October 31, Reformation Day, 1870 was a Monday. Kids (and adults) would not start dressing up as ghosts and goblins and other strange things for Halloween until the 1930s. Trick or treating wasn’t a ‘thing’ until the 1950s. In 1870, the end of October didn’t mean candy. It meant harvest time was here. And… winter was coming. Spring and summer was the time for planting, building and carefully cultivating many new and growing things, including a new church built at what is now 4th and Irvin in Onalaska. Norwegian immigrants had clustered around this part of Onalaska, and amidst their many other concerns, those Norwegians needed a place to gather for worship. They chose October 31, Reformation Day, as the founding date, the birthday, of their congregation: your First Lutheran Evangelical (which means good news) church.

2020 has been a banner year for Reformation! When leaders and staff at First started planning for ways to mark such an auspicious occasion, we never dreamed we would be celebrating our gathered community while distanced. We have had to reform the ways we participate in this church. Online worship, learning opportunities done through online posts, phone calls to the ill and fellowship done through the internet. I have had to relearn just about every part of how to be a pastor. And our church has had to reimagine how to follow Jesus together. In just six months, we have moved almost every part of what we do online. Parents are taking a greater role in sharing faith with their kids. In many ways our membership is more engaged in learning and worship than ever. And it’s a time that forces us to live Faith Alive! every day.

Thank you for being a part of First’s initial 150 years. We have grown to be the largest ELCA congregation in the synod. Our music, confirmation, Sunday School and community outreach efforts are excellent. We choose to confront difficult issues together rather than ignore them or hope someone else in the community will think about them. We started the year talking about race, long before the killing of George Floyd. We are in the first stages of becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation that overtly welcomes the LGBTQ+ community because we recognize not every Christian congregation agrees that “All are Welcome.” We have not only received the resources from those who were here before us, but we have attended to every major building maintenance project we had, including our debt. At the end of this month, we will burn our mortgage!

October 2020 is a moment to celebrate what 150 years of ministry in Onalaska has meant. But it’s a moment when we could launch into an even more fruitful chapter where our faith shapes our community and our world in ways we never have before. Here’s to another 150 years! May they be blessed by the one true God.