Trinity Lutheran Church

June 3, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Women of Trinity Summer Gathering, June 5^th, 5:30 pm.  All women are welcome! 

Loading up the Savers U-Haul, Thursday, June 5^th, 9 am

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE FELLOWSHIP SERVERS FOR JUNE 15, & 22,

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form. 

VBS Snacks, Snack helpers needed!  See the sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you would like to help!

Trinity Summer Office Hours begin in June!  Office will be open Monday – Thursday, 9 am till 1 pm.  Closed Fridays.

Baby Care Kits:  The Women of Trinity are collecting items for Baby Care Kits through June.  We are looking for, in sizes 6-24 months, sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts.  Receive blankets, dark colored hand towels, and baby socks.  We can also use onesies.  Items can be placed in the bins underneath the altar in the Narthex. 

We are collecting Cereal for the West CAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

Voices of Praise is taking a break until September  We will see you then!

Congregational Meeting, Sunday, July 27^th, 10 am to vote on the building of a new parsonage.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

Today is our dog Baxter’s 3^rd birthday (he is so cute), and it kicks off a month of celebrations for us in the Peterson household.  Well, we actually started celebrating on May 30^th with the end of school for Amy.  But the celebrations continue with my birthday on June 21^st, our 20^th anniversary on June 25^th (can you believe we have been married 20 years and that Amy has survived me that long?), and Amy’s birthday on June 28^th.  It is always a fun month (that also includes a much needed vacation for me!)

   But we need celebrations.  To be honest, we often spend a lot of time dealing the difficulties of life that we forget to celebrate things in life.  And it can be easy to celebrate the big things, like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings (I had one of those this past week too!), and such, but we also need to take a moment to celebrate the other joys of life.  Because there is a lot to celebrate.  Like when we can take a nap.  Or when we get to have dinner with friends or a visit with a family member.  Or time at the lake or cabin or sitting down to watch our favorite team play or listening to our favorite band play a concert.  Maybe it is just a beautiful sunset or a good book being read.  It can be a million different things. 

  The Lord puts little joys, little things we can celebrate in our lives every day.  We just have to stop and see them, realize them, open your eyes to notice them around you.  For those little celebrations, those little joys, sustain us.  They are gifts to us.  Like how our birthday boy Baxter sometimes just crawls up our chest to say hi, just giving a little bit of love before he goes back to playing with his lamby toy or attacking his sister.  Those little moments are little gifts I believe from the Lord to remind us that we are loved and to brighten our spirits.

  So appreciate the celebrations of life, the big and the small.  See the joys that are all around you.  Most of all, celebrate the love of God in Jesus Christ that is for you every day!  May God be with you today and always!

May 27, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Women of Trinity Summer Gathering, June 5^th, 5:30 pm.  All women are welcome! 

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. LAST SATURDAY THIS SATURDAY, MAY 31^ST!  Every Saturday in May, 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 white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE FELLOWSHIP SERVERS FOR JUNE 8, 15, 22nd!

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form. 

VBS Snacks, Snack helpers needed!  See the sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you would like to help!

Trinity Summer Office Hours begin in June!  Office will be open Monday – Thursday, 9 am till 1 pm.  Closed Fridays.

Baby Care Kits:  The Women of Trinity are collecting items for Baby Care Kits through June.  We are looking for, in sizes 6-24 months, sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts.  Receive blankets, dark colored hand towels, and baby socks.  We can also use onsies.  Items can be placed in the bins underneath the altar in the Narthex. 

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

Voices of Praise is taking a break until September  We will see you then!

Congregational Meeting, Sunday, July 27^th, 10 am to vote on the building of a new parsonage.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

Since we had sound issues on Sunday, below is the written version of the sermon I gave on Sunday that, if you watched online, you couldn’t hear.  Yes, this does prove that I do actually write my sermons, despite rumors of the contrary.  No, it does not mean that I stick to said written word.  😊

  John 14:23-29 ^: Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate,ⁱ the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.”

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen

Have you ever heard the phrase “easier said than done?”  You know, you can say something and it seems pretty easy, and then you have to do it, and it isn’t so easy? Like, running a mile doesn’t seem so hard until you actually have to do it.  Or sewing on a button seems easy, until you have to actually try to do it.  There are many things that could fall into that category.  And Jesus says something in our reading today that I think falls into that phrase, “easier said than done.”

  Jesus says to the disciples “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  Actually, this is the second time he says it in chapter 14, which tells you that the disciples had troubled hearts.  He of course, follows it up with “do not let them be afraid.”  Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Umm, that is easier said than done, because I don’t know about you, but it is pretty easy to let my heart be troubled.  All I gotta do is turn on the news to get my heart into a troubled state.  All I gotta do is talk to some of my friends or family and hear what is going on in their lives to get my heart to be troubled.  All I gotta do is let my own weaknesses, insecurities, and doubts creep into my head in the middle of the night to let my heart be troubled.  It is easier said than done, to not let our heats be troubled or to not be afraid.

  And I think that Jesus knows it.  Which is why Jesus is telling the disciples, and us, that he is not leaving us alone.  Not only is he promising to be with us, reminding us that he and the Father are one, but telling us two other things.  One, that he is gifting us with his peace, a peace that is different than the world’s peace.  This is a peace that comes from his salvation, of knowing that sin and death have been defeated and we have the promise of eternal life.  When you know you have the promise of eternal life, you can rest a little easier and live with hope, for you have that assurance of heaven.  We are saved, not by our works, but by what Christ has does for us, and that is a peace the world cannot give.  It is a peace that only Christ can give. 

  The other thing that Jesus is telling us is that we are not alone.  Christ is giving us an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be with us.  And this Advocate, this Spirit, is there to remind us of all that Christ has done for us.  This Spirit is there to create faith in our hearts, sustain us in faith, and to remind us.  to remind us that we are loved.  To remind us that we are saved.  To remind us that we are not alone.  To remind us of everything that Jesus has taught us.  So that in those moments when our hearts our troubled, when we feel overwhelmed with sadness and grief and doubt and anxiety, we can remember Christ’s promises for us.  That we are forgiven.  That we are loved.  That we have eternal life.  That we have a peace that passes all understanding.  That it will be ok because Christ is with us.

  Do not let your hearts be troubled is easier said than done because we do need constant reminding.  It is easy to forget all that Jesus has done for us and that Jesus is with us.  But that is why Christ sends the Advocate, the Spirit, to us.  To remind us.  To remind you.  That we do not need to be afraid.  That it will be ok.  Jesus has us.  Jesus has you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid, for the peace of Christ is with you.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”  Amen

May 20, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office Closed Monday, May 26th.  No Bible Study

Memorial Day Prayer Service, Monday May 26^th, 11:45 am, Tiffany Creek Cemetery

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. Every Saturday in May, 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 white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August. 

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form. 

VBS Snacks, Snack helpers needed!  See the sign-up in the Narthex or call the office if you would like to help!

Trinity Summer Office Hours begin in June!  Office will be open Monday – Thursday, 9 am till 1 pm.  Closed Fridays.

Baby Care Kits:  The Women of Trinity are collecting items for Baby Care Kits through June.  We are looking for, in sizes 6-24 months, sleepers or gowns, cotton t-shirts, light jackets, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts.  Receive blankets, dark colored hand towels, and baby socks.  We can also use onesies.  Items can be placed in the bins underneath the altar in the Narthex. 

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

Voices of Praise is taking a break until September  We will see you then!

Congregational Meeting, Sunday, July 27^th, 10 am to vote on the building of a new parsonage.

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  One of my favorite things to be a part of is when our seniors give the sermon in worship.  For at least the past 15 years or so now (maybe longer), we have had at least one senior, often two, preach on a Sunday morning, often at our youth service and at our Graduate Recognition Sunday.  To be honest, I’m always shocked when they say yes.  You know, when I was a senior in high school I was asked to preach at our Graduate Recognition Sunday and I said no, which I regretted.  I would preach my first sermon a year later, after my freshmen year in college, and I can tell you right now that many of our seniors have done a much better job than I did then (and probably than what I do now!)

  To give you a little insight to what happens, I ask them to preach, and after they say yes, and then give them the assigned scripture for that Sunday, and if they don’t like that scripture, I let them pick their own OR I ask them what they want to talk about and help them find a scripture that can fit the theme they want.  Sometimes I give them some scriptures in advance that I think they might like.  Often they might even pick the scripture they picked as their confirmation verse back when they were confirmed.  I’ll help them with the background of the scripture, but after that, everything they do is completely on their own.  Every word they write is their own words.  I’m there to help them if they need it, and sometimes, they might ask me for a way to start, and sometimes they need help ending, because a sermon is a little different than a speech they might give in school.  But every sermon is completely theirs and I’m always blown away by their faith and the things that they share. 

  It is a blessing we have that we have students that are willing to share their faith.  It is nerve racking and scary to stand before the congregation to give a sermon, plus to do so in front of family and classmates.  But I think that is what makes it all the more special.  This year was especially fun as when I asked the two senior’s to preach, Delaney and Brooklynn, thinking one would do it at the youth service and one at Graduate Recognition, they came back to me asking if they could do it together.  It was especially fun since they go to different schools and the assigned scripture for this past Sunday on Graduate Recognition Sunday set up perfectly for their experiences they have had and they knocked it out of the park.  I encourage you, if you weren’t there, to watch it, either by going to our Facebook page or the Trinity Boyceville YouTube channel. 

  I want to thank all of you for the way that you embrace our youth here at Trinity.  I always tell our youth that the church is a place where they can be themselves and that they will be loved for just being them.  You allow that to happen and share the love of Jesus Christ with them by embracing them for who they are.  They face challenges that we cannot possibly fathom or understand.  They are pulled in so many directions and have so many pressures and expectations that it makes my head spin.  Yet, when they come in the doors of Trinity, they are embraced.  They are welcomed.  They are encouraged as people and as children of God.  You set that tone and thank you for doing that.  My hope is that we will continue to love these young people as they are, remind them that Jesus Christ loves them as they are and is with them always, and that Trinity will always be a place where they can be reminded that they are loved and hear of God’s grace in Jesus Christ for them and lift them up.  May the Lord bless our young people and guide them in all that they do, and may the Lord bless you today and always!

May 11, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Parsonage Committee Update Sunday, May 18^th, 10 am  Join us immediately after worship to hear an update from the parsonage committee. 

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. Every Saturday in May, 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 white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Lagers with the Lord Monday, May 19^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

Graduate Recognition Sunday, May 18^th, 9 am.

Boyceville Baccalaureate Sunday, May 18^th, 6 pm at the Boyceville Gymnatorium.

Voices of Praise every Wednesday night at 7 pm!  Come join us for a time of song.  A great time to sing with others and have some fun!

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form. 

Summer Fellowship Servers needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or call the church office if you are willing to serve fellowship on any Sunday June through August. 

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

“My sheep hear my voice.” John 10:27a

  I think a lot about voice.  After all, I kind of make my living with my voice and many of the things I do happen because of my voice.  And I have many voices.  I have my regular, every day voice.  I have my preaching voice, which I can change based on what I’m preaching and how I’m preaching in the moment. I have my teaching voice.  I have my announcing voice, and there are different voices for that.  There is football announcing voice, prom announcing voice, general announcement voice.  I have “yelling at confirmation kids/yelling at the dogs” voice.  There is pastoral care voice.  There is my singing voice (probably the worst voice).  There are a myriad of funny voices that I do (at least I find them funny).  There is a voice for every occasion it seems. 

  At the same time, I have learned to listen to a myriad of voices.  In the band, I can pick out everyone’s voices for our harmonies and where we are.  I know all of Amy’s voices (especially the “I’m really annoyed at you Brad” voice, which is most common, because I’m really annoying).  I know the voices of many of you, not only your speaking voices but also singing voices as I hear you from the pews.  I can still, in the back of my mind, hear the voices of my parents (especially my Dad).  And I’m always trying to hear the voice of the Lord.

  I love this verse from John that is listed above.  My sheep hear my voice.  The thing is, I think that the Lord often uses different voices to reach us, kind of how we have different voices for different occasions.  Sometimes that voice is loud and clear and easy to understand and get.  Sometimes it is harsh and bold. Sometimes it is soothing and calm.  Sometimes it is funny and playful.  Sometimes it is thought provoking and needling.  Sometimes it is quiet.  But I firmly believe that the Lord is speaking to us, all the time, letting that voice ring out in ways that we often miss or don’t totally understand.  We just have to be willing to listen or have our hearts open to listen. 

  And this where I continue to grow.  Not only in the listening (as Amy would say, I suck at listening), but in being open to the new ways the voice of the Lord might be speaking to me.  As I have gotten older (and possibly more mature?  That’s debatable), I’ve started to hear the voice of the Lord in unexpected ways and surprising places.  But that is the fun of the Lord.  God will not be boxed in by us and the Holy Spirit moves where it will.  We just have to be willing to hear it. 

  So today, my friends, open your heart and your ears to the voice of the Lord.  We are sheep, after all, and the shepherd is speaking.  The voice of the Lord is out there and is talking to you and might be talking to you in ways you do not expect.  May you hear that voice and hear that promise that you are loved, forgiven, saved, and redeemed. May you hear that voice that comforts and challenges, guides and pushes, corrects and makes alive.  For that voice is out there and that voice is for you. 

  May God bless you today and always!

May 4, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. Every Saturday in May, 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 white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Lagers with the Lord Monday, May 19^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

Graduate Recognition Sunday, May 18^th, 9 am.

Boyceville Baccalaureate Sunday, May 18^th, 6 pm at the Boyceville Gymnatorium.

Voices of Praise every Wednesday night at 7 pm!  Come join us for a time of song.  A great time to sing with others and have some fun!

Vacation Bible School, July 14-18, 9 am till 2 pm for all 4 year olds through 6^th grade youth.  Led by Luther Park Bible Camp.  No Cost.  Games, Crafts, Music, Food, and more!  Friends welcome!  We appreciate your registering in advance!  See the attached form. 

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul . . .” Hebrews 6:19a

  Today is May 4^th, otherwise known as Star Wars Day.  Why is it called Star Wars Day?  May the 4^th be with you, a take off of the famous phrase, “may the force be with you.”  Of course, as Lutherans, we want to all respond with, “And also with you.”  For me, this is an important holiday and it has given me great joy over the years to see this day become a bigger deal.  I will have a wicked cool new Star Wars shirt on for the Men’s Band concert, I’ll be watching some Star Wars content at home, and I will revel in the joy of something I truly love.

  One of the reasons why I love the Star Wars Universe so much (and it is a universe, spanning movies, tv shows, books, comics, toys, games, and more), is that Star Wars, in its essence, is a story about hope.  It is about people fighting against evil, often at extraordinary odds, and holding onto hope in the midst of crazy odds.  They have hope, whether it be in the Force, in each other, or even in the premise of good winning out over evil in the end.  No one in the universe is perfect, not even the heroes. They make stupid decisions and yet they cling to hope above all things and keep going. 

  As followers of Jesus Christ, we are people of hope.  Our hope comes from our Savior Jesus Christ, who has defeated sin and death for us on the cross and risen from the grave to bring us to eternal life.  This hope is our anchor as it says in Hebrews and this hope sustains us in the midst of a world that is so often full of suffering, hate, and evil.  This hope in keeps us going, reminds us of the goodness of God, and helps us trust that despite the darkness of the world, the light of God in Jesus Christ wins the ultimate victory.  This hope helps us to trust others, to have faith in even when it we have no reason too, and to remember that we have a God and Savior who walks with us.  Hope is the most powerful thing of all and we have it because we have Jesus, the Savior of the world, who promises to be with us always.  To be with you always.  For the salvation we receive in Christ Jesus is a story of hope, just as Star Wars is also a story of hope.

  We need hope every single day.  It is why I love Jesus, and why I love Star Wars.  Now, Star Wars does not give me eternal life.  Only Jesus does that and this Jesus soothes my soul, calms my fears, forgives my sin, and brings me to eternal life.  But Star Wars brings me joy, beyond the awesome lightsaber fights and space battles and the rest.  It reminds me of hope, of the joy of friendship, and the power of hope, an anchor to our soul.  May you feel that hope today, a hope that comes from a Savior who loves you, saves you, and brings you to eternal life.  And may the Force, and the Lord, be with you always!

April 28, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

FREE FOOD, FREE STUFF, FOR ALL Saturday, May 3, 8 am till 10 am.  Free breakfast and personal care item distribution for those in need.  All are welcome.  We are looking for help with this event.  See the sign-up in the Narthex or contact the office if you would like to help.   

Men’s Band Worship, Sunday, May 4^th, 9 am.

Smelt Feed, Sunday, May 4^th, 10 am till 11:30 am.  Smelt, Meatballs, Tater Tots, Cole Slaw, Garlic Bread, Chips, Baked Beans, Dessert.  Free-will offering taken to benefit Trinity Missions.  Served by the Trinity Men.  Help needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex or just come!  Help is very much appreciated! 

Voices of Praise every Wednesday night at 7 pm!  Come join us for a time of song.  A great time to sing with others and have some fun!

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. Every Saturday in May, 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 white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

Lagers with the Lord Monday, May 19^th, 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

Last week was our last week of Sunday School. Thank you to everyone who helped with Sunday School this year!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  Look, I have to stand in front of people all the time and do all sorts of things, and sometimes I get a little nervous.  I think a little nervousness is good no matter what.  Performing with the Men’s Band on Saturday in front of the entire Synod, with all my colleagues silently judging me?  Somewhat nervous, but not as nervous as the times I have had to speak in front of them (I did have to pray in front of them and that was nothing).  I get nervous before big crowds of Easter and Christmas or huge funerals, just wanting to do well and feeling the pressure of saying the right words that people need, but that nervous level maybe gets to about a 75 out of a 100.  High, but not crippling.  But on Saturday night, I was at a nervous level of 500 out of 100.  Why?  I was about to do something I had never done before: I was going to DJ prom.

  Now look.  Let’s be real.  I knew I was being asked for two reasons.  The first: I was cheap.  The kids knew I would do it for free (they did give me a little something).  I come every year and announce and never ask for a thing.  And they know I’m a sucker who has a hard time saying no to them.  So that was the first reason.

  And the second?  This one was even expressly said to me and I agreed.  They knew that if they asked me to play something, I would play it.  For prom the kids make a play list and submit it for approval from the school and then that approved play list is given to me.  So if I played something and they didn’t want it, they knew I would pass it by.  If they wanted something to be played at a certain time,  I would play it, unlike their DJ’s in the past who would often fight them on stuff.  What do I care?  I want the kids to have fun so I’ll play stuff when they want.  So I was under no illusion that I was asked because of my great skills at picking songs at football or basketball games.  Heck, they give me so much grief for what I play in the van on the mission trips. 

  But here is the thing my friends.  I used to do this all the time.  I played the tunes at tons of parties in college and seminary, hooking up two five disc changers and rocking it out for multiple hours.  And look, to be honest, I was pretty good.  I knew how to build the party, when to make it jump, how to bring it down, and then blow the roof off.  But that was in the MID 1990’S.  The last time I truly did it was probably Halloween 1997, senior year of Seminary.  The last time I put together a playlist that was meant to be used for anything close to a prom was for Amy and I’s wedding, which we did the music ourselves, but I wasn’t behind the controls for that. 

  But it is 2025.  Half the playlist I didn’t even KNOW.  Sure I listened to it twice, but it is not like a lot of the music is stuff I listen to daily.  I try to get a little current, but I’m a 48 year old, soon to be 49 year old man.  I’m not hip.  I’m not with it.  Just saying those words shows that.  And I’ve never done a prom, which is a whole different animal.  I was nervous as all get out.  I did NOT want to ruin this for the kids and I was trusting that if I made wrong choices, the kids would tell me, and we would move on. 

  At this point you are now wondering how it went.  And, to be honest, it went really well.  Really well.  One of the great feelings in life is when you pick a song and the whole room goes nuts.  And that happened.  Multiple times.  Even better, every time my song guru, the one I trusted to tell me when I needed to play something or when I might need to skip something, came over to tell me they wanted something next, I had that exact thing cued up next (thanks Zoey, you rule).  It was a heck of a lot of fun and I think the kids had a lot of fun too.  And that was the greatest joy.  Watching them have a good time. 

  In the end, that is what it is always about.  It is what I love about announcing and playing music at games.  It is why I say yes to these things.  Watching the kids, or the crowd, have a great time just brings me a lot of joy.  It is why I started playing music at parties back in college for my friends.  Getting them hyped, helping them have fun, was just as much fun for me as being out on the dance floor with them (don’t worry, I stayed behind my table where I belonged).  I may never get the opportunity to do this again, and I might have been freaking out about it before it began, but I’m glad I took a risk and said yes.  I hope the kids had fun, it seemed they did.  And if nothing else, I got to pretend I was in my early 20’s again, playing tunes and making a room bounce.  And that was pretty fun.

  May God bless you today and always. 

April 13, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Maundy Thursday worship Thursday, April 17, 6:30 pm

Good Friday worship Friday, April 18^th, Noon & 6:30 pm

Easter Sunday Worship, Sunday, April 20^th,  6:30 am and 9:00 am

Easter Breakfast, Sunday, April 20^th, 7:30 am.  Biscuits and Gravy, Scrambled Eggs, Fruit, Beverage.  Free-will offering to support our youth going to camp.  Served by Confirmation Youth.

NO WORSHIP THIS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16^TH

Brass Cleaning on Wednesday, April 16^th, 9 am.

Lagers with the Lord April 21^st  at 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

Crew is on Wednesday, April 23th, at 3:30 pm till 5 pm for all 3rd-6th grade youth. LAST ONE TILL SEPTEMBER!

We are collecting items for our FREE FOOD, FREE STUFF, FOR ALL. This event will be on May 3rd and will be open to our community to help those in need. We are collecting the following items: soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, dish soap, laundry detergent, underwear (men’s & women’s), socks. Please bring those items to the church and place them in the bins in the Narthex.

FREE FOOD, FREE STUFF, FOR ALL Saturday, May 3, 8 am till 10 am.  Free breakfast and personal care item distribution for those in need.  All are welcome.  We are looking for help with this event.  See the sign-up in the Narthex or contact the office if you would like to help.   

Men’s Band Worship, Sunday, May 4^th, 9 am.

Smelt Feed, Sunday, May 4^th, 10 am till 11:30 am.  Smelt, Meatballs, Tater Tots, Cole Slaw, Garlic Bread, Chips, Baked Beans, Dessert.  Free-will offering taken to benefit Trinity Missions.  Served by the Trinity Men.  Help needed!  Sign-up in the Narthex

Voices of Praise every Wednesday night at 7 pm!  Come join us for a time of song.  A great time to sing with others and have some fun!

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. Every Saturday in May, 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 white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  This week is Holy Week, as we journey with Jesus to the cross, his death, and then his resurrection on Easter Sunday.  I hope you will join us on this journey through our worship services on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, whether that be in person or online. 

  In preparation for that, I share with you one of my favorite stories.  Here is “The Ragman,” by Walter Wangerin Jr. 

I saw a strange sight. I stumbled upon a story most strange, like nothing in my life, my street sense, my sly tongue had ever prepared me for. Hush, child. hush now, and I will tell it to you.

Even before the dawn one Friday morning I noticed a young man, handsome and strong, walking the alleys of our City. He was pulling an old cart filled with clothes both bright and new, and he was calling in a clear tenor voice: ‘Rags!’ Ah, the air was foul and the first light filthy to be crossed by such sweet music.

‘Rags! New rags for old! I take your tired rags! Rags!’

‘Now this is a wonder,’ I thought to myself, for the man stood six-feet-four, and his arms were like tree limbs, hard and muscular, and his eyes flashed intelligence. Could he find no better job than this, to be a ragman in the inner city?

I followed him. My curiosity drove me. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Soon the ragman saw a woman sitting on her back porch. She was sobbing into a handkerchief, signing, and shedding a thousand tears. Her knees and elbows made a sad X. Her shoulders shook. Her heart was breaking.

The Ragman stopped his cart. Quietly, he walked to the woman, stepping round tin cans, dead toys, and Pampers.

‘Give me your rag,’ he said gently. ‘and I’ll give you another.’

He slipped the handkerchief from her eyes. She looked up, and he laid across her palm a linen cloth so clean and new that it shined. She blinked from the gift to the giver.

Then, as he began to pull his cart again, the Ragman did a strange thing: he put her stained handkerchief to his own face; and then he began to weep, to sob as grievously as she had done, his shoulders shaking. Yet she was left without a tear.

‘This is a wonder,’ I breathed to myself, and I followed the sobbing Ragman like a child who cannot turn away from mystery.

‘Rags! Rags! New Rags for old!”

In a little while, when the sky showed grey behind the rooftops and I could see the shredded curtains hanging out black windows, the Ragman came upon a girl whose head was wrapped in a bandage, whose eyes were empty. Blood soaked her bandage. A single line of blood ran down her cheek.

Now the tall Ragman looked upon this child with pity, and he drew a lovely yellow bonnet from his cart.

‘Give me your rag,’ he said, tracing his own line on her cheek, ‘and I’ll give you mine.’

The child could only gaze at him while he loosened the bandage, removed it, and tied it to his own head. The bonnet he set on hers. And I gasped at what I saw: for with the bandage went the wound! Against his brow it ran a darker, more substantial blood — his own!

‘Rags! Rags! I take old rags!’ cried the sobbing, bleeding, strong, intelligent Ragman.

The sun hurt both the sky, now, and my eyes; the Ragman seemed more and more to hurry.

‘Are you going to work?’ he asked a man who leaned against a telephone pole. The man shook his head. The Ragman pressed him: ‘Do you have a job?”

‘Are you crazy?’ sneered the other. He pulled away from the pole, revealing the right sleeve of his jacket — flat, the cuff stuffed into the pocket. He had no arm.

‘So,’ said the Ragman. ‘Give me your jacket, and I’ll give you mine.’

So much quiet authority in his voice!

The one-armed man took off his jacket. So did the Ragman — and I trembled at what I saw: for the Ragman’s arm stayed in its sleeve, and when the other put it on, he had two good arms, thick as tree limbs; but the Ragman had only one.

‘Go to work,’ he said.

After that he found a drunk, lying unconscious beneath an army blanket, an old man, hunched, wizened, and sick. He took that blanket and wrapped it round himself, but for the drunk he left new clothes.

And now I had to run to keep up with the Ragman. Though he was weeping uncontrollably, and bleeding freely at the forehead, pulling his cart with one arm, stumbling for drunkenness, falling again and again, exhausted, old, old, and sick, yet he went with terrible speed. On spider’s legs he skittered through the alleys of the City, this mile and the next, until he came to its limits, and then he rushed beyond.

I wept to see the change in this man. I hurt to see his sorrow. And yet I need to see where he was going in such haste, perhaps to know what drove him so.

The little old Ragman — he came to a landfill. He came to the garbage pits. And I waited to help him in what he did but I hung back, hiding. He climbed a hill. With tormented labor he cleared a little space on that hill. Then he signed. He lay down. He pillowed his head on a handkerchief and a jacket. He covered his bones with an army blanket. And he died.

Oh how I cried to witness that death! I slumped in a junked car and wailed and mourned as one who has no hope — because I had come to love the Ragman. Every other face had faded in the wonder of this man, and I cherished him; but he died. I sobbed myself to sleep.

I did not know — how could I know? — that I slept through Friday night and Saturday and its night too.

But then, on Sunday morning, I was wakened by a violence.

Light — pure, hard, demanding light — slammed against my sour face, and I blinked, and I looked, and I saw the first wonder of all. There was the Ragman, folding the blanket most carefully, a scar on his forehead, but alive! And, besides that, healthy! There was no sign of sorrow or age, and all the rags that he had gathered shined for cleanliness.

Well, then I lowered my head and, trembling for all that I had seen, I myself walked up to the Ragman. I told him my name with shame, for I was a sorry figure next to him. Then I took off all my clothes in that place, and I said to him with dear yearning in my voice: ‘Dress me.”

He dressed me. My Lord, he put new rags on me, and I am a wonder beside him. The Ragman, the Ragman, the Christ!

April 6, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lent worship this Wednesday at 6:30 pm!   Holden Evening Prayer service.  Come join us!  Last one for this year!

Lent Meal from 5:30 pm till 6:30 pm. This week the meal is Taco Bar served by the Women of Trinity.  Come join us!

Crew is on Wednesday, April 9th, at 3:30 pm till 5 pm for all 3rd-6th grade youth

Maundy Thursday worship Thursday, April 17, 6:30 pm

Good Friday worship Friday, April 18^th, Noon & 6:30 pm

Easter Sunday Worship, Sunday, April 20^th,  6:30 am and 9:00 am

Easter Breakfast, Sunday, April 20^th, 7:30 am.  Biscuits and Gravy, Scrambled Eggs, Fruit, Beverage.  Free-will offering to support our youth going to camp.  Served by Confirmation Youth.

Lagers with the Lord April 21^st  at 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

We are collecting items for our FREE FOOD, FREE STUFF, FOR ALL. This event will be on May 3rd and will be open to our community to help those in need. We are collecting the following items: soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, dish soap, laundry detergent, underwear (men’s & women’s), socks. Please bring those items to the church and place them in the bins in the Narthex.  

Voices of Praise every Wednesday night at 7 pm!  Come join us for a time of song.  A great time to sing with others and have some fun!

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. Every Saturday in May, 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 white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  My favorite disciple is Peter, and you might think it is because my last name is Peterson, and though that was the initial reason (because when you are five years old and you learn about the disciples for the first time, that is what happens), Peter has remained my favorite because he is just so . . . messy.  I mean, think about it.  Peter is always getting things spectacularly right and then incredibly wrong.  He will say Jesus is the Messiah, the first one to confess such a thing, and then ten seconds later Jesus is calling him Satan because Peter gets it so wrong about what being the Messiah means.  Jesus is calling him the rock on which he will build the church and yet this same rock is the one who denies Jesus three times.  Peter is so, well, human.  Like us, he has profound faith but makes profound mistakes. 

  But what if, when we talked about Peter, we never talked about those mistakes?  What if, when I read the story of Jesus’ passion on Good Friday, I skipped over the part of Peter denying Jesus?  What if we only talked about Peter’s triumphs?  It makes Peter less of a compelling character.  Even worse, it makes him less of a connection point for us, who so often have moments of great faith and great doubt and mistakes.  We need the whole story, not just half of it.

  As a lover of history, I appreciate the whole story, not just half of it.  And sometimes the whole story is messier than we wish it would be.  Our denomination, Lutheran, is named for Martin Luther.  And when I tell the story of Martin Luther, I tell the good. There is so much good.  Martin Luther changed the world.  But I also tell the bad, on how his writings against the Jews later in life not only led to violence at that time but laid groundwork that the Nazi’s used to justify the Holocaust.  Why?  Because telling the whole story is important and I believe telling the bad doesn’t erase the good.  At the same time, it is our mistakes that help us grow and learn as people.  Finally, we believe in a God of forgiveness.  After all, Jesus forgave Peter after his denial, and Peter would go on to lead the disciples (and make a few more mistakes too). 

  It is dangerous in life to only tell half the story, to erase the past, because in erasing the past, we are doomed to not learn from our past mistakes.  One of the reasons I talk about my own failings in my sermons is because I hope others can learn from them.  But also, because as a kid I thought that my pastors and religious leaders were perfect human beings and that I could never ever be like them and that God must love them because they were perfect.  To find out that they weren’t, and yet God still loved them and called them to serve the Lord, opened the door for me to realize that maybe, just maybe, God might be able to use me, despite my obvious shortcomings and failings. 

  We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God.  Whether that be individuals, communities, institutions, churches, governments, and the world at large.  We all need forgiveness, grace, mercy, and second chances.  We can choose to learn from our past, from our history, or to ignore it and erase it.  Ignoring and erasing it is a fatal mistake that dooms us to ignorance, arrogance, and lack of vision.  I give thanks that we have the full story of Peter to learn from.  I give thanks for the leaders in my life that were willing to share their whole story with me to give me an example to learn from and grow from.  I’m thankful for a merciful God who sends his one and only Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins, who offers all who call on his name forgiveness and eternal life and a chance to learn and grow from our mistakes. For a God who never gives up on us, who guides us, and reminds us that we are never alone, even when we screw up.  As the great Jedi Master Yoda said to Luke Skywalker in the Last Jedi, “The greatest teacher, failure is.”

  May God bless you today and always. 

March 23, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lent worship this Wednesday at 6:30 pm!   Holden Evening Prayer service.  Come join us!

Lent Meal from 5:30 pm till 6:30 pm. This week the meal is Spaghetti & Garic Bread served by the Trinity Men.  Come join us!

Lagers with the Lord, March 24^th at 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

We are collecting items for our FREE FOOD, FREE STUFF, FOR ALL. This event will be on May 3rd and will be open to our community to help those in need. We are collecting the following items: soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, dish soap, laundry detergent, underwear (men’s & women’s), socks. Please bring those items to the church and place them in the bins in the Narthex.  

Crew is on Wednesday, March 26th, at 3:30 pm till 5 pm for all 3rd-6th grade youth

Butter Braid sales have begun! Purchase Butter Braids to help our youth attend Luther Park Bible Camp this summer! See any confirmation youth or the form on the table in the Narthex or use this link: https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/2136d1a2-8b11-4008-a855-701d9dca29c0

Voices of Praise every Wednesday night at 7 pm!  Come join us for a time of song.  A great time to sing with others and have some fun!

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

Order your Easter Lilies!  Order deadline is March 30^th.  See form that is with this email. 

New Member Class Sunday, March 30^th, 6pm.

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. Every Saturday in May, 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 white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

   On Saturday, I decided to take our dog Baxter for a walk (I had already taken Daphne for a walk.  They can’t be walked together by one person, as you will soon see, especially as Daphne is still learning to take walks).  Baxter is really weird.  He gets really excited to go, and then gets outside, and he refuses to walk.  So I picked him up, walked a little bit, put him down.  He doesn’t move.  I start to push him a bit with my foot and he might go a few steps, then not move.  He is a stubborn little dog.  So I picked him up again, took about ten steps.  Set him down again.  Nothing.  Now I’m frustrated.  So I decided that maybe this wasn’t going to happen, so I turned us around to head back to the house.  And the little jerk starts walking.  He walks!  And as I come to the corner, instead of crossing the street to go home, I go left and he actually followed me and kept going.  We took the route I was going to take, just in reverse, and he only stopped twice, just for a moment, and it only took a nudge to keep him going.  He finally got stubborn again and stopped moving right in front of the house!  I think he wanted me to carry him in like he was a little prince or something. 

   I wonder if God sometimes feels like I did on that walk with Baxter.  God is leading us, telling us through God’s Word how we are to be in the world.  Yet, we just won’t move.  We refuse to go where God is leading us, refuse to be the people God is calling us to be.  God is prodding us, wondering if we will love our neighbors as ourselves, wondering if we will even follow God and believe and trust in the grace and mercy given us through Jesus Christ.  We are stubborn people.  We don’t listen very well, even with prodding.

  Yet, at the same time, God doesn’t give up on us.  And all it can take is a change in perspective, or seeing something in a different way, that can get us to walking the path that God wants us to walk.  Sadly, sometimes that is tragedy or difficulty.  Sometimes it is hearing of God’s promises in Jesus Christ, hearing again the salvation and hope that comes in Jesus that starts us walking.  Sometimes it is the encouragement of others, our fellow disciples of Jesus Christ, that get us moving.  But no matter how stubborn we are, God will continue to reach out to us, continue to prod us, continue to be there with us. 

  May you, as you walk in this life, talk the path that God is calling you to take.  May you hear and trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and know that you are loved, forgiven, and saved.  And may you not be afraid to go where God is leading you and to be the hands and feet of God in the world.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”

March 15, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lent worship this Wednesday at 6:30 pm!   Holden Evening Prayer service.  Come join us!

Lent Meal from 5:30 pm till 6:30 pm. This week the meal is Homemade Soup and Garlic Bread served by the Mission Trip Youth.  Free-will offering taken to support them going to St. Louis this summer for their Mission Trip.

We are collecting items for our FREE FOOD, FREE STUFF, FOR ALL. This event will be on May 3rd and will be open to our community to help those in need. We are collecting the following items: soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, dish soap, laundry detergent, underwear (men’s & women’s), socks. Please bring those items to the church and place them in the bins in the Narthex.  

Crew is on Wednesday, March 26th, at 3:30 pm till 5 pm for all 3rd-6th grade youth

Butter Braid sales have begun! Purchase Butter Braids to help our youth attend Luther Park Bible Camp this summer! See any confirmation youth or the form on the table in the Narthex or use this link: https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/2136d1a2-8b11-4008-a855-701d9dca29c0

Lagers with the Lord March 24^th at 6 pm at Buckshot’s.

Voices of Praise every Wednesday night at 7 pm!  Come join us for a time of song.  A great time to sing with others and have some fun!

We are collecting Cereal for the WestCAP food pantry!  Bring your boxes and place them by the altar in the Narthex. Please make sure the cereal is not expired. 

Order your Easter Lilies!  Order deadline is March 30^th.  See form that is with this email. 

Confirmation Lock-In, Thursday, March 20^th, 6pm till March 21^st, 7 am.   Sign-up in the Narthex.  I need parent drivers for the Scavenger Hunt from 6:30 pm till 7:30 pm. 

Youth in Christ from United Lutheran Church in Prairie Farm will be at Trinity on Sunday, March 23^rd at 9 am to lead worship.

New Member Class Sunday, March 30^th, 6pm.

SAVERS FUN DRIVE-Bring your household items and clothes to Trinity in May. Every Saturday in May, 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 white kitchen trash bags and all other items in boxes. Thank you for supporting the Women of Trinity!

MUSINGS FROM PASTOR BRAD

  I must admit, I have some weird quirks, especially when it comes to food.  I enjoy trying new things and take great pride in being adventurous with certain things.  It is why I like going to the Minnesota State Fair or the Food and Wine Festival at Disney World, as it gives me a chance to try weird things, like lamb testicles, alligator, or ghost pepper mac and cheese (first two were very good.  The last almost burned my tongue off). 

  Yet, I’m also the same guy that doesn’t like to eat mix my foods and, sometimes, the foods I really like I don’t like to mess with.  As many of you know, I love bacon.  It is one of God’s greatest gifts to us.  But I don’t like to mess with it.  I like a candied bacon.  But you put chocolate on my bacon?  No thank you.  Love chocolate.  Love bacon.  Not together.  And one of the most disappointing things I’ve ever had was chicken fried bacon.  Love fried chicken.  Obviously love bacon.  But didn’t like it together. 

  Same thing with popcorn, my favorite snack. There are so many varieties of popcorn out there.  A thousand.  But for me?  I just want butter and salt.  You can keep the rest.  Waffles and pancakes?  Two great sides dishes to have with bacon for breakfast.  You can do all sorts of things with them.  Add chocolate, fruit, all sorts of things.  Sorry.  Not for me.  Maple syrup and butter only please.  As God intended.

  What can I say?  I like things the way I like them.  I love orange flavored things but not real oranges.  Same for strawberries.  I like green grapes but not purple grapes.  I hate watermelon but like cantaloupe.  Love raw carrots but not cooked carrots.  Love cooked broccoli but not raw broccoli.  I love apple sauce, but only if it is runny and has no cinnamon in it, like I had it from my elementary school in 1984. 

   I’m weird.  But its ok.  You have to be true yourself.  In the end, just be who you got to be, whether it is with food and anything else.  Like what you like.  Even if it is peas.  May God bless you today and always!