“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy” (Psalm 116:1 ESV). Psalm 116 rises like a grateful song after the longest night, a heartfelt thanksgiving from one pulled back from the edge of death itself. It speaks straight to the soul weighed down by...

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!” (Psalm 148:1, ESV) Psalm 148 rises like a mighty chorus on a still morning, calling every corner of creation to lift its voice in praise. From the highest heavens to the deepest seas, from shining stars to...

“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge” (Psalm 16:1 ESV). Psalm 16 bursts forth like a spring dawn, a psalm of trust and joy appointed for Easter, echoing the resurrection victory that scatters the shadows of death. It’s a heartfelt cry from David, yet it points prophetically to...

We humans always search for some sense of identity, security, and meaning in our harried and hurried lives. Some seek meaning in various philosophies, ecstatic experiences, or principles for successful living. Some find security in acquiring great wealth or power or both. Many look within themselves to discern their “true...

  Rev. Dr. Dennis A. Kastens May 10, 1939 – March 30, 2026 Dennis Allen Kastens was born May 10, 1939, near Ludell, Kansas, to Harry and Paula (née Neuhart) Kastens. He was baptized May 13, 1939, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ludell by Pastor Schmidt and later also confirmed...

“Caiaphas … said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish” (John 11:49-50, ESV). Jesus had just worked His ultimate miraculous sign: the raising of Lazarus...

  Rev. Garry McCracken Sept. 1, 1960 – March 20, 2026 Rev. Garry A. McCracken, Asleep in Jesus on Friday, March 20, 2026. Beloved husband of Dawn McCracken (née Harit); dear father of Rebecca (Ryan) Sanft and the late Matthew McCracken; dear grandfather of Graham and Madison Sanft; dear brother-in-law,...

“Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him’” (John 9:3 ESV). To see Jesus during our Lenten journey, we need to see ourselves as the man born blind in John, chapter 9. As Jesus and His...

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink,” you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water’” (John 4:10 ESV). Water is life. Without water, everything dries up and returns to...

  Rev. Dr. Paul L. Schrieber April 29, 1949 – March 5, 2026 Rev. Dr. Paul Louis Schrieber, 76, of Red Bud, Ill., passed away March 5, 2026, at Mercy Hospital South, St. Louis, Mo. He was born to the late Oliver and Florence (née Mueller) Schrieber April 29, 1949,...