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Sheyenne Oberon Area Ministry, 322 Pleasant Avenue, Sheyenne, ND (2026)

09/02/2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

It has been a while since we looked in on the Old Testament. Looking at this week’s Lectionary, the passage from Ezekiel looks promising. We are in the 33rd chapter. Here, we take an interesting look at one of our responsibilities as Christian people. Something we probably haven’t thought of before.
Ezekiel had been chosen by God to speak to the Israelite and Judean people in exile. The Babylonian king had attacked and conquered them and had brought many of them back to Babylon. They had lost their homes, their land, even the elite had lost their status. Now they were all gathered in a small enclave and lived a mere subsistence type of life.
For the most part, the groups did not mix well. The Babylonians thought that because they were victorious, that meant that their gods were more powerful than the God of the Jews. The people from Judah and Israel believed in worshiping only one God. The Babylonians worshiped many gods and most likely thought that the exiles, being a conquered people, would change and begin worshiping as they did. But, while the exiles did not immediately change to multiple god worship, some were falling away from their faith. God had chosen Ezekiel, one of those captured, to be his prophet to them. In today’s scripture selection, God tells Ezekiel to give his people a warning. Some of the Jews had been losing their faith or were starting to follow in the ways of their captors. God told Ezekiel to tell those that who had turned to wicked ways, they would die if they continued on with sinful ways. So far anyway, for us this is nothing new and we really don’t see the connection to us. However, what Ezekiel is to tell them next does pertain to us and it is worrisome. Back then, and for us in today’s world. He said, if you see somewhat going in the wrong direction and don’t do anything about it, you are guilty just as much as they are and will end up just like them. But, if we try to get them to change and they still don’t, they shall still die to their sin, but at least we tried and their spiritual death will not be on our hands.
This does not mean that we are to judge people. That is not up to us; that isn’t our job. But when we see people faltering, we should do our best to get them back on the right path. It is indeed sad when we see others going in the wrong direction. In fact, even God is sad as well. He has Ezekiel reassure them that God does not take any pleasure in seeing those who continue to fall away die spiritually. Rather, He loves to see them turn away from their wicked ways and come back to Him. What we can take from this is that we shouldn’t sit on the sidelines and watch others travel down the wrong road, going away from God. No, we should be helping them get back on the right path. It is what God wants us to do. Amen.

09/02/2026

NEW ROTATION SCHEDULE AS OF 9/6/2026

Sept 6th. 9am @ Grandfield. 11am @ First
Sept 13th. 9am @ Calvary. 11am @ Grace
Sept 20th. 9am Grandfield 11am First
Sept 27th. 9am @ Calvary. 11am at Grace

08/26/2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

After a week visiting with the apostle Paul, we are back this week in Matthew’s gospel. In a way, I wish I had chosen the selection from Matthew last week instead of using Paul’s letter to the Romans. This week’s selection from Matthew is a continuation from last week’s gospel text. However, there is a major shift in the way Jesus talks about who he is and what his mission is really all about. To give you a brief recap, Jesus is alone with his disciples and had asked them who people said he was. There were various answers from them. When Jesus asked the disciples who they thought he was, Peter responds with the correct answer; you are the Messiah. Jesus tells them to not tell anybody else that he is the Messiah. This week’s scripture picks up at that point.
Jesus’ conversation with his disciples now changes a bit. Instead of general comments about God’s forgiving grace and his coming kingdom, he begins to get into specific events that will be happening. For the first time, he tells them that as the Messiah, he will be killed in Jerusalem. The chief priests and scribes will have him arrested and he will suffer pain and humiliation at their hands. What turmoil the disciples must have felt. Talk about feelings at both ends of the spectrum. As we learned last week, Jesus had asked them who the people thought he was and then the more important question of who they thought he was. The impetuous Peter, who else, answers you are the Messiah, Son of the living God. Jesus says he is correct and that his church will be built on Peter. How jubilant they all must have been. From their youth they had been taught that a messiah would be sent to them by God. Now, he is finally here. But then the hammer falls. Their long-awaited messiah tells them that when they get to Jerusalem, he will not get rid of Herod and take over the throne. Just the opposite will take place. The most religious groups in Jerusalem will have him killed. Their extreme joy is now incredulous sorrow. The messiah will be killed? It just can’t be true.
Once again it is Peter who speaks up and once again, he puts his foot in his mouth. He tells Jesus, No Way! Don’t let it happen. By saying this, it shows he has no idea what Jesus has come to accomplish. Peter, like the rest of the Jews thought the messiah was going to be a great leader like their beloved King David. The Messiah was going to free them from Roman rule. Their army would be defeated and a new kingdom, would be established just for the Jews with the messiah on the throne. Jesus tells Peter, “Get behind me Satan”. That’s quite a shock I’m sure to Peter. Just a few minutes ago Jesus said Peter would be the rock on which his church would be founded. Now he calls him Satan. Jesus is using a metaphor here. He really isn’t saying Peter is Satan, he is saying Peter’s idea of Jesus not dying in Jerusalem is a stumbling block. He tells him my death just as I explained it has to happen. What you are suggesting would prevent me from fulfilling God’s promise.
So, the question is, what is our stumbling block? What do we think or do or don’t do that comes between our savior and us? Do we refuse to follow God’s word? Do we break every commandment we can, and enjoy it? In spite of all we have been taught since our youth, do we refuse to believe that Jesus is God’s true son and that he died on a cross for us? Do we believe we are so great that the gifts we have receive from God is our own doing? I could use many other examples as well, but you can see what I’m saying. Satan will put as many stumbling blocks before us as he can for the very purpose of keeping us away from God. With the Holy Spirit to guide us, we can put Satan and all his temptations behind us. It is up to us to follow those directions. Amen.

08/19/2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

After spending the last few weeks with Matthew, let’s take this week’s selection from Paul for our message. We pick up his writing here in Chapter 12 of Romans. As happens so often, what Paul wrote 2000 years ago could just as well have been written yesterday. In fact, it seems even more prevalent in today’s world than it did back in Paul’s time. Paul is speaking to both Gentiles and Jews in Rome that have recently come to Christ. He tells them to use discernment in following their new faith. What did Paul mean by this? Going to my trusty Merriam-Webster dictionary; discern, discernment, discerning takes up quite a bit of space in explaining the meaning of those words. They have numerous meanings, but what it boils down to is to use study and insight to help figure out what is true when it isn’t totally obvious. The example given is to study a painting to discern what the artist is trying to convey. Paul also gives them a warning. It is a warning that we should pay heed especially in today’s world. He tells them not to be conformed to this age, but to use discernment to discover the will of God.
What can we learn, or should I say discern from this? We, just as the early Christians Paul was writing to need to examine what is presented to us and not just take it as truth. We may be listening to a suave and eloquent speaker or reading something from a well-known author. We shouldn’t take it for granted that what we hear or read is correct. Paul wrote so often to new Christians for them to bc careful about following false teachers. We need to heed that advice today as well. There are two types of teachings we should be leery about following. One, the advice we receive may not be malicious or with an intent to deceive us but their advice or teaching might lead us in the wrong direction merely because their supposed expert opinion has flawed logic or incorrect theology. Two, there are those whose main concern is not to help us connect with the Lord in seeking salvation. Their main concern is fattening their pocketbooks with our money by telling us what sounds good; things we like to hear. They make it sound good, even use scripture to make their point, but they purposely twist that scripture around to make it sound like they know all the answers.
How do we avoid these false teachings? Just as Paul told the new Christians back in Rome, use discernment. We should read, study, listen to those that are trustworthy. We should compare what they tell us with what the Apostles preached in their day. Is what we hear now differ than what we learned in Sunday school or confirmation classes? Somethings in this world are indeed new or improved. But remember, God’s word does not need to be improved. It does not need to take on a new twist. His word and his love for us is steadfast. It has never changed nor will it ever do so. Spending time in the bible will certainly help us in our discernment process. Amen.

08/12/2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

We are back in Matthew this week. We pick up the action in Chapter 15. This is shortly after Jesus and the disciples have returned to shore after they witness Jesus walking on the water. We have one of the early confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees. But, the main thrust of this story is between Jesus and his disciples.
When Jesus came to shore he was recognized as the one who had been healing the sick. The word went out that he was back and people once again were coming to him so he would cure their various maladies, Although early in Jesus’ ministry, the Pharisees had begun taking notice of this newcomer from Nazareth. They were concerned about his apparent lack of respect in following long held Jewish laws and traditions. Quite often their complaints involved dietary issues. The dietary laws of the time were very strict.
Knowing that the Pharisees were still there, Jesus addresses the crowd and tells them it doesn’t make any difference what we eat. It wasn’t what went in the mouth that was bad, it was what came out of the mouth that caused problems. The Pharisees taught that certain foods were unclean and defiled our bodies if we ate them, The disciples came to Jesus and told him that he had made the Pharisees angry with what he had said. Jesus answered them with a one-sentence parable. He told them that if the blind lead the blind, both of them would end up falling into a pit. Peter asks Jesus to explain what this parable meant.
Jesus explained to them that it isn’t our outward appearances or our following certain laws or traditions that made us right with God. It was what was inside us that controlled our actions that God cared about. The Pharisees were more concerned with the outside than the inside. They taught that only certain foods should be eaten, hands must washed according traditional ceremony, and so forth. Even who you ate your meals with was a concern. They pointed out to Jesus whenever they could he and his disciples weren’t following these dietary laws properly.
Jesus tells them what goes into the mouth isn’t important. The body just digests that food and eliminates the waste. What’s important, he tells them, is what comes out of the mouth that’s important. What comes out of the mouth comes from inside, from our hearts. It is not pleasing to the Lord if we follow all the laws about what we put into our mouths if lies, deceit, blasphemy, hatred, and the like is what comes out of our mouths.
This still holds true today. Do we attend worship every Sunday, sing the hymns loudly, pray the prayers and give generously when the offering plate comes by, but when we leave the church we lie, cheat, steal, break commandment, etc day after day? God sees what is inside of us, what is in our hearts. That is what he cares about. We need to make sure that when God looks into our hearts, he will be pleased with what he finds. Amen.

08/05/2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

It has been a while since we’ve based a message on the gospel text of the week. I’ve usually chosen a selection from Paul’s writings or the Old Testament selections. But, in this week’s selections from the Lectionary, the gospel text from Matthew caught my eye. It is a fairly well-known passage but I think it is worth taking a look at it again.
Jesus has just finished preaching to a huge crowd, 5,000 people, not counting women and children, were fed from five loaves of bread and two fish. Plus, he had been healing and curing the lame and the ill as well. Jesus needed a break. He orders the disciples to take the boat out to sea and he went up the mountain to pray in solitude. Here, in the first two verses we find a couple of important things we should note. While Jesus is indeed part of the Holy Trinity, the Triune God, he came to earth fully human as well. We should remember that Jesus had human attributes. He could be happy or sad. He could feel pain. He would eat and drink right along with his disciples. He could also get tired. And now, he is just that. He needs a break and seeks solitude in order to pray. The next thing we should take to heart is that we also need to take a break at times. Our bodies and our minds can only take so much. For our own sake, and at times maybe for our friends and family, or co-workers, we need to take a break. Sometimes a quick 5 or 10 minutes will be sufficient. Just find a place where you can have peace and quiet. It might be enough to just have the rest, but Jesus used his to seek the Father. He spent his downtime in prayer. That would be a good idea for us as well. That might not be possible for some of us during the workday. but take the time when you get home to spend break time in prayer. You, those around you, and God, will be glad you did.
After he was finished, Jesus sought out his disciples. The wind had carried the boat far from shore. Jesus is walking on the water out to the boat when they see him and got scared thinking it was a ghost. He calls out to them, it’s me, don’t be afraid. Peter tells him if it really is you, have me walk on the water also. Jesus did just that. But, when Peter is distracted by the storm, he starts to sink and needs Jesus to pull him up again. Several things here deserves notice. One, Peter is at first doubtful. Can it really be their Rabbi? Well, he basically says, prove it! Jesus does so. Do we do that sometimes? Do we sometimes wonder is God really here with us every day? Does he even really exist at all? We need have no fear of that. We, like Peter can get distracted. Sometimes far too easily and lose sight of what is really the most important.
Let’s put all this together. Jesus knows what it is like for us to live day by day here because he did it himself. He has experienced joy and sadness, times with the Father and was subjected to temptation. Also, no matter what, he is never far from us no matter how far we stray from him. And most importantly, when we are on the right path towards him, we can get distracted by things around us. However, whenever we do, he is there to lift us up again. He is our savior. Amen.

07/29/2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

This makes two weeks in a row that my message will be based on Old Testament scripture as we are in Isaiah, Chapter 55 this week. It is a short bit of scripture but there is a lot in it. As we read the first few verses, we might wonder if God, speaking through Isaiah, is extending invitations or giving commands. My thinking is that this is an invitation. Were they commands, they might have been preceded by a “Therefore says the Lord” or perhaps at the end we would have received an “or else” type statement. Being that we didn’t get either one, let’s go with this being an invitation.
We start out with God saying, “Come, everyone who thirsts”. What a great thought. My guess is that all of us have been thirsty at some time. Whether we have been working in the garden, mowing lawn, working in the fields, or playing a round of golf, we finish and go inside and the first thing we look for is something to drink. A cold glass of water on a hot day is certainly refreshing. However, Isaiah is speaking of a deeper thirst. A thirst that we have that cannot be quenched with a glass of water. So many search for a way to satisfy our human thirst, but they never seem to find the solution, they always fail. They think they may have it, only to find out it isn’t enough so they keep on searching.
God knows what is happening with this fruitless search and so asks a question, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” This is a rhetorical question of course, Isaiah doesn’t really expect an answer. God gave them this question to maki them think; to make them realize their current efforts will fail. It should make us think also. Our souls need nourishing just as our bodies do. God is asking the people of Israel, and us, why do you spend so much time pursing things that cannot nourish the soul. We work hard, we buy more, we accomplish more, yet still not satisfied. We fill our calendars with all sorts of obligations, work and socially, yet are still empty. We keep on trying to do more but never seem to get enough. We are still empty.
Think of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. He asks her to draw him some water from the well. When asked why a Jewish man would ask a Samarita woman to get him water, he responds with if she knew who was asking her, she would realize that she would receive water from which she would never thirst again. He tells her he is the Living water.
So, is it wrong for us to seek human gain, to do the best we can at whatever we choose? No, of course not. But we need to know what is temporary and what lasts for all eternity. Yes, we need that glass of water every day but we need to remind ourselves that earthly satisfaction is temporary. We should be seeking that which will last forever. Amen.
.

07/22/2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
My guess is every one of us has heard of a genie in a bottle. There are countless jokes, some good and some of an adult nature that I can’t repeat. We’ve seen it happen in old cartoons where a person finds a lamp in the sand and as he rubs off the sand, a genie appears and grants him three wishes. There was a television program that centered on a genie that lived in a bottle and would do everything her master asked. It was a comedy program and sometimes the genie would do things her master didn’t want her to do and that would be the premise for that week’s episode.
Sometimes when the various lotteries get to astronomical amounts, like this week for instance, some folks like to come up with a wish list on how to spend their newly received millions. I’ve done it myself. The question is usually something like “if you win the lottery, what will you do with all that money?” The answers vary from person to person but taking care of family is a fairly common response. Then there is the Christmas or birthday gifts. Parents ask their kids, what do you want? Of course, there are no long term affects with those gifts. As the children get older, what was an absolute “gotta have it” gift last year is now out of date and sitting someplace in a closet and there is a new “gotta have it” on the list. Of course, age and gender play a significant role in what is wished for. So does geography for that matter. Even though they may be the same age and gender, a 50-year old man in Sheyenne, ND may have a totally different answer than a 50-year old man living on Park Avenue in New York City or in Beverly Hills in Los Angeles California.
So what’s all this me writing about fulfilling wish lists? From this week’s selections in our Lectionary, the 3rd Chapter of I Kings, we have just such a situation. And, being that I like preaching from the Old Testament and do so whenever I can, the choice of the I Kings selection was an easy one. King David has died and passed on his place on the throne to his son, Solomon. God had promised David that his family line would continue to rule the people of Israel. Solomon is very young and realizes his shortcomings of being a king over such a large nation. When God asked him what he would like, Solomon gave an incredulous answer. What would your answer be? Money, power, status, health, long life and so on? Probably those would be among the most popular of our responses. Solomon’s answer? In spite of being so young, he knew he had quite a challenge ahead of him so he asked for wisdom. Why that, you ask? Solomon said he wanted to be able to discern the difference between right and wrong. He wanted to do what was right for God’s people. Solomon asked for the ability to rule wisely, not for himself, but for the benefit of God’s people. His wish was to be better able to serve God through good leadership qualities. I find that totally amazing. Nothing that he wished for was for his personal benefit. His wish was to be able to better serve the Lord and His people. God was pleased with the response. He told Solomon that because he hadn’t wished for riches or power, for a long life or bad things to happen to his enemies, God would grant him his wish. He did, in fact, rule wisely and the people of Israel flourished under his leadership. The wisdom of Solomon is still a phrase used now and then even today. Amen. Blessings to all.

07/22/2026

Free pavers sitting in front of the parsonage in Sheyenne. You haul!!!!

07/15/2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
Once again, we visit Paul’s letter to the Romans for this week’s message. We are in Chapter 8 and here Paul makes a number of comparisons between a life with God and life without him. Or in the words Paul uses, the way of the flesh versus the way of the Spirt. When he uses the term flesh, he isn’t talking about our bodies. He is referring to us as humans, our human nature. When Paul speaks of the spirit, of course he is referring to the Holy Spirit. He makes several points regarding the Holy Spirit.
One, he tells these new Christians in Rome, both Jewish and Gentile, that if they choose to follow the Spirit of God, they will become children of God. As such, we can call truthfully call him Father. In a sense, he has adopted us as His children.
Two, he tellsl them that this just isn’t for the here and now. It’s not just something for the present and then end. He also acknowledges the fact that just because they choose to follow God’s way instead of their own human way, that doesn’t mean that their lives will become trouble free and every day will be like a walk in paradise. As humans, we all have something go bad for us at some time or another. Sometimes it is even catastrophic. But Paul says that he considers the sufferings of the here and now not even worth comparing to the glory we receive from God. Paul warns them it isn’t going to be easy. He uses the metaphor of child birth. There is the pain of labor but it eventually goes away and the wonderous love we experience at the end makes the process worthwhile.
This bit of scripture ends with two verses, 24 and 25, that puts in all in a nutshell. Paul tells them in hope, we are saved. He defines hope as not something that we have already seen because who would hope for something already seen? No, we hope for what we have not seen, and wait for it with patience. This is much easier said than done. But as Christians, we have faith that what scripture tells us is true. What Paul told the Romans holds true yet today. We haven’t seen Christ in person; we haven’t visited heaven to see what it is like. But through out faith that someday we will do just that, it makes the tough times today easier to get through. Amen.

Sheyenne Oberon Area Ministry

09/02/2026

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