! Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. We have a new tractor with snow blower that you can use.

Butter Braid Sales  February 22^nd through March 22^nd.  Help support our youth by purchasing a Butter Braid!  Confirmation youth will have forms that you can sign or you can go online.  Click the link, select a seller, and go from there!  https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/e857f260-55a0-4175-8e04-b606cc82ec5e

Middle School Lock-In  February 24^th, 6 pm till February 25^th at 7 am.  Friends welcome. Bring a snack to share.  Need parent help between Midnight and 5 am.  Deadline is February 22^nd. 

High School Lock-In  March 17, 6 pm till March 18 at 7 am.  Friends welcome. Bring a snack to share.  Need parent help between Midnight and 5 am.  Deadline is February 22^nd. 

Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in April  Every Saturday in April, from 9 am till Noon, we are collecting items as a fundraiser for the Women of Trinity.  All items should be clean and in good condition.  Place clothes and shoes in a trash bag and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent, one of my favorite seasons of the year.  I love the meals we have and the chance for so many people to get together, the Holden Evening Prayer worship, and the intentional time we take in Lent to refocus our faith.  This year I’m especially excited as our topic is “Walking with the Shepherd: Exploring Psalm 23.”  Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved pieces of scripture and it is my personal favorite.

  We could easily take Psalm 23 for granted as we know it so well and hear it at almost every funeral.  But it is rich in symbolism and meaning for us and Lent is the perfect time to explore it.  We will dive deeper into it through the following themes: relationship, restoration, comfort, blessing, and salvation.  I have found in my life that there are different times when a verse of Psalm 23 means something more to me than the others. There is so much promise and hope in this short Psalm, so much that can touch us in our hearts and make us think.  I hope that you will join us for those worship services on Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm, whether you do so in person or online.

  I also want to encourage you, if you aren’t already, to check out the daily video devotions I do on the Trinity Facebook page every day (you can find the link at the end of Trinity Tidings).  In 2020, I wrote daily devotions for Lent to be put up on Facebook, which I had done the year before, and we haven’t stopped since.  There has been a video devotion every day since Ash Wednesday of 2020.  I give thanks to many of you who do view them and share them.  My hope for those that don’t is if you are looking for a way to connect with your faith in a deeper way this Lent, to take a look at those devotions.  They are short and a great way to have a faith moment every day. 

  Lastly, I will make my annual pitch to take something up instead of giving something up.  Though part of Lent is fasting, sometimes taking up something can mean more than giving up something.  I’m going to be taking up some healthier eating habits during Lent to eat salad or vegetables for lunch every day during Lent and bringing down my portion sizes at other meals (so I guess in one way I’m giving something up.  Shoot).  Remember that these things are to help us in body, mind, and spirit, not to punish us.  It is why I always try to read some Martin Luther during Lent, and it is renews me in faith and hope, just as I hope to renew my body with better habits. 

  I look forward to seeing you during our Wednesday night Lent meals and worships and pray that during this season of Lent, you would be renewed in faith, hope, and love.  Have a blessed week!

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Winter Family Fest, MOVED TO Sunday, February  26^th, 2 pm till 4 pm.  Sled rides, games, food, and more!  All ages welcome!

Crew is on February 15 at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Ash Wednesday, February 22^nd, 6:30 pm worship with Holy Communion

Baked Potato Bar served by the Confirmation Youth Wednesday, February 22^nd, 5:30 pm till 6:30 pm.  Free will offering supports our youth going to Luther Park Bible Camp this summer. 

Luther Park is looking for summer staff!  They are looking for college age youth to serve as counselors and other staff.  Go to www.lutherpark.org for an application and more information. 

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

Volunteers Needed to remove snow from our sidewalks! Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. We have a new tractor with snow blower that you can use.

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

    The other morning, at crossing guard, as I was waiting for kids to start showing up, I had a deep thought.  An important question bubbled up from the deep recesses of my mind, a question that could change the course of human history, a question I have no doubt Aaron Rodgers is going to contemplate during his four day darkness retreat.  It is a question I’m going to attempt to answer today.  Drumroll, please.  What holiday has the best candy?

  I know, right?  A crazy deep question that we are going to talk about today.  I have decided that there are four holidays that are in the running for having the best candy: Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter.  As a candy eating expert, I will do my best to examine each one thoroughly and thoughtfully and then I will render a judgement, one that I have no doubt will elicit angry responses from all of you.  Are you ready?  Strap on a candy feed bag and let’s go.

   Let’s start with the holiday that is going to happen in just a few days, Valentine’s Day.  You have the iconic candy hearts.  I prefer the ones that come in the box as I think the ones in the bag just don’t taste as good.  There was nothing like being in a relationship in middle school or high school, picking out the perfect candy heart from the box with the perfect message, and giving it to the person you knew you would spend at least one more day with, before breaking up and dating someone different a week later, then breaking up after a week and going back to the previous paramour.  Also, you have the famous heart shaped box of chocolates, which is a symbol of true love like no other.  However, here is my beef with Valentine’s Day as a candy holiday: that’s about it.  Chalky candy hearts and the assorted chocolates in a box shaped like a heart.  Both of those things can be incredibly mediocre.  I really don’t get excited for Valentine’s Day candy as some of the other stuff out there is done better for other holidays. 

  Next up is Halloween.  For sure candy volume, there might not be a better holiday.  After all, the major event of this holiday is HANDING OUT CANDY.  Also, props to all you parents who steal (that’s right.  It is stealing) your children’s candy after Trick-or-Treating.  I still have a grudge against my faither for all the candy he stole from me as a child under the guise of inspecting it for safety.  I can’t ever get all those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups back.  You would think that Halloween would be contending for the title but I’m going to be honest.  It is in last place.  LAST.  Seems crazy that a holiday built around candy would be at the bottom.  But it is. Why?  There is no candy just special to Halloween.  It is literally all the candy you can get the rest of the year (outside of candy corn), just smaller and with special wrapping.  No special at all.  Sorry Halloween.  That’s how I see it.

   It is time to get to real contenders now.  Let’s start with the birth of Christ, Christmas.  It is the only holiday on this list that has a candy that people use in their decorations, the candy cane, which comes in every flavor under the sun and after Christmas you never see again until the next Christmas.  You got all the specialty ones, like Lindt and Ferrero Rocher that are around all year but really matter at Christmas.  You have all the Russell Stover candies shaped like Santa’s and Snowmen in a thousand different varieties.  You have the second best Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in the trees.  One of the highlights of my stocking from Amy every year is the bag-o-candy, filled with great stuff.  All the iconic brands have their own versions of stuff in Christmas themed shapes.  Frankly, Christmas has been the leader in the clubhouse and the betting favorite in this battle royal from the very beginning.  But, my friends, I have news for you.  As much as I love my Christmas candy (and oh boy, I do), it is not going to win this competition today.  And why?  Because there isn’t something that comes out at Christmas that I literally jump up for joy about.  As much good stuff as there is, there is one holiday that produces not only one, not only two, but THREE holiday specific candies that make my heart flutter with joy and spirit soar like an X-Wing through space.  And that is Easter.

  Easter is our holiday candy winner and frankly I don’t think it is even close.  I got three things for you as you raise your voice in protest, threaten to write Santa to put me on the naughty list for eternity, and ask yourselves if I have completely lost the ability for rational thought.  They are: Reese’s Peanut Butter eggs, Cadbury Cream Eggs, and Peeps.  The Holy Trinity of Easter candy.  The big three.  All-time classics that some love, some hate, but all must acknowledge are iconic, memorable, and legendary.  There is no greater version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup than the Egg.  It is so legendary they tried to shove it into other shapes for other holidays but they are not the same.  A pack of these will not last long in my possession and as a child I would have sold body parts to acquire them from my sisters after we got our Easter baskets.  Even now, thinking about this perfect candy, my stomach is rumbling and my eyes are watering with tears of joy.  Then you got Cadbury Cream Egg.  Decadent.  Probably overly decadent.  But awesome.  This was the second most sought candy in the Easter basket.  If you eat more than three in one sitting you could possibly die (I’ve tried) but it does not diminish its tastiness and the status it holds at Easter.  When would you ever eat one of those except at Easter?  Never. 

  Then of course you have the most controversial part of the Holy Trinity of Easter Candy, the Peep.  They tried to make Peeps happen at other times but it doesn’t work.  It is only here at Easter where you can have a sugar rush so high you think you might have joined Jesus in heaven than having a peep.  I prefer the bright yellow originals, but you can’t fault the variety of colors and fun you can have.  Even the bunnies are acceptable.  But Peeps are the only candy that you can literally have a battle with as you place them in the microwave to Peep joust and see some marshmallow explode in glory.  One note: those who eat these stale and hard are people that possibly cannot be trusted or are aliens from another planet in disguise.

  Also in Easter’s favor is the solid chocolate bunny (head must be eaten first, of course), marshmallow eggs, and one that is sneaky high my list of all time favorite holiday candies, the Cadbury robin eggs.  Plus you jelly beans, which I think ranks up there with peas and lima beans as the worst tasting things in the world, but many people love. 

  So there you have it.  After an exhaustive and comprehensive examination, we have come to the final rankings.  1. Easter.  2. Christmas.  3. Valentine’s Day.  4. Halloween.  Thanks for reading and I appreciate any comments you have.  Lastly, remember that the only thing sweeter than enjoying your favorite candy at a holiday is the grace and mercy we have in Jesus Christ!  Have a great week!

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Winter Family Fest, MOVED TO Sunday, February  26^th, 2 pm till 4 pm.  Sled rides, games, food, and more!  All ages welcome!

Crew is on February 15 at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Ash Wednesday, February 22^nd, 6:30 pm worship with Holy Communion

Baked Potato Bar served by the Confirmation Youth Wednesday, February 22^nd, 5:30 pm till 6:30 pm.  Free will offering supports our youth going to Luther Park Bible Camp this summer. 

Luther Park is looking for summer staff!  They are looking for college age youth to serve as counselors and other staff.  Go to www.lutherpark.org for an application and more information. 

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

Volunteers Needed to remove snow from our sidewalks! Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. We have a new tractor with snow blower that you can use.

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

    As I write this, it is the 16 year anniversary of the Bears losing the Super Bowl to the Indianapolis Colts, 29-17.  I remember being incredibly nervous and on edge in the lead-up to the game, going so far as to even lose some sleep the closer the game got near.  We had a huge food spread at home for just Amy and I and we even had Super Bowl themed plates! 

  Of course, I’m sure you ALL remember how the game started.  The Bears Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and I was incredibly excited.  My twin sister broke my express wish to not contact me during the game and called me after he scored, in which I responded with yelling and hanging up on her.  I still blame her for everything that happened after that, with us losing and me being in a pit of despair.  I still have never watched the replay of the game and I for a whole week I didn’t turn on Sportscenter on ESPN or listen to sports radio.  I was devastated. I was annoyed.  I was crushed. 

   But it didn’t last.  I got over it (despite the sentence above).  And I learned a little something too: to try not to let one thing control how I feel in every other aspect of my life, especially a sporting event.  To have some perspective in the world.  At the same time, it was important for me to feel what I was feeling and to process it.  For though it was just a game, it still meant something to me.  I know some of it was tied into the fact my Mom had passed away a few months before and we had excitedly talked about the Bears before her death.  That is why the loss of a game hit a little harder than it should have.

  We all experience losses in life.  Some are big, some are small.  To some, what is big to us is small to them.  But no matter what it is, it is still a loss and it hurts.  It is important to remember that we can recover from any loss we have because we have Jesus Christ by our side, to provide comfort and strength.  Christ knows when we hurt.  Christ knows when we suffer.  And Christ is there for us.  That is the promise that Jesus makes to us, to be there with us always, to carry our burdens, to lift us up when we fall.  Because of this, losses do not need to define us.  Rather, it is in the midst of our losses that we see our need for Jesus and most acutely feel the presence of Christ in our lives. 

  We may lose sometimes in life, but in Christ was have already won.  Sin is defeated, death has no power, we have the promise of eternal life, and we have a Savior that is with us always.  To see us through the pain of loss, to heal us in heart and body, and to give us strength and hope for the days ahead.  Jesus is always on your team, and on your side, and for that you always have the victory.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!” 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

January 29, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Winter Family Fest, MOVED TO Sunday, February  26^th, 2 pm till 4 pm.  Sled rides, games, food, and more!  All ages welcome!

Annual Meeting: Sunday, February 5^th, 10 am.

First Communion Sunday, February 5^th, 9 am.

Super Bowl Pizza’s:  Orders due on February 5^th.  Pick them up on February 12^th. Benefits our youth going to Luther Park Bible Camp.  Form attached. 

Crew is on February 1st at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

Volunteers Needed to remove snow from our sidewalks! Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. We have a new tractor with snow blower that you can use.

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

    I was recently talking with two new pastors who had attended a retreat and I asked them what they did. They told me that they had to make mission statements for their ministry, and I flippantly said, “Well, that would be pretty easy.  Proclaim the Gospel.  Serve the Neighbor. Sounds about right.”  Let’s just say that they had much longer and flowery statements, but after I had that conversation, I started to think about what I had said, just off the cuff.  And I came to this conclusion: that is and should be our mission statement. Proclaim the Gospel.  Serve the Neighbor. 

  And then I had this thought: I’m wondering if we know that is our mission, not only as Trinity Lutheran Church, but as followers of Jesus Christ.  It is so simple that we might overlook it.  We might not even realize that basically everything we do as a congregation, both inside and outside of the church, revolves around those two things.  Frankly, everything we do, whether it be an activity, a meeting, an event, to this very piece of writing, should reflect and revolve around these two things.  It is and should be the core of who we are.  Who we want to be.  It is our identify, our purpose, our motivation, our guiding principle.  Proclaim the Gospel.  Serve the Neighbor. 

  And so, throughout 2023, we are going to explore and examine what this means for us.  You are going to see it at the bottom of your bulletin.  You are going to hear about it in articles and devotions and sermons.  We are going to try to live this mission every single day.  Proclaim the Gospel. Serve the Neighbor.  As we begin this journey, I want you to reflect on the two most important questions that must be asked when these two simple phrases are our mission.

1. What is the Gospel?
2. Who is our neighbor?

May the Lord bless you as you think about those two questions and may the Lord bless us as we explore, examine, and live out our mission, to Proclaim the Gospel and Serve the Neighbor. 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

January 22, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Winter Family Fest is moved to February 26^th, 2 pm till 4 pm.  Sled rides, games, food, and more!  All ages welcome!

Annual Meeting: Sunday, February 5^th, 10 am.

Super Bowl Pizza’s:  Orders due on February 5^th.  Pick them up on February 12^th. Benefits our youth going to Luther Park Bible Camp.  Form attached. 

Crew is on February 1st at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders!

Communion Bread Bakers needed!  Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. 

Volunteers Needed to remove snow from our sidewalks! Please sign-up on the table in the Narthex. We have a new tractor with snow blower that you can use.

First Communion Class is January 22nd at 10:30-11:30 am. First Communion class is for all youth from 3rd grade and above whose parents believe they are ready to receive communion.  Make up class on January 29^th at the same time.

Don’t forget that you can support Trinity through the Vanco app OR using the donate form on our website.  Download the free app, search for Trinity Lutheran Boyceville, and go from there!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people. Matthew 4:19

I have to admit, I have never been a big fan of this metaphor for finding disciples of Jesus Christ.  Fishing for people.  Why?  Well, I really don’t like fishing.  I really don’t.  I’m appreciative of those who love to fish as I love to eat the fish (Fish are food, not friends!).  But I can’t think of anything less I would rather do, especially you crazy people who go out on the ice to fish this time of year.  I just don’t have the patience for fishing.  Call it a character flaw (as it is).  I want stuff to happen right away. That often doesn’t happen with fishing.  I wish I was more patient, but I’m not.

  But there are things I appreciate about the art of fishing.  I do appreciate those that have the patience who do it.  I appreciate that there is an art and skill to being a good fishermen, to finding the right spot, picking the right bait, all the prep that goes into it.  I appreciate the fact that for some there is not greater activity of peace and joy than fishing.  Probably most so, I appreciate the faith that goes into fishing.  You put a line in the water and even with the best preparation, equipment, and knowledge, nothing is guaranteed.  You put a line in the water and hope.  You might get something, you might not.  But you put the line in the water anyways. It is an act of faith.

  The same is true in our calling to fish for people.  It is an act of faith, an act of hope.  We cast a line out there, using the gifts we have to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.  We are hoping people respond to those gifts, to our message of hope and love, and want to follow Jesus as we do.  Sometimes we might get impatient and think our efforts are in vain.  But here is the thing, my friends: it doesn’t rest with us.  We are the hands and feet of God in the world and we are called to spread the Gospel and serve the neighbor, but God in Jesus Christ is at work.  It is the Lord who will catch the fish.  We are just the ones putting out the line on behalf of our Savior who loves and saves us.

  But we don’t catch anything if we don’t cast the line.  The Lord can’t be at work if we are not willing to take the risk to share our faith with others.  To hope.  To have faith in the one who is faithful to us.  And maybe we sometimes treat fishing for people like I treat fishing in general.  With impatience.  With fear that we don’t have the necessary skills or preparation to be successful, so why do it at all? 

  God in Jesus Christ is acting in and through us.  It is the Lord who will do the catching, who will reel people in to see the grace, mercy, and hope we have in Jesus Christ.  We just have to be willing to cast out the line, to let God be at work through us.  Fishing is all about hope.  Let us set our hope on our loving Savior Jesus Christ, casting out a line of love and grace so that God might catch some people.  May the Lord bless you as you fish for people in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville