Greetings from Swedlanda!
It definitely feels like winter has arrived at Swedlanda. Winds are gusting at over 50 mph and there has been light snow this afternoon. I can’t say that anyone had been looking forward to the abrupt change in weather.
Nonetheless, we had quite a few people in church this morning. The choir sang the offertory today and we had a special song led by our pre-school class. The congregation stood up and exercised their “heads, fingers, knees and toes.” It seemed quite appropriate because we had just been talking about postures of prayer in our adult Bible study.
We had some beautiful fall arrangements in our worship space, one from the funeral of Marvin Johnson, former neighbor, and the other in honor of Doug & Darlene S. 51st wedding anniversary. Congratulations to them!
I was at a theological conference in St. Cloud for three days this past week and had an opportunity to tour St. John’s Abbey at Collegeville. Our group worshiped with the Benedictine monks there, an experience that I shared with the congregation this morning. Here are a few photos, including one of St. Peregrine, who figured in my sermon, available as usual through the link on the right. 
It was noted during worship that next Sunday will be the first Sunday of the month and the day on which we have the Swedlanda Family Sunday School, beginning at 9:10 a.m. The theme is “How have friends enriched your faith story?” So come and bring photos, keepsakes or anything to share. We turn our clocks back that day, so we will have plenty of time.
I wanted to add a special note that might be of some interest to our farmers. Robert W. Lane, chairman and chief executive officer of John Deere was the featured guest today on "Grace Matters," the radio ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He tells a faith story of how he was influenced by his grandparents and parents. Program information and podcasts are available at http://gracematters.org on the Web. I am adding a link on the right hand side of this blog.
I also wanted to share the contents of a new brochure about our companion church in South Africa, so I have included that below.
May you have a blessed week,
Pastor Stewart
Our Companion Synod, the Southeastern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa is located primarily in the KwaZulu-Natal area of South Africa. Our Companion Conference, the Vryheid Circuit is in the northern part of the diocese.
Our synod's link with a Lutheran diocese in South Africa was established 1990. Their diocese and our synod have worked to encourage interdependence, communication, and visitation. We have had bishops visit here as our bishop has traveled there. We helped some students attend Gustavus Adolphus College. Each year congregations were encouraged to have Uhambisano Sundays to better know our Christian friends.
In recent years more lay people and pastors have traveled to South Africa. This has increased the joy of our synod sharing this connection with Christian friends in South Africa.
A new chapter in our companionship began when the ten conferences in our synod were paired with the ten circuits in their diocese. Our MN Valley conference seeks to deepen its relationship with our partner circuit - the Vryheid Circuit. Earlier this year a Partnership Committee was establish made up of representatives of MN Valley congregations. Your congregation is invited to join in working with the Partnership committee to establish a good friendship with the Vryheid Circuit.
What our MN Valley Conference is doing
Our Conference has already pledged $1,000 per year for five years to support an AIDS Coordinator. This is paid out of the annual dues congregations send to the MN Valley Conference.
Our Conference seeks to bring the Dean of the Vryheid Circuit, Pastor Skhathesithle (Scottie) Khumalo, and another guest to visit our conference in June 2009.
Our Conference desires to send a group made up of pastors and laypeople from our conference to visit the Vryheid circuit in 2010.
What congregations in our Conference may do
Pray during worship each third Sunday and at other times:
· For the Southeastern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran. Church in South Africa
· For the Vryheid Circuit - the parishes, pastors, and people
Follow the news in South Africa on the web.
Help raise the $8,000 we need to bring Dean Scottie and another church representative to visit our conference in 2009. Consider gifts from: Benevolence funds; Sunday School offerings; Endowment funds; Women of the ELCA benevolence; Special fund raisers (which will also help raise awareness) Monetary gifts may be sent to our conference treasurer: Minnesota Valley Conference, c/o Treasurer Ben Schuft, 1015 Co Rd 7, Stewart, MN 55385
We look forward to June 2009 when our guests from the Vryheid Circuit are here and you will be able to meet them. We are planning that they will travel around our conference to provide opportunities for people to meet them.
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