Sunday School will be singing on Sunday, February 1st at 9 am
Super Bowl Pizza Orders are due on February 1st and can be picked up next Sunday, Feb 8.
The Crew is Wednesday, February 11th 3:30 pm till 5 pm for all 3rd-6th graders. It will be snow day so bring your snow gear!
Winterfest, February 15th, 1 pm till 3 pm. Sledding, food, games. All are welcome!
Ash Wednesday Worship is on February 18th at Noon and 6:30 pm Baked Potato Bar served by the Confirmation Youth at 5:30 pm.
There is a new way to give at Trinity: Venmo! You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
On the way home from our little vacation to Walt Disney World, I had downloaded a very special program I wanted to watch. I had saved it for a few weeks for that specific day, Monday, January 26th. What was this very special program and why did I save it for this very special date? Well, the program was called “The Shuffle,” a documentary on HBO Max. And what was this documentary about? The making of the Super Bowl Shuffle by the 1985 Chicago Bears. And the date? It was the 40th anniversary of the Bears winning Super Bowl 20. It was fun to see the making of the song and the iconic video and relive all the glory of that season and to take myself back to my nine-year old self. I still have the VHS tape in a box and I had the cassette. The song was everywhere and I still remember every part of the video. When you are 9 years old, this kind of stuff leaves an impression.
But 2026 isn’t just the 40th anniversary of the Bears winning the Super Bowl. It is also the 10th anniversary of the Cubs winning the World Series. So it is the year of me remembering the two greatest sports events in my lifetime. And it is good to remember, to look back, to celebrate those kind of things. They can be a lot of fun. But, there is a danger there.
If we spend all of our time looking back, it means we can be stuck only in the past. It means we never look forward, to see the new things in front of us. Also, it means that miss the new directions that we can go and we can romanticize the past and see only the good things. We forget the difficult things, like in Super Bowl 20 how the Bears were losing early or in the World Series the Cubs were down 3-1 at one point.
The church is susceptible to that, to look back at the good ol’ days and resist change, thinking that the way we have always done it is the only way to do it. Tradition is important and the past is something to honor, but it is not something to be a slave too. For when we are only looking behind us, we miss what God is doing in front of us. There always needs to be a balance, of honoring the past but striving towards and being open to the future.
That is why it has been a fun sports year for me. As I celebrate the two greatest events in my sports lifetime, I have also enjoyed resurgent Bears and Cubs teams and the future looks like a lot of fun. I’ve tried to enjoy it more so I don’t take it for granted and to be open to the future. As someone who has been at the same place for a long time, I’m constantly asking myself if there is a new way to do something so that I don’t just do things the same way because it has always been done that way.
May we be true to who we are and our past while being open to the way the Spirit is leading us into the future. May God continue to bless you and be with you!
Sunday School will be singing on Sunday, February 1st at 9 am
Super Bowl Pizza Orders are due on February 1st. See the attached form.
The Crew is Wednesday, January 28th, 3:30 pm till 5 pm for all 3rd-6th graders.
Winterfest, February 15th, 1 pm till 3 pm. Sledding, food, games. All are welcome!
Ash Wednesday Worship is on February 18th at Noon and 6:30 pm Baked Potato Bar served by the Confirmation Youth at 5:30 pm.
There is a new way to give at Trinity: Venmo! You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” John 1:38
I think a day doesn’t go by that I’m not trying to find something. Maybe I can’t find my keys or wallet. Maybe I’m looking for a scripture for a devotion or something like this. Maybe I’m searching for the perfect opening for a sermon or a good idea for a children’s sermon. Maybe I’m looking in Dollar General or Walmart for something on the list Amy gave me. I might be looking on the guide on the TV for something to watch or in my closet for the perfect Star Wars t-shirt to wear. But every day I’m looking for something.
That’s why I find Jesus’ question to those disciples of John the Baptist who followed so fascinating. “What are you looking for?” Jesus says to them. And the question is relevant to us as well. What are you looking for from Jesus?
Are you looking for forgiveness? Are you looking for comfort? Are you looking for direction in your life? Are you looking for hope in the midst of despair? Are you looking for purpose and acceptance? Are you looking for validation? Are you looking for inspiration? What are you looking for from Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? Because here is the thing: whatever you may be looking for, this Jesus, this Messiah, is ready to provide it for you.
This Jesus provides us grace and forgiveness of our sins. This Jesus shows us that we are loved and redeemed and called children of God, not because we are perfect but because God has said that we are. This Jesus shows us that we have a purpose in this life, to care and love our neighbors and sends us out to be servants in the world. This Jesus inspires us to look at the world with new eyes and hearts, to love our neighbors as ourselves. This Jesus shows us that we have a place prepared for us in glory, the promise of eternal life, won not by our own hands but through his death and resurrection. This Jesus shows us that we never alone and that he is with us always.
So what are you looking for today? No matter what it is, look to Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of your faith. You will find it.
First Communion Class Sunday, January 11, 6 pm. Class is open to all youth 3rd grade and above. Parents should attend with their you and bring a Bible. If you can’t make it, there is a make up class on Sunday, January 18th at 10:30 am.
Sunday School returns this week, January 11th, at 9:45 am!
Lagers with the Lord Monday, January 12th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s
Crew returns this Wednesday, January 14th, at 3:30 pm till 5 pm for all 3rd-6th grade youth!
Annual Meeting is Sunday, February 1st at 10 am Annual Reports should be out on Sunday, January 18th.
There is a new way to give at Trinity: Venmo! You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
My Dad taught me many things. But one of the things that has endured is how to appreciate someone who cheers for a team that is different than your own. I’m writing this a few hours after my beloved Chicago Bears shockingly defeated the Green Bay Packers 31-27 in the NFL playoffs, coming back from 18 points down in the second half to win. I am not ashamed to say the following two things. 1. I predicted the Bears would lose 30-17, I would make that prediction again. 2. I almost wept when the game ended. I did. I was smart enough to not scream like when the Bears beat the Packers in overtime in the regular season, a move that almost cost me my voice for Christmas Eve services. It was a thrilling and exciting game and one that will live in the lore of this storied rivalry forever.
But, as I sit here, still happy in my team’s victory, I can’t help but feel empathy for those I care about who are hurting. I know that pain. I still remember when the Packers beat the Bears in the NFC Championship Game. I’m still haunted by the Randall Cobb touchdown that kept the Bears out of the playoffs in 2013. These losses hurt and they hurt bad. When you love a team, like Packers fans and Bears fans do, these kinds of games bring great joy and great sorrow.
I am not one of these people who take great delight in the misery of others, even when it is your rival that loses. I learned that from my Dad. Some of his closest friends were Packer fans. They had a lot of fun going back and forth about that, just as I do. And even though, in my 24 years of living in a Packer community I have experienced my fair share of abuse and a lot of inappropriate and over the line, that doesn’t mean it is right to revel in others pain. We have enough hate in the world to shower hate on others. After all, it is only a game. I try to put myself in their shoes. And so, though I am so very happy, I also feel a touch of sadness for my friends who hurt.
That might be the lesson for all of us. To put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Before we vilify or hate on someone that is on the other side of anything, whether it be sports or politics or anything else, to put ourselves in their shoes. To remember that they are human beings too with feelings and emotions. To not be gleeful about their pain and suffering, because it is still pain and suffering. We can dislike without hate, root against without demonizing, and root for our side without making the other side out to be the Antichrist.
Now, I hope soon I can fall asleep, because I have to preach in a few hours and minister to a church full of Packer fans, and a few Bears fans and some Vikings fans, and a smattering of fans of other teams as well. But no matter what sports team we cheer on, we are all part of the same team of humanity who need love, compassion, and empathy every single day. My Dad taught me that. And I’m glad for it.
Christmas Eve Worship Services: 2 pm, 4:30 pm, 9:00 pm. All services have special music, Holy Communion, and a candlelight portion. 2 pm and 4:30 pm have a children’s sermon. Come worship the newborn king!
No Bible Study December 22nd or 29th
Office Closed December 25th & 26th
Blood Mobile December 29th, Noon till 6 pm. Sign-up at www.redcross.org
No Worship on Wednesday, December 31st,
There is a new way to give at Trinity: Venmo! You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
Christmas is a time in which we give gifts to others, but also a time in which we receive gifts. And sometimes those gifts are things (like bacon!) and sometimes those gifts are not material possessions. I was reminded of this last night as I couldn’t sleep, first because I had to get my heart rate down after a thrilling Bears victory over the Packers, and then because my brain wouldn’t start working.
Often at night when my brain won’t start working, it is because I’m thinking about work. Running sermons in my head, going through lists of things to do, thinking about where the church is going. The other thing I’m often thinking about is the state of the world or myself, and those thoughts are much worse and often negative (kind of how I often feel about the Bears). In those darkened hours, I often see my own failings and failures and beat myself up on how I could be better in every aspect of my existence, and at the same time I start to despair about the world. The devil loves to hit me at these times and take away my positivity and rip away my believe that people will rise above hatred and violence and bigotry and their own self-interest for the greater good.
But last night, as I tossed and turned and couldn’t get to sleep, the Lord gave me the gift in reminding me of the gifts of life that weren’t the physical gifts of the world, though at one point I did think about the deliciousness of the Peanut Butter Blossom cookies Amy made and almost got up and had one at 2:30 am. I thought of the little gifts I had throughout the weeks, little gifts that remind me of the joy of life.
I thought of finally have a night home with Amy, the first in awhile, of having meats and cheeses and watching some Disney YouTube with a drink and how just fun that is, giving the dogs treats and then having them lay between us on the crowd as we relax together. I thought of the little kid who ran up to me and gave me a big hug when I walked into the ELC room at Tiffany Creek Elementary School dressed as Santa on Wednesday. I thought of the joy of great conversation with a close friend at our annual Christmas lunch on Monday. I thought of the privilege of being in a living room of a church member who needed some comfort and asked me to provide it, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. I thought of the joy of another member who is a shut-in who was excited for my visit with them and took me all around their nursing home introducing me to all of the workers. I thought of a short nap I got the other day with both of the dogs snuggling on me. I thought of the joy of watching two people in love exchanging vows on Saturday at the wedding I got to do. I thought of all the great talents and dedication of our church staff that put in so much work this time of year and how they make everything happen behind the scenes that not a lot of people see. I thought of Amy who let me sit in her chair last night so I could watch the Bears. So many gifts.
Life can be rough and is rough. It is easy to despair. One of the things I beat myself up at night, and the devil likes to exploit, is that I despair so much more easily now than I used to. But there are so many moments of joy too, so many gifts. God put those gifts in front of us to remind us that we are blessed, loved, and valued. After all, we have the greatest gift of all: salvation in Jesus Christ. The babe born in Bethlehem was sent to bring us to eternal life, give us hope, and shine light on us every day. May you feel that light today, may you see the gifts in your life, and may you know that you are loved every day. Have a very Merry Christmas and may God bless you!
Crew Wednesday, December 17th, from 3:30-5:00pm, for all 3rd-6th graders!
Sunday School Christmas Program, Sunday, December 21st, 9 am
Christmas Eve Worship Services: 2 pm, 4:30 pm, 9:00 pm. All services have special music, Holy Communion, and a candlelight portion. 2 pm and 4:30 pm have a children’s sermon. Come worship the newborn king!
There is a new way to give at Trinity: Venmo! You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a phone number, use 1349
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
“Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” Psalm 80:3
After all the activities of Spirit of Christmas, I came home Saturday night pretty beat. It was a long but fulfilling week of activity. Fun activity. Amazing experiences of ministry and seeing God at work in so many ways, but also, just a lot of work and a lot of hours (and about 28.9 miles on feet from Wednesday through Friday. Couldn’t count Saturday due to no pockets on my Elf costume), and I was one tired Brad. Spent. Exhausted.
But sometimes it doesn’t take a Spirit of Christmas and all of its activities to make us exhausted and feel spent. Life can just do that. Stresses of work and family life. Things like the violence we see in the world like the horrific shooting in Australia this week. Dealing with grief and loss. Anxiety over providing for our family or how our kids are doing. Things that just break us down, empty us out, make us feel less than whole. Even in this holiday season, we can feel empty and alone and spent.
But that is why God comes in Jesus Christ, in that babe born in Bethlehem. The light of the world shines on us so that we can be saved, restored, renewed. Through God’s grace, our brokenness can be restored, our suffering soothed, our sickness healed, our grieving comforted. Restoration happens because the Son of God, Emmanuel, is with us. Is with you. Every single day. The light of God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ shines on you and restores you.
On Saturday night, I laid down in bed, exhausted and spent. But I woke up Sunday, renewed and ready to go. We get renewal every day in Jesus Christ. May you feel that renewal today and if you feel spent, exhausted, emptied out, place your faith and hope on Jesus. Let the light of the world shine on you, restore you, give you strength and hope, for he is your salvation, your life, your renewal, and your hope. May God bless you today and always!
Lefse making is THIS WEEK! Come join us for this Trinity tradition! Wednesday, December 10th and Thursday, December 11th. We begin at 7 am both days, have a potluck lunch at 11:30 am, and then go in the afternoon until we are done. Bring your potato peelers on Wednesday morning. We have a job for every kind of person, can train you to do anything, and appreciate every minute you can volunteer! Sign-up in the Narthex or just show on up! Bring friends!
We are looking for items for the Spirit of Christmas Silent Auction! The Silent Auction is our main fundraiser for the Mission Trip to Denver, CO in June 2026 for our High School Youth! New items or craft items only please. Items should be at the church by Thursday, December 11th. Contact PB if you have questions.
Pre-order your lefse! $5 per package (three pieces). See sign-up in Narthex or call the church at 715-702-2755
Sunday School Christmas Program Practices will be on Sunday, December 7th & 14th at 9 am till 11 am! PLEASE NOTE THE START TIME IS AT 9 AM!! Please have your child at both practices.
Men’s Band Christmas Concert Sunday, December 14th, 6:30 pm
Lagers with the Lord on Monday, December 15th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.
Crew Wednesday, December 17th, from 3:30-5:00pm, for all 3rd-6th graders!
Annual Mitten Tree is up! Bring in hats, mittens, scarves, and gloves to decorate the tree. We are also collecting items for the Coat Closet as well, like boots, snowpants, and winter coats, which you can put in the box by the Mitten Tree.
Sunday School Christmas Program, Sunday, December 21st, 9 am
Christmas Eve Worship Services: 2 pm, 4:30 pm, 9:00 pm. All services have special music, Holy Communion, and a candlelight portion. 2 pm and 4:30 pm have a children’s sermon. Come worship the newborn king!
There is a new way to give at Trinity: Venmo! You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a confirmation number, use 1349
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
Our dog Baxter does something a little strange (to be honest, Baxter does a lot of things strange). One of his favorite places to lay is on the chair in between someone’s legs. Doesn’t matter if it is Amy’s legs or my legs, if someone is in the chair with the leg stand up, Baxter is on that chair, laying between our legs. He will paw to get up there and if Daphene dares to lay in that spot, he will get upset until we clear it so he can lay there or wedge himself back into that spot. And Baxter can lay in that spot for a long time, every now and then jumping down to make sure he has his Lamby with him (sometimes he uses it as a pillow) or maybe a bone or another toy to play with.
But he also does something a little strange while he is hanging out in his favorite spot. Out of the blue, without a single prompt or stimulus, he will get up and just crawl up our body and put his face right front your face. He might even give you a little kiss. It is incredibly sweet and I always think of it as him saying, “Hi. I love you. Just wanted to remind you.” And then he crawls right back down and goes right back into his spot like nothing ever happened. Sometimes Amy tries to cajole him to do that and he won’t budge. He does it on his own time and own accord. But he does it and it is so cool and makes you feel so special.
I’m convinced that the Lord does that to us on a daily basis. That every day, the Lord just pops up in an unexpected way to remind us that we are loved. It comes out of the blue at times to remind us that we are loved, that we matter, and that we are not alone. Sometimes we might not even fully perceive it was the Lord because it comes so far out of the blue. But it is a moment that we need. It could be a moment of peace in the midst of chaos and busyness. It could be a moment of strength when we feel weak. I can be a moment of thankfulness and gratitude. But I think God is so often working it the small moments of our day to remind us that we are not forgotten, that God is active and working, and showing us that we matter and we are loved.
So look for those small moments, those moments that at the time might not seem like a big deal but mean something. Those moments might be your Lord reaching out to you, reminding you that your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is there for you, loving you and caring for you and that you are not alone as you go through this life. And take that moment to give thanks for this God who loves you and for those things in life like a small dog that crawls up your body to give a moment of love.
Order Poinsettia’s for Christmas! Deadline is Wednesday, December 3rd. Cost is $10 per plant. See attached form.
We are looking for items for the Spirit of Christmas Silent Auction! The Silent Auction is our main fundraiser for the Mission Trip to Denver, CO in June 2026 for our High School Youth! New items or craft items only please. Items should be at the church by Thursday, December 11th. Contact PB if you have questions.
Crew Wednesday, December 3rd, from 3:30-5:00pm, for all 3rd-6th graders!
Women of Trinity Christmas Gathering, Saturday, December 6th, 9 am Featuring entertainment by the Gethsemane Bells from Baldwin at 9:30 am and a luncheon. All women are welcome!
Sunday School Christmas Program Practices will be on Sunday, December 7th & 14th at 9 am till 11 am! PLEASE NOTE THE START TIME IS AT 9 AM!! Please have your child at both practices.
Men’s Band Christmas Concert at Knapp United Methodist Church, Saturday, December 6th at 7 pm.
Lefse making is almost here! Come join us for this Trinity tradition! Wednesday, December 10th and Thursday, December 11th. We begin at 7 am both days, have a potluck lunch at 11:30 am, and then go in the afternoon until we are done. Bring your potato peelers on Wednesday morning. We have a job for every kind of person, can train you to do anything, and appreciate every minute you can volunteer! Sign-up in the Narthex or just show on up! Bring friends!
Pre-order your lefse! $5 per package (three pieces). See sign-up in Narthex or call the church.
Lagers with the Lord on Monday, December 15th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.
Annual Mitten Tree is up! Bring in hats, mittens, scarves, and gloves to decorate the tree. We are also collecting items for the Coat Closet as well, like boots, snowpants, and winter coats, which you can put in the box by the Mitten Tree.
There is a new way to give at Trinity: Venmo! You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a confirmation number, use 1349
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
Today is the First Sunday in Advent (Happy New Year!) and Advent is a time of preparation for the birth of Jesus. Advent is kind of a forgotten season of the church year as it is overshadowed by Christmas, though many of us do Advent calendars but they aren’t often focused on Jesus. We might have candy ones or coffee ones or dog treat ones or whiskey ones (no one has gifted me the whiskey ones yet) or just ones in which we are counting the days till Christmas. But, I do hope that during this season of Advent you take a moment to say a prayer or read a scripture (or check out the daily video devotion on Trinity’s Facebook page) to spiritually prepare for the coming of the birth of Christ.
Here at Trinity, we have a lot of stuff leading up to Christmas Day and with everything going on, I thought I would put in one place all the stuff happening. Not only because I know many of you skip the announcements before these musings ( you know who you are) but also so that you could put some of these things in your calendars so you don’t forget them. This is a great time of year here at Trinity as we prepare for Christmas and for the celebration of Jesus’ birth, as we celebrate long-time traditions, and have a chance to get together as a community. So these are ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS specific events that you will see below.
December 6: Women of Trinity Christmas Gathering, 9 am
Men’s Band Christmas Concert, Knapp United Methodist, 7 pm
December 7: Sunday School Christmas Program Practice, 9 am-11 am
Men’s Band Christmas Concert, First Lutheran Cumberland, 6pm
December 10: Lefse making, 7 am start, goes all day!
Confirmation Christmas for Kids shopping, both classes, 5 pm.
December 11: Lefse making, 7 am start, goes all day!
December 13: Spirit of Christmas all day in Boyceville and at Trinity!
Lefse & Bake Sale, 9 am till 2 pm
Silent Auction, 9 am till 3 pm
Soup Lunch: 11 am till 2 pm
Live Nativity: 4:30 pm (downtown by library)
December 14: Christmas Carol by Request Worship, 9 am
Sunday School Christmas Program Practice, 9 am-11 am
December 14: Men’s Band Christmas Concert at Trinity, 6:30 pm
December 15: Lagers with the Lord at Buckshot’s, 6 pm,
Topic: “The OTHER Christmas Story: Matthew 1:18-25”
December 17: The Crew Christmas Party, 3:30 pm-5 pm,
Christmas Carol by Request Worship, 6:30 pm
December 21: Sunday School Christmas Program, 9 am
Order Poinsettia’s for Christmas! Deadline is Wednesday, December 3rd. Cost is $10 per plant. See attached form.
We are looking for items for the Spirit of Christmas Silent Auction! The Silent Auction is our main fundraiser for the Mission Trip to Denver, CO in June 2026 for our High School Youth! New items or craft items only please. Items should be at the church by Thursday, December 11th. Contact PB if you have questions.
Crew Wednesday, December 3rd, from 3:30-5:00pm, for all 3rd-6th graders!
Women of Trinity Christmas Gathering, Saturday, December 6th, 9 am
Sunday School Christmas Program Practices will be on Sunday, December 7th & 14th at 9 am till 11 am! PLEASE NOTE THE START TIME IS AT 9 AM!! Please have your child at both practices.
Men’s Band Christmas Concert at Knapp United Methodist Church, Saturday, December 6th at 7 pm.
Lagers with the Lord on Monday, December 15th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.
Annual Mitten Tree is up! Bring in hats, mittens, scarves, and gloves to decorate the tree. We are also collecting items for the Coat Closet as well, like boots, snowpants, and winter coats, which you can put in the box by the Mitten Tree.
There is a new way to give at Trinity: Venmo! You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a confirmation number, use 1349
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
Thursday is, of course, Thanksgiving, and everyone has an opinion on Thanksgiving dinner, and I am no exception, and so I have decided to rank the items on a typical Thanksgiving spread. Now, this is a traditional Thanksgiving meal and I know that many people have all sorts of things on their table and some of these things are never included on MY table and some were barely included even when I was a kid. But when you think of Thanksgiving, you think of them overall.
Also, I am not including any desserts. Why? Well, for one, when you think of desserts at Thanksgiving you think of pies like pumpkin pie or pecan pie, both things I despise. And, if you do this meal right, you should be so full that dessert happens later and you don’t quite have room for pie. So I did not include pie on this list. Sue me. Also, I did not include condiments like gravy. Gravy is not a dish, it is a condiment. Again, sue me.
Here are the items I am doing to rank in my list you all are going to yell at me about just like you are yelling at me already about the dessert comments above. I have included nine items: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn, sweet potatoes, wild rice, cranberry sauce, dinner roll. Notice again, there is no salad. Take your salad home and leave it there. Ok, let’s get started from worst and going to first. I look forward to your feedback.
9: Cranberry Sauce: I don’t care if you make it fresh from real cranberry’s, or as I have heard from many people, the only way to have it is from the can where it looks like an alien made it, there might be no more disgusting thing that could hit my plate than this. I think I tried this once as a child, and then again as an adult just to see if my taste buds had changed. They hadn’t. Awful. Almost put this on Mission Madness this year and I’m sure it will make it in future years. Get it away and keep it away.
8: Sweet potatoes: Nothing sweet about these except that I don’t ever have to eat them. There was a moment, a small moment, where I didn’t mind a sweet potato fry. Really and truly. But I think I might have been suffering from a small moment of insanity or living in an alternative reality or it could be that almost anything can taste decent deep fried and full of salt. Not deep fried and full of salt? Awful. You can keep these weird, disgusting potato like things for yourself. My stomach has to keep room for the good stuff.
7. Turkey. UPSET ALERT! I know you are shocked. How could the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving table be so low on my list. I want you to know that the biggest debate I had with myself was whether this or the next item would go here. But let me spit some knowledge here: turkey sucks. It is the worst meat of all time. I would rather have any other meat on my Thanksgiving table other than turkey except for one thing: turkey is necessary for stuffing (we will get to that in a bit). I really, truly, only eat turkey at Thanksgiving and leftovers from Thanksgiving. You will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever see me choose it at any other time. I blame my Grandma Schmika (may she rest in peace) who cooked a bird so dry it could have been used to build buildings. Amy makes a lovely, moist bird every year. I eat a leg every year in memory of Mom, who always had a leg at Thanksgiving (we are dark meat people). But turkey sucks. Yet, it is extremely necessary for Thanksgiving and so we will continue to get between a 17 and 20 pound bird every year for just Amy and I.
6. Mashed Potatoes. AND THE CROWD THROWS KNIVES. The worst way to make a potato. Amy makes a very good version of this, full of creaminess and butter that I really like. But I would rather have my potatoes fried or baked or done a hundred different ways. My sisters loved me at Thanksgiving because I never took one drop of them. Just passed them by and they could have more (I had my eye on other things). Here is how you know how something is over rated: when you need to douse it in a ton of other stuff it to make it even to make it go down so that it doesn’t taste like Elmer’s glue (Amy’s doesn’t need hardly anything for that, which is why it is so good). And yes, I know what Elmer’s glue tastes like. I was a kid. I tasted it. And so did you.
5. Corn My Uncle Bob’s favorite vegetable (not), but one of mine, I do love corn. And it should be a little higher on here. As a kid, I would take a scoop of corn, though a dollop of butter in it, salt it like I was having popcorn, and go to town. Always reliable. Always good, even from a can. Got to love corn. We usually don’t have it on our table at Thanksgiving most years anymore but was something you could count on.
4. Dinner Roll There is nothing that saved young Brad Peterson’s stomach more than the dinner roll. Who doesn’t love a good dinner roll? Give me a King’s Hawaiian dinner roll any day (we use them for our leftover sandwiches post-Thanksgiving). When the Thanksgiving meal was especially bad at Grandma Schimka’s (I really did love my Grandma. She was super cool. Taught me how to play poker, gave me really nosy toys that annoyed my parents, but wasn’t always the best cook), I would just fill up on the reliable dinner roll). A hot dinner roll with butter just always does it. Bread never fails. Never. Even now, I can’t resist a good dinner roll in a buffet line. Have to grab it. And two pads of butter. Always two, one for each side.
3. Wild Rice I love wild rice. Love it. Uncle Ben’s please, if you do. No substitute. No other brand. Don’t serve me up those generics. Get the good stuff. The wild rice will be well represented on my plate. As much as I love it, we don’t eat a lot of it and so I appreciate it at Thanksgiving. I’m also a man who doesn’t like to mix my food. I like to keep my food separate from each other. But the wild rice can get it other things and I don’t mind. It does have a mind of its own and just naturally does where it will. It has a, well, a “wild” spirit if you will, and when it gets into something it shouldn’t, that’s ok. It melds easily into other things, never detracting and always enhancing. It’s a giver, an enhancer, that wild rice. Also always a reliable go to when I was a kid.
2: Green Bean Casserole My appreciation for this dish has only grown over the years because I don’t get it every year (Amy is NOT a fan. She dislikes both green beans and mushrooms). I think this year I may need to have her teach me how to make it (I understand it is easy to make, but I’m an idiot. Can idiot’s make it? I once failed at making a flourless chocolate cake). It has so much goodness, which the richness of the cream of mushroom soup (which I would never eat on its own), to the deliciousness of the green beans to the crunchy French fried onions on top. My Grandma Schmika did make a good one (see, I said something nice about her cooking!), and I have always loved it. We are having it this year and I can’t wait especially since I know I will have to eat it all. I can do that. I can easily do that.
1: Stuffing. In this list of my favorite foods of all time, Thanksgiving stuffing is probably in the top five. I wake up Thanksgiving morning immediately thinking of this. I can’t wait. There is nothing better than stuffing that comes from a turkey. The only reason to have a turkey is to stuff it. That’s it. I really could care less about the turkey on the it is a vessel for stuffing. I love stuffing so much I was admonished as a child for taking too much of it at probably every Thanksgiving. My justification was that I wasn’t really taking anything else so why couldn’t I have as much as I wanted? And really, if the Thanksgiving meal was just stuffing, I would be perfectly happy. I knew Amy’s Mom truly loved me because at Thanksgiving she would a bowl of stuffing in front of my plate and that BOWL WAS JUST FOR ME. MY OWN BOWL. I have never felt such love. Amy’s stuffing is the best I have ever had and every year I get to be the taste tester. We not only stuff the bird, we make a huge crockpot full of it, which is also good, but the stuff in the bird is magical. Magical, I tell you. Just takes you to another plane of existence. I almost cry every year. I love stuffing so much in college I once at it for every meal in a day. I love my stuffing full of sage and pepper (no sausage in mine, though I have had it that way and its not bad). Love it herby. Stuffing is the bomb and I give thanks to God every Thanksgiving for its existence. And I’m going to eat so, so, so, so, so much of it.
And there you have it. My definitive Thanksgiving meal rankings. I’m sure you have yours and maybe you have things on your table every year that are different. I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and take a moment to give thanks to the Lord for the blessings of this life, for the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, and for, of course, stuffing! May God bless you this day and always!
Mission Madness 2025! All CHALLENGES AND GOALS MET! THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY! TOTAL RAISED $5,971
PB will be dressed as an elf at the Spirit of Christmas on December 13th!
Lagers with the Lord on Monday, November 17th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.
Deer Hunter’s Worship on Wednesday, November 19th at 6:30 am! Wear your orange and camo!
Order Poinsettia’s for Christmas! Deadline is Wednesday, December 3rd. Cost is $10 per plant. See attached form.
No Worship on Wednesday, November 26th. Office closed November 27th & 28th.
We are looking for items for the Spirit of Christmas Silent Auction! The Silent Auction is our main fundraiser for the Mission Trip to Denver, CO in June 2026 for our High School Youth! New items or craft items only please. Items should be at the church by Thursday, December 11th. Contact PB if you have questions.
Crew Wednesday, December 3rd, from 3:30-5:00pm, for all 3rd-6th graders!
Annual Mitten Tree is up! Bring in hats, mittens, scarves, and gloves to decorate the tree. We are also collecting items for the Coat Closet as well, like boots, snowpants, and winter coats, which you can put in the box by the Mitten Tree.
There is a new way to give at Trinity: Venmo! You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a confirmation number, use 1349
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
Last Sunday, I was with the band at Cross Lutheran Church in Roberts where I my friend Pastor John Sutherland is the pastor. Some of you might remember Pastor Sutherland when he was Assistant to the Bishop as he preached here at Trinity a few times. I love listening to him preach and he pulled out a nugget on his sermon from Amos that has stuck with me, but before I share it with you, a little context.
The sermon was on Amos chapter five, the most famous verse being Amos 5:24, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” But before this most famous verse, God, through Amos, has been railing on the people for their neglect of the poor and needy, and that even though they are worshipping God, God will be ignoring them because of how they are acting out in the world. Verse 23 reads, “Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen o the melody of your harps.” This is not a new concept in the Old Testament as it pops up in Isaiah and elsewhere in other prophets. What is going on is that the people are worshipping God and in some cases going through the motions of worshipping God, but then going out into the world and abusing the ones God is calling on them to protect and care for.
In this context, Pastor Sutherland said a great line that has really stuck with me. He said, “God sometimes doesn’t like us very much, but God always loves us.” I thought that was really profound. God doesn’t really like the people here in Amos very much. And yet, God is willing to pour God’s own righteousness on them. Later on, in Amos, God will offer a promise of restoration to the people of Israel, of redemption and hope. Why? Because God loves them. God never will give up on them, despite their sinfulness and waywardness.
The same is true for us. We are God’s children, sinners who need redeeming. And there times that God doesn’t like us very much. We hear God’s call to care for others and how we should be in the world, but like rebellious children, we do the opposite. I’m sure many of you have family members that you sometimes don’t like very much but still love. Yet, you do still love them. In our case, our heavenly Father sends his only Son to dies on a cross and rise from the grave to save us and to show us how much we are loved. Our God never gives up on us, never disowns us, never sets us aside, no matter how much we might disappoint God.
That is important to remember. Because there are voices out there that says there is a limit to God’s love and mercy. There are people that say that God will fully reject us forever. Those voices are wrong. Time and time again God shows us in Jesus Christ that when we repent and turn back to God, this God of steadfast love and faithfulness and mercy is ready to welcome us back. This God offers us forgiveness and our Messiah, Jesus Christ, is the shining beacon and sign of that love every single day. There is no doubt that God sometimes looks at us and doesn’t like us very much. But never, ever, does not love us. As it says in Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I give thanks for the wisdom of people like Pastor Sutherland and for the reminder that God does not give up on us, despite our sin, and that God’s righteousness and justice can flow out into the world in and through us. But more importantly, God’s love is shown through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, flowing to us like a mighty river, on us who are sinners and need that love every day. May you feel like that love and moved by that love, may you go out into the world to share that love others. May God bless you today and always!
Mission Madness 2025! Runs from October 5th till November 16th. You can give to a specific mission partner (like Luther Park or WestCAP) or just designate your gift towards Mission Madness. Every time we hit a giving goal, PB will do the following:
$500 PB has to eat five red grapes: Already happened
$1,000 PB has to eat a hard boiled egg: DONE
$1,500 PB has to wear a Packers or Brewers tie every day for one week: DONE
$2,000 PB has to eat cold tuna noodle pasta salad with peas (the meal he hated the most as a child): DONE
$2,500 PB has to drink two ounces of black church coffee. (PB does not drink hot beverages nor coffee of any kind). Done
Currently we have raised $5,301 We only have $250 left to fulfill all our Mission goals for the year! Let’s close them all out and PB will add some extra stuff. If you have an idea, let him know!
NEW MISSION MADNESS CHALLENGE! IF WE RAISE THE FINAL $250 BY NOVEMBER 23RD, PB WILL WEAR AN ELF COSTUME FOR SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, DECEMBER 13!
Crew Wednesday, November 12th from 3:30-5:00pm, for all 3rd-6th graders!
Kids sing in church on Sunday, November 16th at 9 am!
Deer Hunter’s Worship on Wednesday, November 19th at 6:30 am! Wear your orange and camo!
Annual Mitten Tree is up! Bring in hats, mittens, scarves, and gloves to decorate the tree. We are also collecting items for the Coat Closet as well, like boots, snowpants, and winter coats, which you can put in the box by the Mitten Tree.
Voices of Praise is back every Wednesday at 7pm, join us for singing and fellowship!
There is a new way to give at Trinity: Venmo! You can find us using: @TrinityLutheranBoyceville. If it asks you for a confirmation number, use 1349
MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
2 As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?
13 But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
Luke 20:27-38
27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28 and asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman and died childless; 30 then the second 31 and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32 Finally the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”
34 Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 Indeed, they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37 And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is God not of the dead but of the living, for to him all of them are alive.”
Many of you will remember back in the day when you took a road trip you had to pull out this thing called a map. Do you remember a map? You know, that paper thing that you had to unfold to find your way to go places? You may have even owned a road atlas that you used for big trips. Do you remember how, once you opened a map, that it was almost always impossible to get it folded back correctly, or was that just a “me” thing? One of the first things I did when I moved here was buy a series of maps, including a Dunn County one, to help me navigate around when I got called out to some of your places where out there. Reading a map wasn’t always the easiest thing either, which is why it was so easy to get lost. To not know where you are going can be a very frustrating, and anxiety inducing thing.
That is why, in the modern world, GPS is so much more comforting, at least for the most part. It tells you what turns to take. It tells you how long it is going to take. It even tells you when you are going to run into an accident, how to avoid construction, and the best route to take. And it might do it in a cool voice too! Amy’s GPS talks to her in a very posh British accent. I want mine to talk like Yoda, but that could get weird. Either way, having that really gives me a lot more confidence when I have to navigate, especially when I got a van full of kids on a Mission Trip. You have a lot more security when you know where you are going.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have security because we know where we are going. What do I mean by that? Well, we know that when our mortal life is over, we have eternal life in Jesus Christ. Our readings today deal with the resurrection, and through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have the promise of eternal life. This promise is for us, given to us by our loving Savior. We have not earned it. It has been given, won for us over sin and death by what Jesus Christ has done for us. We are saved by grace through faith, and this is not our own doing, it is the gift of God. As it says in our Job reading, we know that we shall see God, because our vindicator lives, or in the traditional translation, our redeemer lives. And because Jesus rose from the dead, that resurrection is for us as well. That is why God is the God of the living and not the dead, because for us we have eternal life, and this mortal life is not the end of something, but the beginning of something.
Yet, we do forget. We sometimes get lost in life, and we forget that we do have that place prepared in glory by our loving Savior. I remember having to remind my Mom as she prepared to leave this earth, that she was loved by Jesus Christ and that she had a place prepared for her in heaven. She needed that reassurance, to hear that promise again, just like we need the reassurance of that GPS telling us when we need to turn as we drive to our destination. Jesus leads us to our heavenly home, reassuring us that through his grace and mercy that we are loved and saved and that we will be with him in glory forever, reunited with all those who have gone before us.
My friends, the promise of the resurrection is for you and it will not be taken away. Trust in that promise. Have faith. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, has defeated sin and death for you on the cross, and risen from the grave to bring you to eternal life. He has shown you the way and will bring you to eternal life. For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!” Amen
