Heritage Herald – November 2023 Edition
From Pastor’s Desk
Faith And Football
According to the Harris Poll, NFL football has been the most popular spectator sport in America for each of the last thirty years. To devotees, understanding the sport is as natural as breathing. But to the uninitiated, American football seems an incredibly complicated, confusing, incomprehensible thing.
The knowledge a person must acquire to understand and appreciate football is mind-boggling when you stop to think about it. For example, you have to learn the various player positions, like center, quarterback, halfback, fullback, guard, tackle, end, safety, linebacker, wide receiver, and tight end.
You have to understand the playing field and all those lines and marks. There are end lines, goal lines, side lines, 50-yard line, hash marks, end zones, and red zones.
You have to learn the names of offensive and defensive moves and plays, like hike, pass, hand-off, rush, punt, place-kick, free-kick, tackle, interception, pass completion, pass incompletion, sack, blitz, touchdown, first down, field goal, and safety. On top of that there are myriad offensive and defensive formations and strategies.
You will need to learn the rules, together with the penalties for violating the rules: Clipping, roughing the kicker, roughing the passer, encroachment, facemask, delay of game, illegal formation, false start, illegal motion, ineligible receiver, chop-block, piling on, unnecessary roughness, taunting, to name just a few. In fact the NFL website lists at least 89 separate penalties for violations of the rules. On top of that, to understand which infraction is being called by a referee, you must learn the thirty-nine official hand/body signals used to indicate the nature of the penalty.
And I haven’t even touched on learning the history, records, and statistics. Think of all the football traditions and behavioral oddities— tailgating, cheese-heads, Viking hats, terrible towels, team colors, logos, mascots, body/face painting, team songs, choruses, and slogans. Skol!
In spite of the incredible complexity of the sport, even young children learn it and love it. 114.4 million viewers per minute watched the 2015 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, making it the most watched event in American TV history. (International Business Times, Feb. 2, 2015)
Enjoying and appreciating any sport, art, or hobby requires an investment of time and effort in learning and understanding it. Why would anyone expect something as serious as worship or biblical doctrine to require anything less? From time to time I hear the baffling criticism that our worship is “too hard to follow,” or our teachings are “too complicated.” I have heard that criticism sometimes from highly educated and accomplished teachers, engineers, and business professionals. Fascinating! They possessed the intelligence and discipline to attain advanced, post-graduate degrees, and, inexplicably, they were capable of learning all the nuances of football, golf, opera, ballet, and bridge, but they can’t get their minds around our order of worship or the elements of Christian doctrine?
Understanding and appreciating Christian worship and biblical doctrine takes time and effort. Make that investment, and you will be richly rewarded. Faith is no game! This is your life. This is getting right with your God. This is about spiritual battle. This is about growing as a person. This is receiving God’s gifts and blessings for this life. This is about where you will spend eternity. You can do this.
-Pastor K.J. Anderson
Treasurer Update
Floor Grinding & Sealing Project
The grind and seal for the south entry, offices and fellowship hall has been scheduled for the week of Monday Nov. 27th thru Dec. 1st. Jesse Chapman and crew will be removing the carpet in the fellowship hall, old entryway, school hallway, Pastor’s office, and main office. We also have to move all the furniture and other items out of each of these areas prior to this project. We have rented a POD for storage of some of these items, so please watch for upcoming dates where help will be needed.
TLC – The Ladies’ Connection
The 50th Anniversary Committee would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped make the Anniversary Celebration a wonderful witness of God’s blessings here at Heritage. There are too many people to thank individually! From painting walls to making GF cupcake picks to designing and printing a lovely anniversary booklet filled with memories and photos supplied by many of our members and everything in between, the wide-ranging participation in preparation and the well-attended service and luncheon were truly a testimony that God’s Word has been and remains our great heritage.
Thank you to Ideal Printers (Howard and Rhoda Siewert, Lana Siewert-Olson, Joan Siewert-Cardona, Andy Olson, and Francisco Cardona) for printing the 50th Anniversary Booklet.
Our next meeting will be Saturday, November 4th, at 10:00 am. Bring your energy and ideas as we gear up for our 48th Annual Bazaar! All ladies of the congregation are welcome and encouraged to attend. The more the merrier!
48TH ANNUAL BAZAAR and BISTRO – SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, November 18th from 10am to 1pm
Please look for sign-up sheets and volunteer to bake, craft, organize, set-up, set up, serve, and clean-up. A Bazaar week timeline will be emailed shortly.
Cookies, Crafts, Vintage Treasures, Soup, Lefsa, you know the drill! Bring your family and friends and support our 48-year tradition.
Adult Bible Study Opportunities
Women’s Bible Study
The Women’s Monday Night Bible Class meets on Monday evenings at 6:30. We will begin a study of Ecclesiastes on Nov. 13th at 6:30 in the fellowship hall. All women of the congregation are invited to join us in person or online. Contact Ruth B. by Nov. 6th to register.
Men’s Bible Study
The Men’s Thursday Morning Bible Class meets on Thursday mornings at 8:00 a.m..
Members Helping Members
Companions in Prayer
My Prayer Story
November always makes me think of Thanksgiving. I saw some family pictures recently of Thanksgiving when I was about 10 or so. I had 7 cousins that were similar in age and we were a bit rowdy! One year 5 of us played Blind Man’s Bluff in my aunt’s sewing room. We didn’t follow all the rules – especially the one when you were suppose to stay still so the “blind man” could guess who you were We climbed on furniture, dodged the “it” person, etc. The next day my aunt found fingerprints all over the walls! Unfortunately for my one cousin he had to wash the walls because he was her grandson and lived nearby! How often do we do things we know are wrong? How often does someone else take the blame for what we have done? Of course, we know the Jesus took the blame for us, for our mischief type sins as well as our major sins of disobedience, anger, hatred, and on and on. We have had much to be thankful for at Heritage over the last month, but once again we need to give thanks to God for all of the mercy and blessings He has shown us, not only recently, but throughout our lives.
Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hat done
In whom His world rejoices,
Who from out mother’s arms
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today. (ELH #63 vs1)
Congregation Prayer Suggestions
Intercessory prayer – prayers on the behalf of others – is a part of a Christian’s life. If you have a
request for Companions in Prayer at Heritage to pray for you, or someone you know, please
contact Alice Schmidt, Pastor Anderson or the Office.
Each of you have a list of those you pray for, but consider adding these to it.
- Many people continue to be displaced, injured and facing catastrophic natural disasters around the world. Pray for strengthening of faith or coming to faith by those impacted.
- The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine fill our TV screens every day. Pray for peace and for the many innocent bystanders that are being injured and killed. May the leaders find ways to settle their differences without the bloodshed that is currently happening.
- Give thanks for the wonderful 50th Anniversary celebration that we had 10/22/23!! It was great to see old friends and to hear the memories from years ago. Most of all it is wonderful to remember how God has blessed Heritage Lutheran over the years and through our Pastors we have heard God’s Word and received His sacraments. Thank you to all those who made it happen.
Thanksgiving Pie Social
The Outreach Board is planning a Pie Social following the Thanksgiving service on November 22nd. All are welcome to stay after the service and enjoy some pie and fellowship.
Food Shelf
The Apple Valley Food Shelf is located in Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. They are currently looking for volunteers to help at the food shelf. Please contact them for more information at applevalley.foodshelf@sotv.org
Serving in November
November Greeters
11/5 – Frimanslund
11/12 – Nikoley
11/19 – L. Sickmann
11/26 – Siewert
November Ushers & Acolytes
11/5 – 8:00 – Bruce & Nathaniel Reedstrom/Jaycen Steward
10:30 – Josh Mears, Phil Holz/Josiah Mears
11/12 – 8:00 – Jacob Calhoun, Craig Remus/Ushers
10:30 – Steve & Elijah Cook/Ushers
11/19 – 8:00 – Micah Steward, Jef Sutton/Cooper Sickmann
10:30 – Jesse & Fischer Chapman/Josiah Mears
11/22 – 6:30 pm (Thanksgiving Eve) – Jacob Calhoun, Kevin Henricks/Josiah Mears
11/26 – 8:00 – Dave & Martin Paulsen/Ushers
10:30 – Dan Schwanz, Bruce Voigt/Ushers
November Recording
11/5 – Stan Miller
11/12 – Martin Paulsen
11/19 – Libby Paulsen
11/22 – 6:30 pm (Thanksgiving Eve) Martin Paulsen
11/26 – Stan Miller
November Altar Guild
Shirley Schwanz/Hannah Anderson
November Fellowship
11/5 – Open
11/12 – Remus
11/19 – Bazaar
11/26 – Open
November Birthdays
1 Hayden Sickmann
2 Summer Steward
2 Bruce Reedstrom
3 Nathaniel Reedstrom
3 Karen Sargent
5 Emily Olp
7 Brandon Spaulding
8 Holly Natvig
9 Sarah Smith
9 Micah Steward
14 Dave Paulsen
18 Ruth Smith
22 Rebecca Cook
23 Elliott Blaha
24 Tanner Holz
24 Cooper Sickmann
26 Ruth Braun
26 Jennifer Sutton
28 Luther Krueger
29 Hannah Anderson