Our Faithful Creator

Posted by Pastor Jonathan Blanke on

  From the Pastor Our Faithful Creator(Genesis 9:8-17) One of my fondest memories of family trips in the car with our kids Sarah and Joel was what happened AFTER we drove through a deluge on the highway. We’d pass through the storm with sunshine ahead while dark angry clouds...

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When God Has a Better Idea

Posted by Pastor Jonathan Blanke on

From the Pastor When God Has a Better Idea(2 Corinthians 12:9-10) There’s a dozen or so Bible verses that every pastor knows speak readily to folks who need to hear the promises of God amid life’s wilderness experiences. One of those Bible verses that we often have ready to cite by...

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Come, Holy Spirit!

Posted by Pastor Jonathan Blanke on

From the Pastor Come, Holy Spirit!(Galatians 5:22-23) “Come, Holy Spirit!” Have you ever prayed that prayer before? Here’s an image for you: while you might have always thought of the Holy Spirit as the wind that moves a windmill or powers a sailboat… how about...

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From Death to Life

Posted by Pastor Jonathan Blanke on

From the Pastor From Death to Life (Ephesians 2:1-10) You may have heard the popular tale regarding the origin of the word eureka, often used to convey the sense of “I’ve found it.” It has to do with a really clever Ancient Greek scientist observing the displacement of water...

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Happy Va-LENT-ine’s Day!

Posted by Pastor Jonathan Blanke on

From the Pastor Happy Va-LENT-ine’s Day!(Romans 5:8) Did you notice Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday fall on the same day this year? Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and the day we receive ashes on our foreheads while hearing the words “You are dust and to...

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God’s Vision for Us in a New Year

Posted by Pastor Jonathan Blanke on

From the Pastor God’s Vision for Us in a New Year(Psalm 90) Happy New Year! At this start of a new year, we give thanks to God who is both our “help in ages past” and our “hope for years to come” (Lutheran Service Book, 733). January begins a new season in the...

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God — Up Close and Personal

Posted by Pastor Jonathan Blanke on

From the Pastor God — Up Close and Personal(Galatians 4:4-5) This year as we prepare again to welcome the Christ child, I invite the parents among us to remember the birth of their own children. I call to mind my own two kids, all grown up now. Though both arrivals were memorable, I...

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Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

Posted by Pastor Jonathan Blanke on

From the Pastor Getting Ready for Thanksgiving (Luke 12:13-21) You’ve probably noticed the cultural pressure to get ready for holidays before they actually arrive. If so, you’ve taken stock of how that trend has accelerated over the years. Remember the quaint notion, once upon...

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Begin By Listening

Posted by Pastor Jonathan Blanke on

From the Pastor Begin By Listening (Matthew 16:14-16) September at Resurrection Lutheran Church is all about living out what it means to be disciples of Jesus together. Not only do we gather in regular weekly worship as we do all summer long, we also have a chance to take things one step...

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One Spirit, One Mind

Posted by Pastor Jonathan Blanke on

From the Pastor One Spirit, One Mind (Philippians 2:2) Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together is one of my favorite books. The encouragement for individual members of the faith community to live in love for one another is so needed for people of every generation…but especially so...

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