​ Another Dawn Easter III; April 10, 2016 John 21:1-19 This week I went to visit my mentor, teacher, and friend. He is in hospice care, and we do not know how long he will live. Many of us have been taking it in turn to visit him. So I flew to Boston, and drove through a snowstorm to the Upper Connecticut Valley. That evening was chilly and dreary ...

​ Well, we're off! The Project Management Team met this week and made some decisions about our building project that I'm eager to share with you. We reviewed the results of the planning study that the Steier Group conducted. I am very glad the Session chose to engage in that study. It showed us, first, how strong the support is for doing this proje...

​ Look Who is at the Table Maundy Thursday; March 24, 2016 Luke 22:14-27 and Psalm 139:1-6 In adult Sunday School this month we have read and thought about Psalm 139. Mike, our teacher, asked very provocative questions to get us thinking about what we bring to the Lord's Table. Some of us brought cheese, some cookies, some fruit. All of us brought ...

On Good Friday, I was one of seven preachers in the service at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church. Each of us had one of the "seven last words" as a subject; mine was "I thirst." "I Thirst" Good Friday; March 25, 2016 John 19:28-29 I hope someone else here is wondering what Scripture John is referring to when he writes that Jesus said "(in order to f...

The Big Deal The Resurrection of the Lord Easter; March 27, 2016 Luke 24:1-12 Isn't it fun coming to church on Easter? There are flowers all over the front, and we have communion, and we have brass to play for us and the bells and the choir sings a barnburner. And the preacher wears his fanciest outfit. We make a big deal out of celebrating Resurre...

Voices from the Crowd Palm Sunday; March 20, 2016 Luke 19:29-48 Now, Jesus was getting close to Bethphage and Bethany; he was at the place called the Mount of Olives. He sent two of his disciples with these instructions: Go to that village there; you will find a colt tied up, one that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it. And if someone as...

Good Friday 2016 Let me tell you a little about worship on Good Friday, March 25. Most folks of our church are familiar with our Good Friday evening tradition of Taizé-style worship. Taizé is a community in France, originally Reformed but now ecumenical. Their worship is a combination of chant, Scripture, and silence. Our Ash Wednesday service was ...

The Steier Group completed its planning study with us; in my recent Building Blog I gave you a summary of it. Here is the complete report. pdf File Name: Planning-Study-Final-General-Report---Presbyterian-Church-of-the-Master.pdf File Size: 1.2 mb Download File

​ Pastor Bob's Building Blog March 12, 2016 Thank you to all who participated in the recent planning study conducted at Presbyterian Church of the Master. We received a wonderful response, feedback that is extremely beneficial as we look to the future of our church. Representatives with our consulting firm, the Steier Group, reported their findings...

​ A Mind for God SERMON SERIES: YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD Lent IV; March 6, 2016 Psalm 119:33-40 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27) I'll be honest with you: to be a person of God is hard. No, I don't mean...

​ Strong in and for the Lord SERMON SERIES: YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD Lent III; February 28, 2016 Ephesians 6:10-17 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27) I spent some time on the Power Team's website, lookin...

We are in the midst of our planning study now, to gauge the support for our building plans and to make a reasonable goal for fund-raising and construction. If you have not yet participated, you may: - Fill out and return the survey you received in the mail - Go online and complete it: go to www.steiergroup.com , select "Client Login" on the upper r...

"Bless the Lord, O my soul." SERMON SERIES: YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD Lent II; February 21, 2016 Psalm 103 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27) My usual morning walking route with my dogs is down the hill f...

​ Hallelujah, Anyhow Transfiguration; February 7, 2016 Habakkuk 3 When I was a young minister on the staff of my seminary, I was often called on to lead the communion service in our chapel. I would do the communion and one of our students would preach the sermon. One preacher who stands out for me was a young woman studying to be a minister in the ...

​ Blessed Silence Epiphany/Ordinary Time IV; January 31, 2016 Habakkuk 2:6-20 As you probably know, I am still officially an Iowan, so I must go to my precinct caucus tomorrow night and express my preference for who should represent my party in the next presidential election. You too will have your chance; the Nebraska caucuses are on Saturday, Mar...

"The righteous live by their faith." Epiphany/Ordinary Time III; January 24, 2016 Habakkuk 2:1-5 Last Sunday Pastor Sara invited us to think about a story or image from the Bible that is particularly important to us. I got a chance to tell mine to Vicki Meinhardt; now I'm going to tell all of you. It's from the prophet Isaiah (62:6-7): God has post...

​ Incarnate Epiphany (Observed); January 3, 2016 John 1:1-18 Some years ago I represented the Presbytery at a Session meeting; the Session was interviewing a member of their Church, a member who wanted their endorsement to go to seminary to study to become a minister. In the conversation, she said something that has stuck in my mind: she said to th...

A God You Can Quarrel With Baptism of the Lord; January 10, 2016 Habakkuk 1 Last summer at our Synod School I taught a class on the Prophet Habakkuk. It was a wonderful experience; the group struggled together around our relationship with God as the prophet struggled. I felt strongly I should take an opportunity to share with you what I learned, an...

​ They Grow Up So Fast Christmas I; December 27, 2015 Luke 2:41-52 Please don't call Child Protective Services to report Joseph and Mary for negligence. They weren't really negligent. It is possible that the pilgrims didn't all start out in one group, but that the women and younger children left earlier, and the men and older boys followed. Joseph ...

In the Quiet Christmas Eve; December 24, 2015 Luke 2:1-20 This year I'm captivated by Mary's response to all the excitement: she "treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart" (v. 19). That Christmas night was noisy. I've never been present for the birth of a child, but I have to believe there's noise – at least the woman in labor doing...