Tag: Pastor Jeff

• Do Something!

  “You’re not dead yet. Do something!” That’s what Pastor Jeff preached about at Messiah last Sunday. He talked about how difficult the past week had been – with two black men being shot in our country, just a day apart, and then five police officers being killed and more injured in Dallas just days later. When…

  Marian

  July 12, 2016

  God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Buenos Vecinos, Christmas baskets, coats for inmates, Dane County Jail, Ellen Finn, Good Neighbors, Good Samaritan, Honduras, jail ministry, Jeff Vanden Heuvel, killing black men, operating expenses, Pastor Jeff, racial injustice, shooting black men, The Good Samaritan, Who are my neighbors?, Who is my neighbor?, winter coats, You’re not dead yet

• Tap Dancing in Church

  

  That was a first. A woman tap danced to my postlude in church Saturday evening. I was playing a pretty jazzy arrangement of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” on the piano, and I heard some rhythmic tapping. It sounded great, and I sensed a few people gathering together to watch someone near the front of…

  Marian

  March 1, 2016

  Celebrations, God’s Love, Lent, Music, Reflections

  A Song to Sing a Life to Live, A Sound Spirituality, cat dancing, dancing cat, Don Saliers, Emily Saliers, gift of music, Indigo Girls, Jeff Vanden Heuvel, Just a Closer Walk with Thee, Melody Bober, My Life Flows on in Endless Song, Pastor Jeff, percussion instrument, postlude, praise God, Praise God with dance, Praise God with music, Psalm 150, Robert Lowry, spiritual practice, tap dancing

• Amen, Papa, Amen.

  

  My mom used to tell the story about one of her best childhood friends, Ruth Eckblad. Ruth’s father was pastor of the Willerup Methodist Church in Cambridge, Wisconsin for a few years in the early 1900s. One day when Ruth was a little girl, she got tired of sitting in church and being quiet for…

  Marian

  December 29, 2015

  Blogs, Book Recommendations, God’s Love, Music, Reflections

  Amen, Amen Papa, benediction, blessing, family expression, Jeff VandenHeuvel, May God go before you, Meditations on 366 best loved hymns, Messiah Church, Messiah Lutheran Church, Near to the Heart of God, New Year’s blessing, Papa, Pastor Jeff, Robert J Morgan, Ruth Eckblad, special words for 2016, The Lord bless you and keep you, Willerup Methodist Church

• Gratitude and Surprises

  

  “Gratitude” has been an interesting word to think about for a whole year. Last December when I chose “Gratitude” to be my special word to ponder for 2015 (instead of making any New Year’s Resolutions), I had no idea how much my perspective on everyday life would be altered by thinking about being grateful every…

  Marian

  November 30, 2015

  God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Life’s Challenges, Reflections, Reunions

  best new thing, grateful, gratitude, gratitude jar, Hy-Vee, Jeff Vanden Heuvel, Jesus Calling, Pastor Jeff, pray without ceasing, praying together, sarah young, special word, thankful, thankfulness, timeshare, Wisconsin Dells

• THINK about the Gift of Language

  Do you hate the political ads on TV as much as I do? Which ad do you hate the most? Is there any ad, from either political party, that you really like? I’ll be so glad when the election has come and gone and TV can get back to its usual commercials that we can…

  Marian

  October 28, 2014

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  blogging, Ephesians 4:32, Facebook rants, friends, gift of language, God’s love, God-given gifts, kind, kind words, kindness, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Mark Twain, Mother Teresa, Pastor Jeff, political ads, reflections, spirituality, THINK

• My Thoughts on Last Weekend’s Big Event

  Not the Super Bowl – Church! Last week, as I was planning music for church, I read the lectionary readings for Sunday, as I usually do. I was happy to see that two of the three readings were among my favorites. The Old Testament reading was Micah 6:1-8, which ends with the well-known verse: What…

  Marian

  February 4, 2014

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  Beatitudes, Blessed are the merciful, Blessed are the poor in spirit, emptying the ocean, fairness, God’s love, how little I understand, humble, humility, kindness, know we are Christians by our love, life challenges, Lord I Want to Be a Christian, love your neighbor, Messiah Church, Micah, Pastor Jeff, plastic bucket, reflections, spirituality, St. Augustine, The Beatitudes, walk humbly with your God

• Grace and a Failing Grade

  Pastor Jeff told a quick story at the end of the church service last week. An old friend of his, a priest, had died earlier in the week. This story was told at his funeral. The priest had been an English teacher in a Catholic high school. Many years ago, one of his students came…

  Marian

  October 22, 2013

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  athletic policy, Catholic high school, change in my life, Charles Stanley, English teacher, failing grade, fairness, friends, God’s gifts, God’s love, God-given gifts, grace, grace of God, high school, high school football, homework, homework assignments, kindness, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Pastor Jeff, reflections, report card, school policies, spirituality, Tony Campolo, undeserved gifts

• The Three Big Questions in Life

  What a walk! Sunday afternoon was a time for spring fever. Bright blue sky. Snow-covered fields. Temperatures in the upper 30’s. And no wind. Mim, Abbey, and I walked down country roads for well over an hour. The highlight of a weekend of highlights! After that refreshing walk, Abbey and I were ready for the…

  Marian

  February 25, 2013

  Assisted Living, Book Recommendations, Celebrations, Goals, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Abbey, adopted, Andrew you died too soon, assisted living, big questions, big questions in life, birthday, birthday party, Corinne Chilstrom, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Edward Hays, family, family roots, friends, God’s love, kindness, life calling, life challenges, life questions, listening for God, long walks, Pastor Jeff, Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, reflections, spirituality, spring fever, talking with God, walks