Trinity Lutheran Church

June 18, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

No Wednesday worship June 21 or 28^th

No Monday morning Bible Study in June

Fellowship servers needed!  Call the church office at 715-643-3821 or see the sign-up on the kitchen counter.

Cake Walk providers needed!  Call the church office at 715-643-3821 or see the sign-up on the Cake Table.

Pastor Brad will be on vacation from June 19^th till July 1^st.

WOT  will be highlighting baby care kits for the months of May and June.

If you are going to garage sales this summer these are some of the items we need: size 6-24 months – sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts, receiving blankets, dark colored hand towels and baby socks. We can also use Onesies, we cut them off to make t-shirts.

Thank you for helping us help others!

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, July 17^th, 6 pm at Buckshots.

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

  On Wednesday, at 4:30 pm, I will turn 47 years old.  No, this is not a ploy for birthday gifts (though gifts are always appreciated!).  But this is an extremely significant birthday in my life.  Seems weird, doesn’t it?  When most people turn 47 years old, is just another birthday, nothing special about it at all.  Not like turning 21, or 40, or 50, or 75, etc.  A normal number.  A normal birthday.  But not to me.

  For when it hits 4:31 pm on the clock on June 21^st, I will have lived longer than my Dad.  I will have lived longer than my Dad’s Dad (slightly worried as I write this that I’m jinxing myself here).  And to me, that is significant.  Knowing the history of my family, as a younger person I figured it was a long shot to make it to 47 years old.  I figured 46 years was all I was going to get.  It feels like everything else, starting at 47 years, is a bonus.  An extra.  And it feels weird and strange that I will have lived longer than my Dad, especially in this year in we hit 30 years since he had died.  But in the midst of this strangeness, there is something else in my head and my heart.  It is a sense of gratitude.

   My Dad’s death when I was a mere 16 years old taught me two very important things.  The first was the need for God, for God is the only thing that can never be taken away from you.  It was the spark that started my journey towards becoming a pastor, though that spark was there previously, I was just unaware of it.  The second was this: that life was a gift and this gift was short.  What would I do with that life and the short amount of days I had with it?  I’m not sure I have made the kind of impact my Dad made on so many people, but legacy or that kind of stuff was never really the goal.  The goal was to appreciate life and all that comes with it.  I know there have been times when I have not done that.  To appreciate the gift I have been given.

  But lately, I have been thinking about this gift.  Life is a gift.  We can fill that gift up with anything we want.  So why do we fill it up with hate?  Why do we fill it up by denigrating and attacking people different than us?  Why do we, and I, let the frustrations and annoyances of the world become our focus?  It is squandering the gift we have been given, this gift of life given to us by a loving and merciful God. 

  Recently when I did a Q&A at Luther Park Bible Camp Staff Training, a counselor asked me the question, “What is truth?” which is a question that comes straight out of the Bible.  This is how I answered: the truth is that life is a gift.  And what we do with that gift, every single day, is extremely important.  Will we use that gift with a sense of love, faith, hope, and compassion?  Or will we use it in the opposite ways? 

  My hope and prayer as I now live longer on this earth than my Dad did, that I might live life as a gift.  To always appreciate it.  To use it for good and not evil.  To remember to appreciate and hold on tightly to the joys of life and the chance to use this gift for God’s glory and not my own.  For this life is not mine, it was given to me, and it is precious.

  Why?  Because I believe that my Dad lived his life like it was a gift and I would everything I have in this world to have more days with my Dad.  To hear is laugh.  To watch him get mad at the Cubs.  To play golf with him or enjoy time just sitting on the basement couch watching TV.  I will never get that chance, though, until it is my time to join him in God’s glory in heaven.  But I can do one thing.  One simple thing.  To remember the gift of life and cherish it. 

  My hope and prayer for you is that you might remember that too.  Not just on your birthday.  But every single day.  Life is a gift.  A gift for you from your God.  Now, what are you going to do with it?

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Vacation Bible School, June 5-8, 9 am to Noon.  VBS is open to all youth 4-years old and up.  Games, Crafts, Songs, Snack, and more!  $10 per child.  Registration form on the table in the Narthex.

Women of Trinity Summer Gathering, June 8^th, 6 pm.  All women are invited to attend!  A meal is being served by the board.

No Monday morning Bible Study in June

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, June 12^th, 6 pm at Buckshots.

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 playing golf the other day (I know, shocker) and I hit a ball into a sand trap (I know, shocker).  I stood over the ball, got my feet nice and set, made a practice swing, and then took my hack at the ball.  I totally clipped it and it flew over the green.  I was less than happy. 

  The next hole I found myself in a bunker again (I know, shocker).  I stood over the ball, thought about how I needed to swing to stop what happened the last time, took my practice swing, and then went for the shot.  I totally clipped the ball again and it flew over the green.  Again. Now I was really less than happy.  And I stewed about it, how I could make that mistake again, how awful my golf game was.  It made me hit a terrible second chip and a terrible putt and I walked to the next tee box just fuming. 

  So of course, I hit a terrible drive and then found myself in a bunker.  Again.  And I’m thinking to myself, “This is not going to go well.”  But as I looked at my ball in that sand again, I realized that I wasn’t going to get anywhere if I didn’t forget about the previous terrible shots.  So I didn’t think at all.  No practice swing.  No thoughts.  I swung the club toward the ball, and by golly, it was an actual decent shot.  I couldn’t believe it!  All I had to do was forget the previous bad ones!

  Of course, that is much harder to do than to say.  It is hard to forget about our mistakes, especially the ones that really matter, unlike the ones on the golf course.  We stew over them, remember them, beat ourselves up about them.  We hold onto them, in our heart and in our head.  Thankfully, that is not the case for our merciful God.  As it says in Jeremiah 31, “for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.”  Though we remember our mistakes, our God does not.  God forgets our mistakes, our sin, our trespasses.  In forgiveness, God in Jesus Christ establishes a new relationship, a new beginning, a new start.

  It is something we can learn from for ourselves.  To not dwell on our past mistakes.  We want to learn from them, but if we can’t forget them, if we can’t forgive ourselves as the Lord has forgiven us, then we are trapped in a cycle of guilt and pain, a cycle that threatens to continually hurt us.  When we receive that forgiveness from the Lord, it means a new start for us, a start we need to take and embrace.  For if the Lord is will to forget your sins, you need to forget your sins.  You are loved not because you are perfect but because you are the Lord.  And in the Lord you always have the opportunity to forge a new path, a new start, a new way. 

  Trust in the mercy and forgiveness of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  And just as the Lord forgives you, forgive yourself.  Forget that terrible shot from the bunker.  And keep swinging and keep trying.  May the Lord be with you. 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

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

May 25, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Office closed on Memorial Day

Vacation Bible School, June 5-8, 9 am to Noon.  VBS is open to all youth 4-years old and up.  Games, Crafts, Songs, Snack, and more!  $10 per child.  Registration form on the table in the Narthex.

Help Needed for VBS!  We need snack providers, helpers in the kitchen, and helpers with other VBS activities like leading a short Bible story and crafts.  See the sign-up in the Narthex or talk to PB.

Women of Trinity Summer Gathering, June 8^th, 6 pm.  All women are invited to attend!  A meal is being served by the board.

No Monday morning Bible Study in June

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, June 12^th, 6 pm at Buckshots.

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

Happy Thursday everyone!  I hope that you are going to have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!  Special congratulations to our high school seniors who will be graduating on Friday.

  Below I have a couple of questions that I have been thinking about or have been asked of me over the past few weeks.  Thought I might share with all of you. 

Why does my umpiring clicker have a zero for inning?

  I have been thinking about this since I pulled my clicker out for my first game of the season as an umpire.  There is no inning zero.  We start at the first inning.  So what is the purpose?  Why do we have a zero?  I asked a fellow ump and they suspected that it was in case we went into extra innings (the clicker goes up to 9.).  But if that was the case, wouldn’t the number be 10 instead of 0?  Every clicker I have had has the zero.  It is a mystery.  An utter mystery. 

Why do we say “catholic” in the Apostle’s Creed?

  Someone asked me this the other day and maybe it is something you have wondered.  The word “catholic” does not mean the Roman Catholic Church. The word actually means “universal.”  We associate that word with the Christian denomination Roman Catholic Church, but in actually that denomination took its name from the word meaning universal.  Here is a cheat: if “catholic” is capitalized, it means the denomination.  If it isn’t (like in the Apostle’s Creed), it means the universal church.

  One of my favorite things is that I have a hymnal from my home church and someone scratched out “catholic” and wrote “Christian” in its place.

Why are there not the same number of hot dogs as the number of buns in a package of hot dog buns?

You go out to buy some hot dogs to get your hot dog feed on.  You get everything you need for a good dog: mustard, onions, relish, some sport peppers, a tomato, pickle, and some celery salt (notice no ketchup.  Ketchup does not belong on a hot dog).  Of course, you get some good beef dogs and then you got to get some buns.  Yet, the quantities are not the same.  Why is that? If a package of hot dogs has 10, why are there only 8 buns?  Or vice versa?  It drives me crazy.

  Look, I know the answer.  It means you buy more of something. But can’t the bakers of the buns and the hot dog makers (and the brat ones too) get together to have it all be the same?  Would that be so hard?  These are the things that keep me up at night (along with why do people desecrate the joy of a hot dog with ketchup).  I might have a problem. 

What is this thing called Pentecost?

  Pentecost Sunday is this Sunday and it is the day in which we celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit to people gathered in Jerusalem 50 days after Easter.  Pentecost was already a Jewish holiday that was celebrated 50 days after Passover and originally celebrated the wheat harvest.  It is why there are so many people in Jerusalem at that time.  Pentecost is also the birthday of the church.  Red is the color of the day as red is the color of the Holy Spirit, which was visually manifested as tongues of fire above peoples head on Pentecost.  You can read the whole story in Acts chapter 2 OR come to church at 9 am on Sunday!

If you have a question, I’d love to answer it in a future Musings.  Just send me an email!  I hope that you have a great Memorial Day weekend. May God bless you today and always!

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Me with the newly minted Pastor Katie Wagner after her ordination this past Sunday.  Pastor Katie will be serving Trinity Lutheran Church in Lake Nebagemon, WI.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Graduate Recognition Service Sunday, May 21^st, 9am.  We will honor all our high school graduates on this service.

Ordination for Katie Wagner, Sunday, May 21^st, 3 pm.  Join us as Katie becomes a pastor!  Color of the day is red.  Fellowship time afterwards.  Katie has accepted a call to be pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lake Nebagemon, WI

Boyceville Baccalaureate Service  Sunday, May 21^st, 6 pm, at the High School Gymnatorium.  Sponsored by the Boyceville Area Ministerial Association.

Vacation Bible School, June 5-8, 9 am to Noon.  VBS is open to all youth 4-years old and up.  Games, Crafts, Songs, Snack, and more!  $10 per child.  Registration form on the table in the Narthex.

Help Needed for VBS!  We need snack providers, helpers in the kitchen, and helpers with other VBS activities like leading a short Bible story and crafts.  See the sign-up in the Narthex or talk to PB.

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. 

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

  Let’s celebrate!  When we gather on Sunday, we will gather in celebration.  We will start by celebrating our 2023 high school graduates as we recognize their accomplishments.  In our celebration, we will ask for God’s blessings upon them as they head out on a new journey of life.  It is a great time to recognize our youth and give thanks to God for the blessings they are! 

  We are celebrating Holy Communion, the gift of the body and blood of Christ that show us the forgiveness, life, and salvation we have in Jesus.  Anytime we gather around the table is a time of celebration, a celebration of our salvation and the grace of God we all receive.  We come to the table as we are, sinners in need of redemption and forgiveness, and we receive that in this holy sacrament. 

  Then we gather at 3 pm to celebrate Katie’s ordination.  An ordination is a worship service in which someone officially becomes a pastor.  Hands are laid upon them, as they were from the first disciples, and promises are made and given as Katie fulfills her call to rostered ordained ministry.  It is not just a celebration of Katie, though that is incredibly important.  It is a celebration of the church as a whole, as pastors and others from our Synod gather together.  It is a celebration of the church as we lift up and give thanks for everyone’s vocation in the church, for we all have a call to serve the Lord in our own way.  An ordination is a rare thing, so I hope that you will be there with your red on, celebrating Katie’s call and the church’s vocation.

  Finally, at 6 pm, we gather at the Middle School for our annual Baccalaureate service.  Not only is this a celebration of our graduates, but it is a celebration of our community.  A chance to come together as church’s, connected by a shared faith in Jesus Christ, to lift up each other and our young people.  We don’t have these sorts of ecumenical celebrations often, so they are pretty special when we do. 

  No matter what, Sunday is a day of celebration.  I hope to see you in some way at any of the celebrations.  Most importantly, I hope that you will celebrate every day the love and grace you receive in Jesus Christ. 

. 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Lagers with the Lord Monday, May 15^th,  6:00 pm at Buckshot’s.  Join us for some time of Bible study and faith conversation.  All are welcome!

Graduate Recognition Service Sunday, May 21^st, 9am.  We will honor all our high school graduates on this service.

Ordination for Katie Wagner, Sunday, May 21^st, 3 pm.  Join us as Katie becomes a pastor!  Color of the day is red.  Fellowship time afterwards.  Katie has accepted a call to be pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lake Nebagemon, WI

Boyceville Baccalaureate Service  Sunday, May 21^st, 6 pm, at the High School Gymatorium.  Sponsored by the Boyceville Area Ministerial Association.

Vacation Bible School, June 5-8, 9 am to Noon.  VBS is open to all youth 4-years old and up.  Games, Crafts, Songs, Snack, and more!  $10 per child.  Registration form on the table in the Narthex.

Help Needed for VBS!  We need snack providers, helpers in the kitchen, and helpers with other VBS activities like leading a short Bible story and crafts.  See the sign-up in the Narthex or talk to PB.

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. 

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

  Today, we had a wonderful worship service as the Men’s Band played, we had communion, a wonderful Smelt Feed, and a baptism.  There was a fun moment in the baptism.  As I was baptizing the beautiful baby, who was staring right at me, she reached out and grabbed my cross that is around my neck.  After putting water on her head, her Dad lifted her up and she held onto that cross, until I had to pry it away from her. 

   There is something in the act of that beautiful child.  We cling to the cross of Christ.  We cling to the cross for hope, forgiveness, and promise, the promise of eternal life.  We cling to the cross in the midst of our suffering and pain, in our despair and anxiety.  We cling to the cross because the cross of Christ is our life.  It is our salvation. It is the thing we can rely on when all else seems lost, when everything else seems to be slipping away.  It is the power of God for us.

  In life, we can sometimes feel like we have nothing to hold onto.  Life can seem fleeting, unstable, and unpredictable.  We need something that we can count, something that gives us strength.  That thing is the cross of Christ.  It is not a stumbling block for us.  It is the power of God  It is hope for in that sin is defeated, death is defeated, the devil is defeated.  This cross is a sign of God’s love for us, something you can always count on and always trust.

  May you, like that sweet baby today, cling to the cross.  May it give you hope and comfort and may you know every moment that you are loved and cared for by your Savior Jesus Christ. 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Men’s Band Worship, May 7^th, 9 am.

Smelt Feed, May 7^th, 10 am till 11:30 am.  Smelt, meatballs, cole slaw, baked beans, chips, dessert.  Free will offering taken to benefit Trinity Missions.  Served by Men in Mission

Workers needed for the Smelt Feed.  See the sign-up on the table in the Narthex.

Lagers with the Lord Monday, May 15^th,  6:00 pm at Buckshot’s.  Join us for some time of Bible study and faith conversation.  All are welcome!

Graduate Recognition Service Sunday, May 21^st, 9am.  We will honor all our high school graduates on this service.

Boyceville Baccalaureate Service  Sunday, May 21^st, 6 pm, at the High School Gymnatorium.  Sponsored by the Boyceville Area Ministerial Association.

Vacation Bible School, June 5-8, 9 am to Noon.  VBS is open to all youth 4-years old and up.  Games, Crafts, Songs, Snack, and more!  $10 per child.  Registration form on the table in the Narthex.

Help Needed for VBS!  We need snack providers, helpers in the kitchen, and helpers with other VBS activities like leading a short Bible story and crafts.  See the sign-up in the Narthex or talk to PB.

Lagers with the Lord, Monday, May 15^th, 6 pm.  Held at Buckshots.  All are welcome to join us for this Bible study and faith discussion!

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. 

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

  Yesterday was the annual Synod Assembly (special thanks to Bill & Julie Fisher for representing Trinity) but I must admit it isn’t my favorite event of the year.  Sometimes the discussions are necessary but super boring or frustrating.  The church was super hot so I felt like I was in a sauna.  I always think it can be done quicker and more efficient.  But there are two things I enjoy about Synod Assembly.

  The first is that I get to see so many of my colleagues and other lay people I have met in my various roles over the years.  It is good to catch up, to tease each other, to have a quick five minute conversation just catching up on life.  For some of us, it might be the only time we see each other all year so it is a little like going to Homecoming back at your high school.  You just catch up with a ton of people. 

   The second is that I’m always reminded of how big the church can be and how we often take the church with us.  Have you ever thought that you take the church with you?  As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you take Jesus with you into all areas of your life. And since Christ is the head of the church, that means you bring the church with you.  The church goes where you go. 

  I talk with our youth about this, about how when they go to camp or on a mission trip they bring all of Trinity with them, representing them wherever they go.  But one thing I like about thinking of how the church goes with us wherever we go is that means we are not alone.  No matter what arena of life we are in, like our job, community activities, family gatherings, even trips to the grocery store, the church goes with us.  Supporting us.  Reminding us of the love of Jesus Christ.  Showing us that we are connected to something greater than ourselves. 

  Because that is what the church does: it shows us that we are connected to something greater than ourselves.  We are connected and joined with other disciples of Jesus Christ across the world.  Which means we always have a place, we always have support, we always can be strengthened in faith, hope, and love.  Synod Assembly can be incredibly boring but it can also be incredibly moving, for it reminds me of the wider church and how much awesomeness there is going on in this thing we call church.

  May the Lord continue to bless our congregation, our Synod and denomination, and the church universal across the globe.  And maybe next year I won’t lose ten pounds in sweat at Synod Assembly!  May God bless you today and always!

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Cross Generational Worship service, Sunday, April 30^th.

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!

Men’s Band Worship, May 7^th, 9 am.

Smelt Feed, May 7^th, 10 am till 11:30 am.  Smelt, meatballs, coleslaw, baked beans, chips, dessert.  Free will offering taken to benefit Trinity Missions.  Served by Men in Mission

Workers needed for the Smelt Feed.  See the sign-up on the table in the Narthex.

Lagers with the Lord Monday, May 15^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. 

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 believe I’ve shared this story before, but it came into my head after my nap this afternoon and I thought I would share it with you again.  It always packs a punch!  PB

  TABLE FOR TWO

He sits by himself at a table for two.

The uniformed waiter returns to his side and asks, “Would you like to go ahead and order, sir?” The man has, after all, been waiting since seven o’clock–almost two hours.

“No, thank you,” the man smiles. “I’ll wait for her a while longer. How about some more coffee?”

“Certainly, sir.”

The man sits, his clear blue eyes gazing straight through the flowered centerpiece. He fingers his napkin, allowing the sounds of light chatter, tinkling silverware, and mellow music to fill his mind. He is dressed in a sport coat and tie. His dark brown hair is neatly combed, but one stray lock insists on dropping to his forehead. The scent of his cologne adds to his clean-cut image. He is dressed up enough to make a companion feel important, respected, loved. Yet he is not so formal as to make one uncomfortable. It seems that he has taken every precaution to make others feel at ease with him.

Still, he sits alone.

The waiter returns to fill the man’s coffee cup. “Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?”

“No, thank you.”

The waiter remains standing at the table. Something tugs at his curiosity.

“I don’t mean to pry, but…” His voice trails off. This line of conversation could jeopardize his tip.

“Go ahead,” the man encourages. He is strong, yet sensitive, inviting conversation.

“Why do you bother waiting for her?” the waiter finally blurts out. This man has been at the restaurant many other evenings, always patiently alone.

Says the man quietly, “Because she needs me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh Yes. I’m very positive of that.”

“Well, sir, no offense, but assuming that she needs you, she sure isn’t acting much like it. She’s stood you up three times just this week alone.”

The man winces, and looks down at the table. “Yes, I know.”

“Then why do you still come here and wait?”

“Cassie said that she would be here.”

“She’s said that before,” the waiter protests. “I wouldn’t put up with it. Why do you?”

Now the man looks up, smiles at the waiter, and says simply, “Because I love her.”

The waiter walks away, wondering how one could love a girl who stands him up three times in one week alone. The man must be crazy, he decides. Either that or he must really love that girl. Across the room, he turns to look at the man again. The man slowly pours cream into his coffee. He twirls his spoon between his fingers a few times before stirring sweetener into his cup. After staring for a moment into the liquid, the man brings the cup to his mouth and sips, silently watching those around him. He doesn’t look crazy, the waiter admits. Maybe the girl has qualities that I don’t know about. Or maybe the man’s love is stronger than most. That’s probably it. This guy must be so much in love with her he can’t even see straight. The waiter shakes himself out of his musings to take an order from a party of five.

The man watches the waiter, and wonders if he’s ever been stood up. The man has. Many, many times. But he still can’t get used to it. Each time, it hurts. He’s looked forward to this evening all day. He has many things, exciting things, to tell Cassie. He loves her so much and so deeply. But, more importantly, he wants to hear Cassie’s voice. He wants her to tell him all about her day, her triumphs, her defeats….anything, really. He has tried so many times to show Cassie how much he loves her. He’d just like to know that she cares for him, too. He sips sporadically at the coffee, and loses himself in thought, knowing that Cassie is late, but still hoping that she will arrive.

The clock says nine-thirty when the waiter returns to the man’s table. “Is there anything I can get for you?”

The still empty chair stabs at the man. “No, I think that will be all for the night. May I have the check please?”

“Yes, sir.”

When the waiter leaves, the man picks up the check. He pulls out his wallet and sighs. He has enough to have given Cassie a feast. He takes out enough money to pay for his five cups of coffee and the tip. Why do you do this, Cassie?” His mind cries as he gets up from the table.

“Good-bye,” the waiter says, as the man walks towards the door.

“Good night. Thank you for your service.”

You’re welcome, sir,” says the waiter softly, for he sees the hurt in the man’s eyes that his smile doesn’t even begin to hide.

The man passes a laughing young couple on his way out and his eyes glisten as he thinks of the good time he and Cassie could have had. He stops at the front and makes reservations for tomorrow. Maybe Cassie will be able to make it, he thinks. Oh, I do hope so.

“Seven o’clock tomorrow for party of two?” the hostess confirms.

“That’s right,” the man replies.

“Do you think she’ll come?” asks the hostess. She doesn’t mean to be rude, but she has watched the man many times alone at his table for two.

“Someday, yes. And I will be waiting for her.”

The man buttons his overcoat and walks out of the restaurant, alone. His shoulders are hunched, but through the windows the hostess can only guess whether they are hunched against the wind or against the man’s hurt.

As the man turns toward home, Cassie turns in bed. She is tired after an evening out with friends. As she reaches toward her night stand to set the alarm, she sees the note that she scribbled to herself last night.

“7:00,” it says. “Spend some time in prayer.”

Darn, she thinks. She forgot again. She feels a twinge of guilt, but quickly pushes it aside. She needed that time with her friends. And now she needs her sleep. She can pray tomorrow night.

Jesus will forgive her. And she’s sure he doesn’t mind.

(Kirsten Burgess)

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

New Member Class today at 6 pm

Crew is on April 19th at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders! It will be the last Crew till September!  Crew will sing in church at worship at 6:30 pm

Spaghetti Meal, April 19^th, 5:15 pm till 6:30 pm.

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!

Cross Generational Worship service, Sunday, April 30^th.

Lagers with the Lord Monday, May 15^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. 

Men’s Band Worship, May 7^th, 9 am.

Smelt Feed, May 7^th, 10 am till 11:30 am.  Smelt, meatballs, cole slaw, baked beans, chips, dessert.  Free will offering taken to benefit Trinity Missions.  Served by Men in Mission

Workers needed for the Smelt Feed.  See the sign-up on the table in the Narthex.

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

  Would you like to be known throughout history for the worst thing you have ever done?  That whenever anyone said your name, it would be associated with your biggest mistake and always in a negative context.  That is what has happened to the disciple named Thomas.  Thomas is known in history as “Doubting Thomas,” all because he was not present when Jesus showed up after his resurrection to the disciples.  It is actually reasonable that Thomas would be skeptical of the story of his brothers. And so, throughout history, he is known for his moment of doubt.

  But here is the thing: he was very much not a “doubting Thomas” prior to this.  He was very faithful, even encouraging his fellow disciples to follow Jesus even to the point of death.  Thomas was a faithful disciple who is known in tradition to have taken the Gospel to India.  But he is known by this one thing, doubting Jesus had risen.  He is known for the worst thing he had ever done. 

  We are not remembered by Jesus for the worst thing we have ever done.  Rather, our Savior Jesus Christ forgives us of our sin and brings us to new life, restoring us.  Our sin is forgotten and we are made clean.  We are given a new chance, a chance to change what we are known for.  Not for the worst thing, but for the amazing thing that has been done for us in Jesus Christ.  A chance to make our history different, to begin anew when we misstep or go the wrong way. 

  At the same time, don’t define yourself by your worst mistake.  Rather, remember in Christ you always have a second chance.  Remember that you are loved not by what you have done but by what Christ has done for you.  In the Lord, we always have a chance, we can always begin again, we are always forgiven and restored by our gracious Savior.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!” 

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TrinityBoycevilleWI

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinityboyceville

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Palm Sunday Y0uth Service, TODAY, 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.

No Worship this Wednesday

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!

Crew is on April 19th at 3:30 pm for all for all 3^rd-6^th graders! It will be the last Crew till September!  Crew will sing in church at worship at 6:30 pm

Spaghetti Meal, April 19^th, 5:15 pm till 6:30 pm.

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

  Thursday was opening day of the Major League Baseball season, a day I always enjoy, and I was listening to the Cubs face the Brewers at Wrigley Field (a 4-0 Cubs win, fyi.  Might be our only one of the year), when the top of the 7^th inning ended. You know what that means: 7^th inning stretch time and the singing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”  I was in my car at the corner (it was crossing guard time), as a soon to be inducted into the Hall of Fame Cubs broadcaster Pat Hughes led the singing, I sang along too.  Loud.  Joyful.  Beautiful.

  And then something weird happened.  I got teary eyed.  That’s right.  I had a few small tears run down my cheek.  Why was I so emotional?  Yes, I have a very emotional connection to my Cubs, but it normally comes out when I’m at Wrigley Field, not at the corner of Nordveien Dr. & Highway 79.  What was going on?

   And then I thought about it.  Thought about it some more.  Still thinking as the game ended (Cubs win!  Holy Cow!).  Then it came to me.  Opening Day has always been associated with the new.  With hope.  As they even said on the broadcast, when the season starts, your team is always in first place.  There is promise at the start of a baseball season, of endless possibilities, of hope, hope that this will be the year your team wins it all.  It is a new beginning.

  At the end of this week, it is Easter Sunday.  Also a day of hope, of possibility, of the new beginning that is given us every day through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has freed us from sin and death.  Because Jesus lives, we live.  Because Jesus lives, we have hope.  Because Jesus lives, we rest our lives on the promise of eternal life.  Because Jesus lives, we wake up every day knowing that we are loved, forgiven, saved, and with a new beginning. 

  So that is why I teared up.  I remembered the joy of possibility.  The joy of hope.  A hope needed as a world hurts from violence, torn apart my political strife, devasted by natural disaster, crushed by suffering.  But it is not defeated because Christ is victorious over sin and death by his resurrection from the dead.  We need a new beginning, a new hope (Star Wars reference!), a new joy.  And we have it in Jesus Christ and the blessings we receive every day, both the big and the small.  Even the joy of a baseball game.

  Happy Easter and may God bless you today and always!    

Website: www.trinityboyceville.com

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

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