Entries by Jen Olson

“Table Fellowship”

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Have you ever stopped to consider how many times it is recorded in Scripture that Jesus ate with people.   Jesus went to dinner at Matthew’s house.  He went to dinner at Simon the Pharisee’s house.  He had dinner at the home of a man known as Simon the Leper.  On the Saturday before Palm Sunday he had dinner with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany.  This is just to mention a few.  The Pharisees once came to Jesus’ disciples and asked, Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? (Matthew 9:11) 

All Eyes on Jesus!

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Our text for this morning puts before us the starting line of a race.  Let’s think marathon.  The runners are gathered at the starting line.  They are limbering and loosening up.  The road is lined with spectators, people who have gathered to cheer the runners on.

Can you picture it?  Good!  Because you are the one in the race! 

“Reliving Your Baptism Every Day”

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Our lent worship services today are led by Pastor Nathan Berg from Eastside Lutheran in Madison. Pastor Berg is preaching for our last Wednesday Lent service this year on our theme “Baptized into His Death”.

Drawn to the Cross

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Our text this morning finds Jesus in Jerusalem during Holy Week.  He is there, as we well know, to celebrate the Passover, and die.  But early in the week, the event of our text takes place.  There are some Greeks in Jerusalem for the Passover.  These would have been non-Jews who had come to faith in Israel’s God and now worshiped just like the Jews according to the laws of the Old Testament.  But there is something interesting about these Greeks.  They are drawn to Jesus.

“A Sacrament, not a Sign”

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Pastor David Horton from Eastside Lutheran in Madison, preached for both our Wednesday Lent Services. He continues with our theme “Baptized into His Death”.

Love Lifted High!

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We have the opportunity this morning to consider something very important in our Bibles, and that is types of Christ in the Old Testament.  What exactly is a “type of Christ”?  A type of Christ is something God used in the Old testament – maybe an object or a person or an animal –  to teach the people some truth about the Savior who was to come.  For example, the Passover lamb was a “type of Christ.”  That lamb that was killed, whose blood was painted on the doorpost and meant life for those inside the house. 

The Weak and Foolish, Powerful and Brilliant Cross

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Those who approach DeForest from the south and are driving north on Main Street are treated to, what I think, is the best view of this building.  On the south-facing exterior wall of this building is a huge cross.  It is especially beautiful at night when the cross is back-lit.  I wonder how many people since this building was built in 2000 have seen that cross!  It has to be hundreds of thousands.  Maybe over a million?

“The Right Tool for this Job”

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The Roman soldiers had a job to do.  They had been given the job of torturing and finally executing Jesus of Nazareth.  They tended to be very good at their job.  They had the right tools to do their job.  They had that tool called the scourge.  It was a handle with strips of leather attached.  Attached to the leather were jagged pieces of bone or metal.  The scourge was used like a whip.  The victim was stretched out, back exposed.  The scourging began.  Those jagged pieces of bone would rip and gouge flesh.  It was a horrible tool!  But it did the job!

“He Can’t Sing that Hymn Now!”

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The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.  May the name of the LORD be praised. (v. 21)  Those are the words Job speaks at the end of our text.  Have you ever paused to consider how utterly absurd these words seem?  Also consider, they are prefaced with these words, He fell to the ground and worshiped. (v. 20)  Job is worshiping!  He is praising his God!  Some would say, “He can’t sing that hymn now!” I mean, how could he?  Just look at his day!