Author Archive: Rev. Dr. Jonathan Sloan

Help for Refugees

As you may know, we are collecting household items for a refugee family we hope to sponsor in the near future. We are working with Morning Star Lutheran Church who has sponsored a refugee family from Afghanistan. We won’t know where the family is from until we get official notification a family is set to […]

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A Time for Reflection

As we turn the page of our calendars to March, we begin the season of Lent, a season before Easter when we are called to reflect and prepare for our Easter celebration.  We reflect upon the sacrifice Christ made for us and prepare to celebrate the difference that sacrifice makes in our lives on Easter […]

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New Life

I love Spring, for a variety of reasons.  Even though I love the snow of winter, I am always very happy as it comes to an end, and spring, new life, abounds. I love being able to go outside without a coat and enjoy the clean air I love watching the bright skies show up […]

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Pastor’s Manna – Signs of Change

 Signs of Change  As much as some of us might not want to admit it, the autumn and early winter season has come upon us:  •You can hear the wind blowing through the trees  •You can smell the fireplaces lighting up, beginning to warm our homes and hearts.  •You can feel the briskness of the […]

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Pastor’s Manna – Thrive

Thrive  The original Middle English meaning of the word thrive was “to grow or increase”. Our modern-day understanding is “to flourish or prosper”.  Are you thriving? Not only in the sense of prospering, but are you …  Growing?  Increasing?  Flourishing?  Isn’t it hard to measure your life? How does one measure their level of growth […]

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Pastor’s Manna

Back to School Discovery!  It is the time of year that many of us used to dread….  The end of summer break from school…  The end of summer vacations,  The end of all day long relaxing and playing,  It is time, to go back to school! It is time for our children to get back […]

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Pastor’s Manna – But then…

  But then…  Just a week ago, on Easter Sunday, we celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was quite literally a triumph over evil, a victory over death, a defeat of sin.  For the disciples, it changed everything. Their teacher and leader had been killed. They had been hiding behind doors, fearful of the […]

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Pastor’s Manna – From Death to Life

From Death to Life  Last month our region experienced significant flooding damage as rivers swelled to historic levels and overflowed their banks. This affected many people, including people within our congregation.  Some towns were completely cut-off from the world and on their own for awhile. Some people lost all they possessed, and some people lost […]

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Pastor’s Manna – Lenten Practices

Lenten Practices  Have you ever wondered what the season of Lent is all about? Why do some people give things up? Why do all these places suddenly advertise fish? How is this related to our faith?  The Catholic church began a tradition that a person would give up something for Lent, remembering the 40 days […]

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