http://www.firstlutheranrugby.com/

First Lutheran Church, Rugby ND, 202 4th Street SE, Rugby, ND (2026)

06/26/2026

God Pause - Luther Seminary
Friday, June 26, 2026
Matthew 10:40-42 (NRSV)

"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."

Devotion
If you’ve ever hung a “Welcome” sign on your front door, have you ever considered the real message you’re conveying to others? If you really think about the message you’re conveying, you might realize what a difference it can make for anyone who shows up on your front steps. This one simple word “welcome” has the power to completely change a person’s day. In this gospel text from Matthew 10, Jesus calls us to extend true hospitality when he says, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. In other words, extending a compassionate welcome to others is no different than extending a compassionate welcome to Jesus.

Prayer
Holy God, you call us to welcome others as though we were welcoming you. Remind us of how you first find us and you love us as your beloved people. Teach us, in turn, to extend radical hospitality to others so that others will see your face and experience your love through us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Rev. Dawn Quame ’05 M.Div.
Chaplain, Madison Healthcare Services, Madison, MN; St. John's, Marietta, MN, St. Paul's, Nassau, MN and Louisburg Lutheran, Louisburg, MN

06/25/2026

God Pause - Luther Seminary
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Matthew 10:40-42 (NRSV)

"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."

Devotion
I’ve heard some great stories over the years about life in church parsonages. In one town where the train passed through a few blocks away from the church, when things were tight, you’d often see persons hopping off the trains in search of something to eat. They’d heard that if you went to the back door of the parsonage next to the Lutheran church, you could get a hot meal.

I think of that story whenever I read Matthew 10 and Jesus’ reference to the “little ones” receiving a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple. Jesus speaks of giving “these little ones” just a cup of cold water. He is talking about the kind of down-home hospitality that invites everyone in and makes sure nobody goes hungry or thirsty.

Prayer
Holy God, we praise you for your gracious hospitality and love. You call us to lives of service to others, knowing and trusting you and your promises to sustain us and others with all that we need. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and guide us to lives where all people know they belong. Amen.

Rev. Dawn Quame ’05 M.Div.
Chaplain, Madison Healthcare Services, Madison, MN; St. John's, Marietta, MN, St. Paul's, Nassau, MN and Louisburg Lutheran, Louisburg, MN

06/24/2026

God Pause - Luther Seminary
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Romans 6:12-23 (NRSV)

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Devotion
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:23
We don’t like to talk about sin. Perhaps we’d rather deny or disregard the reality of sin in our lives. We make excuses or try to place blame elsewhere, or we minimize the power of sin to control us. We expect God to cover us when we are the ones at fault. In Romans, Paul speaks of sin being no different than slavery and even death. We must come to terms with the sin in our lives and in the world. Denying the existence of sin only drives us deeper into despair.

Grace, on the other hand, gives us life. Knowing that our own efforts come up short, we look to Jesus for forgiveness. At the cross where Jesus died for our sins we are met by God’s love and the grace to sustain us as individuals and as a community.

Prayer
Holy and loving God, help us to die to our old sinful selves and release those things that seek to destroy us and others. Give us your grace as we receive your forgiveness and teach us to extend your grace to all the world. Amen.

Rev. Dawn Quame ’05 M.Div.
Chaplain, Madison Healthcare Services, Madison, MN; St. John's, Marietta, MN, St. Paul's, Nassau, MN and Louisburg Lutheran, Louisburg, MN

06/23/2026

God Pause - Luther Seminary
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18 (NRSV)

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.

I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.

You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David:

'I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.'" Selah

Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance;

they exult in your name all day long, and extol your righteousness.

For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted.

For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Devotion
If one only reads these few verses from Psalm 89, one’s only image of God would be that of a faithful, benevolent God. But later in this same psalm, God is also accused of being one who has “rejected, spurned, been angry” and “ renounced the covenant.” Here, God promised to never violate God’s promises, but the psalmist still complains to God, saying, “You have renounced the covenant you made with your servant.” (v. 39)

In their disappointment and confusion, the people wonder if they can even trust God. With David as their anointed king, it would seem like God was already fulfilling promises. So, why would God choose to reverse it all? The problem, we learn, isn’t so much about God’s absence as it is God’s timing. Stan Mast says it this way, “With God, it is never a question of if, but of when. We may be confused and angry about God’s timing, but we should never doubt God’s love and faithfulness.”

Prayer
Faithful God, teach us to trust in you and in your timing. Remind us of the love and the life you gave us at the cross, where you went down into darkness and death. Help us to know that when we are hurting, you go with us in our suffering. Give us hope and patience, knowing you love us. Amen.

Rev. Dawn Quame ’05 M.Div.
Chaplain, Madison Healthcare Services, Madison, MN; St. John's, Marietta, MN, St. Paul's, Nassau, MN and Louisburg Lutheran, Louisburg, MN

06/22/2026

God Pause - Luther Seminary
Monday, June 22, 2026
Jeremiah 28:5-9 (NRSV)

Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord; and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfill the words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. But listen now to this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet."

Devotion
Jeremiah wasn’t the most popular guy in Jerusalem. When he insisted on speaking the truth about the coming destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the people would not listen. Long before Jesus ever spoke of family divisions and taking up the cross to follow, Jeremiah was showing us what it looks like to serve God with one’s entire life. He lamented to God about the resistance he faced, but he still acknowledged God’s relentless presence, knowing that in the end God would prevail.

Of course, we can’t all be like Jeremiah. We aren’t all equipped with the resources or gifts to shake things up the way he did. However, we are all called to serve God in some way. Luther Seminary Professor Cameron Howard points this out, saying “But the world also needs leaders—from priests and prophets to kings and presidents, preachers and teachers, friends and influencers—who tell the truth.” The question is, in what ways is God calling you to serve?

Prayer
God, you are all about the truth. Help us to put our trust in you and to listen to you as you ask us to sometimes speak hard truths to those who don’t want to listen. Break open our hearts as well to seek you out and to serve you throughout our lives. Amen.

Rev. Dawn Quame ’05 M.Div.
Chaplain, Madison Healthcare Services, Madison, MN; St. John's, Marietta, MN, St. Paul's, Nassau, MN and Louisburg Lutheran, Louisburg, MN

06/21/2026

Sunday, June 21st

It is the 4th Sunday after Pentecost.

06/21/2026

Sunday, June 21st

06/21/2026

God Pause - Luther Seminary
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Here I Am, Lord (ELW 574)

1 “I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin my hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?”

Refrain
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.

2 “I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love them. They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone, give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them. Whom shall I send?”

Refrain

3 “I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them. My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them. Whom shall I send?”

Refrain

Text: Daniel L. Schutte; Music: Daniel L. Schutte
© 1981 OCP Publications, Inc.
Reprinted under OneLicense.net

Devotion
In a worship class in 2000, Professor Mons Teig surveyed students’ favorite hymns, and many, passionate about serving God, chose “Here I Am, Lord.” Not surprisingly, it has long been beloved in my congregations as well.
The hymn is written as a dialogue: the stanzas give voice to God’s call, while the refrain becomes our response. The text and music beautifully portray a Creator who sees pain, hears cries, feeds the hungry, and brings people out of darkness into light.

The refrain echoes Isaiah’s words, “Here am I; send me,” along with Samuel’s “Speak, for your servant is listening,” and Mary’s “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” Each answered God’s call willingly.

Sometimes God’s call comes in dramatic moments, as with Isaiah, Samuel, or Mary. Other times, it comes as a still, small voice within us. If we listen carefully, we may discover what God is calling us to do. Like Mother Teresa, I sometimes ask God, “What is the call within the call?”

Prayer
Lord God, thank you for calling us to follow and serve you. Open our ears to hear your voice and give us willing hearts to respond, “Here I am, Lord.” Guide us each day in the path you desire for us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Pastor Young Chung ’02 M.S.M, ’16 M.Div.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Lombard, IL

06/20/2026

God Pause - Luther Seminary
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Amazing Grace (ELW 779)

1 Amazing grace! — how sweet the sound —
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

2 ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!

3 Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

4 The Lord has promised good to me;
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

5 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

Text: John Newton; Music: W. Walker, Southern Harmony; Public Domain

Devotion
Have you seen the film Amazing Grace (2006)? It tells the true story of William Wilberforce, William Pitt, and John Newton and their efforts to end the slave trade in England. The film stirred me to speak more prophetically and to live with renewed courage and faith. John Newton, Wilberforce’s mentor, reminded him that God had placed him where he was “for such a time as this.” Newton also wrote “Amazing Grace,” a deeply personal hymn about how God’s grace saved him and drew him to Christ.

The hymn’s power lies in its simplicity and depth. The opening stanza proclaims pure grace: we are lost and blind, yet God saves and restores—salvation is entirely God’s work. The next reflects both repentance and comfort, as grace awakens and heals. The later stanzas remind us that our hope rests not in circumstances but in God’s promises. Through danger and struggle, grace sustains us. This song is a moving confession of God’s grace and forgiveness, and that is why it continues to touch so many hearts.

Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for your amazing grace that finds and restores us. Stir in us true repentance, strengthen us to live faithfully in this time, and keep our hope grounded in your promises. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pastor Young Chung ’02 M.S.M, ’16 M.Div.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Lombard, IL

06/19/2026

God Pause - Luther Seminary
Friday, June 19, 2026
Matthew 10:29–33 (NRSV)

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

Devotion
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father… So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Jesus reminds us that even the smallest and most easily overlooked are seen by God. If God cares for sparrows, then we too are not forgotten. We are known and loved completely.

From this place of love, Jesus calls us to courage—to stand with him in a world of competing voices. Faith is not meant to stay hidden; it is meant to be lived. It is personal, but never private. When fear, ridicule, or shame tries to silence us, Jesus speaks a stronger truth: no one else defines your worth—only God does.

So remember: you are seen, you are known, and you are held by Christ—and that gives courage to speak, stand, and live your faith as a child of God.

Prayer
Gracious God, when we feel small, help us remember that we are seen and known by you. Give us courage to stand firm in faith, even when we feel pressure or fear. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pastor Young Chung ’02 M.S.M, ’16 M.Div.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Lombard, IL

First Lutheran Church, Rugby ND

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