“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,...

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ... and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were...

  Karen Jo Eatherton Dec. 30, 1948 – Feb. 26, 2026 Karen was born Dec. 30, 1948, to Richard and Dorothy (Simpson) Feiner. She grew up and attended school in the St. Louis area, graduating from Lafayette High School in Ellisville in 1966. She received her associate degree from Meramec...

“For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17 ESV). If there is one thing that humans don’t like,...

  Rev. David V. Dissen July 27, 1933 – Feb. 19, 2026 The Rev. David V. Dissen, 92, was called by his Savior, Jesus Christ from His Church on earth to His Church in heaven Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau, Mo. David Victor Dissen...

“For you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19 ESV). Ash Wednesday forces us to confront the reality of sin and death. We know that death and sin are all around us, but we do everything we can to avoid it. We struggle to confront sins in...