Message from Pastor Stanton for April 2020
It hit me Wednesday night, March 11, as I was going to bed. I was ‘checking the scores’ of the night’s NBA basketball games when I saw the league had “suspended” the regular season because of COVID-19. I thought, “if a multi-billion dollar business thinks it’s in their best interest to shut it all down, then we’re all going to have to shut it all down. Even the church!”
Wilderness Walk
It’s only been a couple of weeks, and I already miss all of you so much. My heart aches to be with you, to hear your voices and your laughter, to have our hugs and our conversations while enjoying coffee. I really miss our worshipping together, the singing, the prayers and our being together worshipping our God.
Staying Connected
Many Lent small groups connected over the internet the last half of March using a group conferencing software called Zoom. The first week my small group connected, you could feel the relief and joy everyone in the group felt at seeing each other’s faces and hearing everyone’s voice. As you have probably figured out by now, being able to connect with others, even if not physically, is good for heart and soul…
Good News for Apr. 2020 (Safer-At-Home Edition)
INSIDE: Updated Holy Week Schedule, Message from Pastor Stanton and Pastor Karyn, Palm Sunday Prayer Walk, Faith Alive U: Holy Week… What Does it Mean?
Download here…
Announcements for Sunday, Mar. 29, 2020
NOTE: Since we are not worshipping in-person, we are not printing paper bulletins, and in turn not creating a PDF of the publication. All current announcements are listed below.
COVID-19 Message from Pastor Stanton, Mar. 24
With Governor Evers issuing a “Safer at Home” order, we have now reached stage 3. This is the complete shutdown of the building except for an ‘essential’ staff person to ensure the proper function of the building, which is allowed through the order…
COVID-19 Message from Pastor Stanton, Mar. 18
Today, our staff and leaders are reluctant to move us fully into stage 3 of our pandemic protocol which would completely lock down the building to all staff and groups. But we do believe we need to move into a sort of “Stage 2.5” where staff work from home, we end all church-related small group gatherings of any number, suspend funerals and weddings, and limit visitors to couriers who deliver packages…
COVID-19 Message from Pastor Stanton, Mar. 13
On Thursday, March 12, First Lutheran’s Vision & Leadership Team met to consider cancelling worship gatherings for this Sunday, March 15, in response to the public health crisis caused by COVID-19. Unanimously, we agreed that the suspension of Sunday and Wednesday worship gatherings is sad and yet warranted…
Message from Pastor Karyn for March 2020
There have been few moments of quiet in my life of late. Time for reflection is squeezed into the drive home or at the end of the day before I fall asleep. In the normal course of things, this time between Christmas and Lent lends itself well for deeper reflection and intention setting, but alas, that was not the case for 2020. As a result, I find myself craving, needing, time to be still and to wonder and remember and grow. Which has me reaching for the book we read last Lent, Holy Solitude: Lenten Reflections with Saints, Hermits, Prophets and Rebels by Rev. Heidi Havercamp. Holy solitude is exactly what my spirit is clamoring for and what better time (other than the “quiet” season after Epiphany) to carve out time for this than Lent?
Welcoming
With spring just around the corner, at least that’s what I’m hoping. It’s time in the Midwest to tumble out of our houses from the long winter. As soon as the weather warms up, even a few degrees, we begin walking, running, biking and even working in the lawn, just to be outside. Children begin to play in the streets, shooting basketballs or playing soccer. It’s just a wonderful time of year, when we begin to see our neighbors once more.
Message from Pastor Stanton for March 2020
Within a year of being ordained in 2003, I was asked to lead a conversation among my 3-point parish about sexuality. I was a 26 year old newlywed still learning how to preach, read a budget and drive around Cashton without hitting any Amish buggies. I had no idea how to tackle such a controversial topic. So… I jumped in head first. Mostly because I, myself, wasn’t sure where I landed within the whole conversation. About twenty people of all ages and gender gathered multiple times to study a resource together that walked us through Scripture, tradition and the actual experiences of human beings. I learned a lot about the potential of a Christian congregation through those gatherings. I learned a lot about God. And I learned a lot about myself.