Words to Live By: A Reflection by Pastor Ethan
Two weeks ago, I gathered with other Lutheran pastors at Lutheridge, one of our beautiful outdoor ministry sites here in North Carolina. It was time for our annual NC Synod Fall Leaders Convocation — a few days set aside for rest, renewal, learning, and reconnecting. Last year’s event was canceled because of Hurricane Helene’s damage at camp, so being back together this year felt especially meaningful. You could feel the gratitude in the air — for the conversations, the worship,…
Emmanuel Stories: A Small But Mighty Home
In October at Emmanuel, we have a tradition of sharing our “Emmanuel Stories.” These are stories of impactful ministry shared by our members during the sermon time. Pat Duff shared this story on Sunday, October 19th: I was in Cary, NC, last weekend keeping my 3-year-old grandson, Declan, for my son and his wife. On Sunday, I went to church with my daughter’s family. This church was just bustling. They have four different services on Sunday, lots of young families…
Emmanuel Stories: However God Made Us or Aged Us!
In October at Emmanuel, we have a tradition of sharing our “Emmanuel Stories.” These are stories of impactful ministry shared by our members during the sermon time. Lois Bohnsack shared this story on Sunday, October 12th: I didn’t know Patrick Farlow when I first read his comment on a Facebook post, but I liked what he said. Patrick and I have a mutual friend, and he’s on Facebook. Our friend is an overall great guy; he just has some wacky…
Emmanuel Stories: A Holy Ground Moment
In October at Emmanuel, we have a tradition of sharing our “Emmanuel Stories.” These are stories of impactful ministry shared by our members during the sermon time. Eileen Roberts shared this story on Sunday, October 5th: “My story is of the last worship experience with our friend and fellow member Ruth. Many of you lived this story but others of you were not a part of it. This experience was amazing to me so I want to share it now…
Tell Me a Story…
“The most powerful words in English are, ‘Tell me a story.’” – Pat Conroy There’s just something about a story, isn’t there? Stories can make us laugh, move us to tears, teach us something new, or take us to places we’ve never been. They’ve always been how humans make sense of the world and our place in it. And as people of faith, we’re rooted in stories—stories of a God who creates, who sets people free, who loves without limits.…
(Re)Member Together
Starting this October, we’re launching something new and exciting: (Re)Member Together, a shared ministry with our friends at St. Michael Lutheran Church. I can’t wait to tell you why I’m so excited about this: For almost five years as your pastor, I’ve dreamed of partnering more closely with St. Michael. I believe the future of the church is rooted in collaboration—not because we “have to” work together, but because that’s who we are as the church. From the very beginning,…
What IS Reconciling in Christ?
What IS Reconciling in Christ? Six years ago—on September 8th, 2019—our congregation took an important step: we voted to become a Reconciling in Christ partner congregation. That decision came after lots of prayer, conversations, and learning together. We just celebrated our six-year anniversary and held our annual Reconciling in Christ Sunday, but I realized that I’ve never really paused to explain what this whole “Reconciling in Christ” thing means for us. Many of us were here six years ago; many…
Howdy, Partners!
I grew up on Westerns, watching them with my dad and grandpa. From Gunsmoke and Bonanza to nearly every John Wayne film, those tales of good versus evil became part of my childhood backdrop. I spent countless hours in make-believe, a cowboy hat from Tweetsie Railroad on my head, greeting everyone with a slow drawl: “Howdy, partner!” I’ve always wondered about that phrase. Was it really common in the Old West, or just Hollywood magic? A quick search shows “howdy”…
There and Back Again: A Congregation’s Tale
Many of you know that I very much enjoy J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories of Middle-earth. (One of my tattoos can attest to this!) These include The Lord of the Rings and other stories, but they began with the children’s classic The Hobbit, where a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins takes an unexpected journey full of adventure, and his whole life is changed. In the story, Bilbo writes his adventures in his memoirs and titles them, “There and Back Again: A Hobbit’s Tale.”…