Greetings in the name of our crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ!
Most of us pray these words at the close of the divine service of Word and Sacrament: “We thank You, Lord God Almighty, that You have refreshed us with these salutary gifts … strengthen us through the same in faith toward You, and in fervent love toward one another” (ELH pp. 56, 83). The gifts we received in the divine service are forgiveness of sins, life everlasting and eternal salvation. They are given through the means of Absolution, the Word read, confessed and preached, and the Lord’s Supper. We are refreshed in our Sabbath rest, for as Jesus says: “Come unto Me all who labor and heavy laden, and I will give you sabbath-rest” (Mt. 11:28). We seek to find rest from the labor of saving ourselves through our own deeds of righteousness because no matter how hard we try we fail miserably, but our Lord grants such eternal rest in Himself.
We no longer have the burden of doing the work of making ourselves right with our Creator God. He has done all the work for us in His Son. This is why it is called a divine service—God serves us through His Son. Now we are set free to show His love as neighbor to those He places in our lives: those who live under the same roof, same neighborhood, in our workplaces and schools, etc. All of this we acknowledge with thanksgiving at the close of the divine service. Great things take place every time we gather around Word and Sacrament. Gratefully relax and be at peace for Jesus’ sake.
Glenn Obenberger
Scarville Dedication
On April 6, the Scarville Lutheran congregation had their last Divine Service at the building where they had worshiped for nearly 106 years. Later that same day, the congregation dedicated a new home across town. They purchased the old ELCA church building in Scarville, which was built in 1952. That congregation had its final service in July of last year. Interestingly, that is the congregation from which Scarville split in 1917. This new church building will be able to hold the growing Scarville congregation. Scarville’s historic church building will be used by their school.
God provided a beautiful day so that the congregation and the friends of the congregation could begin the dedication outside as planned. All gathered in front of the Scarville church building. The assembly first sang the Doxology in thanksgiving to God for the many years He had blessed the congregation with that house for worship. Then the procession began, led by a processional cross, through the town to the new church. Members carried the chancel furnishings and communion ware. The assembly made their way to the new church building, singing “Ye Lands, to the Lord,” “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates,” and “Salvation Unto Us Is Come.” After a picture and the ceremonial opening of the doors, the worshipers entered the sanctuary where they saw the old familiar altar, pulpit, and baptismal font brightly lit up in their new home. The congregation’s pastor, Rev. Joshua Skogen officiated the service and dedication. A son of the congregation, Rev. Peter Faugstad, served as lector, and longtime former pastor, Rev. Thomas Rank, preached the sermon on Ephesians 2:19–22. President Obenberger addressed the congregation after the service. Ten ELS clergy were present for the day. Also, one retired pastor from the WELS, Chris Sulze, was present. It was an encouraging day for all as we rejoiced in the many blessings that God has graciously given the congregation, such as the new building, and especially Christ’s gospel of forgiveness and salvation in the Word and Sacraments which He graciously preserves among us.
ELS Pastors Naturalized
On March 28, ELS pastors Brad Kerkow and Tim Hartwig became U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony held in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Natives of Australia, Rev. Tim Hartwig is the President of Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, and Rev. Brad Kerkow is the Evangelism and Missions Counselor for the ELS. Both men came to the U.S. in the 1990s to study at our seminary and had remained in the country with permanent residency (green card) status for several decades. They decided to apply for citizenship last year. The timing could not have been better as they were both scheduled for a naturalization ceremony on the same day! Through the process Pastor Kerkow says he was reminded that as Christians we are all really dual citizens. In addition to being citizens of the kingdom of the world, he observes, “One of the reasons I came to this country to be a pastor was to be able to proclaim the comforting truth, that through the saving work of Christ we are citizens of God’s eternal Kingdom of heaven.” Congratulations Reverends Hartwig and Kerkow, may our Lord bless you and the ELS through your “triple citizenship”!
Our Bethany Lutheran College
A new, thought-provoking podcast hosted by Bethany Lutheran College (BLC) President Gene Pfeifer, PhD, was released on April 7, 2025. The eight-episode series was recorded near the conclusion of a yearlong study examining the role and function of the liberal arts at BLC and features discussion with both current and emeriti Bethany faculty and presently-serving administrators.
This podcast series is part of a larger study of the liberal arts at BLC that was developed in response to questions posed by alumni, constituents, and members of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod after program adjustments in November 2023 resulted in some majors and minors being discontinued due to low enrollment in those programs and budgetary constraints.
The series is available on Spotify and Apple podcast platforms. We invite anyone interested in learning more about the topic to listen. To access the podcasts, please go to https://blc.edu/2025/04/new-podcast-released-the-liberal-arts-at-bethany-past-present-and-future/.
Historical Society
The ELS Historical Society will meet on Synod Sunday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran College. The program “The First Decade of ELS Growth” will be presented by Rev. Paul Webber. A hymn will be sung by the Norseland singers. Everyone interested is welcome and encouraged to attend.
Upcoming Events
May 5–6 – Board of Regents
May 7 – Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary Commencement
May 8 – Board of Trustees
May 9 – Bethany Lutheran College Commencement
June 15–19 – Synod Convention
View current vacancies and calls in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
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