Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on December 23, 2009 at 11:04am —
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We, like many churches, are working on church budgets for 2010. It is an interesting time to be church in the midst of a poor economy and household incomes questionable. Leaders are called to be "abundance thinkers" while remaining true to mission and financial realities. While we have a couple of options to consider, my church council wanted to wait and see how the December offerings come in before recommending a budget. 'Wait and see' can be difficult for many of us who work in the realities o…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on December 18, 2009 at 11:26am —
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on December 7, 2009 at 8:00am —
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Psalm 126:3, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.”
Our national holiday for Thanksgiving is soon upon us. It is a good holiday filled with common values of family, friends, thankfulness, and hope. In the Afton area we observe a tradition of gathering with our church neighbors to share i…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on November 16, 2009 at 12:37pm —
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On Saturday I was given the opportunity to ride in the bucket of a ladder truck. You've heard me speak of the beauty of our location. I got some great pictures from a different perspective to give you an idea of our church building's location. We're experiencing some unusually warm days for September in Minne…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on September 20, 2009 at 3:00pm —
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FlamesDailyESP.doc
I have worked with these faith practices almost since the start of my ordained ministry. They began as a discipleship initiative in the…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on September 9, 2009 at 4:49pm —
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Hello all. Just a quick note to say we're having a good time. We are being pampered with rooms at the JW Marriot.
Gathering officials and New Orleans businesses did not seem fully prepared to receive 35,000+ people. The restaurants were running out of good and many of them had 2-3 hour waits. Our youth did not eat dinner until after 11:00 p.m.
Today we got to see pictures to remind us of the destruction from hurricane Katrina. We also spent time at the InterActive Center where youth could lear…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on July 23, 2009 at 2:30pm —
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Each year the city of Afton hosts an Independence Day parade. It is simple in structure. Show up with a float and pull in line. Parade starts at noon. Procede down the one main street and come back. Parade is usually done by 1:00 p.m. A couple thousand people show up to watch the parade. It is truly small town americana at it's finest.
Memorial Lutheran Church usually puts together a float highlighting our upcoming vacation Bible school and get our name out in the community.…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on July 5, 2009 at 5:30pm —
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The 2009 Strawberry Festival is now history. We had beautiful weather, a nice turn out, and lots of great conversation. I do see this fund-raiser more as an outreach event. While the main seating is under canopies in our back yard, our air-conditioned fellowship hall is also available for seating. I am so pleased to see some people come through our doors with walkers, wheelchairs, canes, portable oxygen, and other assistive technologies. All have smiles on their faces as they enjoy a day out for…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on June 23, 2009 at 9:41am —
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I was the recipient of a pair of Minnesota Twins tickets this week. I invited my godson to attend the game with me and we're meeting at the Metrodome. It's the final season in the covered dome and, given the weather today, I think I will be glad to be covered and enjoy the game. Rain is an expected hazard in all ballparks but in Minnesota it can get quite cold in April/May and Sept/Oct.
But it will also be a time to reconnect with my godson as we enjoy baseball, food, and time together. We have…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on June 18, 2009 at 8:00am —
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Kristen and I just watched this movie and found it very fun and delightful. This romantic comedy stars Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick, Jr. A high-powered female executive is sent to turn around a manufacturing plant in New Ulm, Minnesota. While the plot is familiar and predic…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on June 15, 2009 at 11:00am —
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You're invited to attend our Strawberry Festival at Memorial Lutheran Church of Afton, Minnesota. We've been celebrating this tradition for 127 years (so we know how to put on a feed!). Bring your friends for a nice drive, beautiful scenery, good food, and great conversation. Mar…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on June 3, 2009 at 10:42pm —
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What a weekend! My parents came down on Thursday. Synod Assembly was Friday and Saturday. Prepared a Pentecost sermon on Saturday night. Did church on Sunday morning then brunch with the family. Drove over 100 miles to attend a relative's graduation open house. Came back the same day. Work on Monday with a meeting that night. Where are the lazy hazy days of summer!?!?
During coffee hour a number of adults were sharing the same frustration. We're overbooked, overcommitted, over-stressed, and ove…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on June 2, 2009 at 9:27am —
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In Minnesota, we do love our summer. Memorial Day weekend kicks off the start of what (we hope) will be slower paces and time to enjoy the recreational opportunities around us. From our vantage point overlooking the St. Croix River we can see boats out fishing and others just slowly…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on May 26, 2009 at 3:06pm —
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on April 27, 2009 at 9:54am —
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Nine young people will affirm their baptismal faith this coming Sunday. We have a three year program at Memorial and it is always fun to see how they mature through the years. Our basic structure covers Old Testament, New Testament, and Catechism. Interspersed are service projects a…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on April 23, 2009 at 5:47am —
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On Sunday evening I had a very enjoyable time with our youth who will be attending the ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans in July. We have a group of 17 teenagers and we are in the midst of fund-raising and building group community.
This event was to get the group to experience…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on April 20, 2009 at 9:30pm —
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After a day of rest and reflection, I want to convey a number of thanks to everyone who participated in our Holy Week worship and activities.
Palm Sunday was festive. Palms were waving. Children, choir, and congregation were singing. Bells were ringing. Worship concluded with the reading of the Passion to prepare us for our worship remembrance of Holy Week. Youth and families served a great breakfast and provided some awesome 'New Orleans-styled' music for our dining pleasure. Our Easter Journe…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on April 15, 2009 at 6:39am —
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Our prayers and thoughts go to those experiencing the anxiety of living in impending disaster along the Red River. I was senior pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Ada, Minnesota during the 1997 flood and recovery. We were on the receiving end of immense generosity as donations of supplies, food, clothes, and volunteers assisted us in our recovery efforts. Our church became a center for relief aid as we housed the Lutheran Disaster Response team and the county emergency food shelf.
A primary les…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on March 27, 2009 at 11:56am —
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I have been very impressed with the French's devotional guide. I am given a number of things to think on and it is very helpful to give each petition an entire week for reflection. Most of us (especially Lutherans) learned the Lord's Prayer in church of Sunday School. We were given basic instruction as to the meaning of each petition. Now that we are slowly taking time to pray each petition, the fullness of the meaning and the presence of God connected with each, simply bears fruit in my own fai…
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Added by Rev. Gregory Isaacson on March 16, 2009 at 11:27am —
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