Newsletter 

This Week

Aug.3 – 6: Vacation Bible School  9:00 – 3:00

Sunday, Aug. 9: Worship service 9:00A with coffee & rolls following. 

Wednesday, Aug. 12:  Miriam Circle “Do Day”

Saturday, Aug. 15: Wedding of Tanner Ruprecht & Rachel Ellingson

Sunday, Aug. 16: Worship service 9:00A with coffee & rolls following.

August 2-6 – VBS week, 9-3 every day.  We will again be served by the staff at Water’s Edge Ministries (formerly Green Lake Ministries).  All youth and friends ages K-6th invited to attend.  Cost is free.

Kick-Off Sunday is on September 6th.  During worship, we will recognize Wednesday Education Night teachers, bless backpacks during the service, and distribute Bibles to our Kindergartners, 3rd graders, and 7th graders.  Join us for this kick-off to the new school year here at St. Matthew.

Wednesday Night Education begins on September 9th, the first Wednesday after Labor Day.  We will again be offering dinner for anyone and everyone (even if you are not in school), beginning at 5:30 and running until 6:10. Education hour begins t 6:15 for all youth pre-K through 9th grade.  7-12th grades can join us on the first and third Wednesdays for Youth Group starting at 7:30-8:30.  

Join us on September 13th as we celebrate "God's Work, Our Hands", a special Sunday recognizing how we serve God's mission here at St. Matthew.  During service, we will be celebrating all ministries that St. Matthew provides for the church, community, and the world.  Stay after service to help pack backpacks and have fellowship over coffee, juice, and donuts.

Visits from Pr. Jon: Would you like a visit from Pr. Jon, please call the church office (507-342-5327) or Pr. Jon’s cell (563-564-7249) and let us know.

Here is Pastor Jon's August letter  - - - - - - 

Sing to the LORD, bless his name:  tell of his salvations from day

to day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works

among all the peoples.  For great is the LORD, and greatly to be

praised: he is to be revered above all gods.  (Psalm 96, 2-4)

I enjoy sports.  I’m sure that isn’t a surprise to anyone who has gotten to know me.  I have been an official/referee/umpire for more than 3 decades and in 6 different states (MN, IA, SD, TX, WI, and IN).  I have dabbled in many sports, but continue to do the main 5 – football, volleyball, basketball, softball, and baseball.  I have officiated youth from ages 5 to 18, and adults in college and even beyond.  And I have done many different regional, state, and even a few national tournaments since turning 18 myself.

So when something major comes along, such as the Olympics and the World Cup, I can often be caught glued to a screen, watching the games and matches, and watching the fans.  I think that is what I like best about sports – it brings people of all dynamics together for one event.

This past month, the World Cup has not disappointed me.  I enjoyed seeing teams of people come together to play a game that I learned in PE class.  I basked in the ambiance of a consistent roar from the stadiums that never ceased, and only increased when an impossible play presented itself.  I especially was in awe at the fans, who came from hundreds of miles away, paid large fees for tickets and food at the stadiums, and left many important things at home to be in a new place, cheering on a team that probably can’t even recite any of their names.

But what gets me the most is how all of these things; the teams, the fans, the refs, and all everything else that is out of the ordinary for most living in MN; what gets me the most is how they all come together for a common thing.  Yes, they want their team to win.  But often, that is just a small portion of their day.  They come to cheer on their fellow countrymen.  They come out to experience something bigger than themselves.  They come out to witness human feats that are often thought of as impossible.  They come out to be together as human beings who live together on a world created by a God who loves them all.

And also during the World Cup, various players and teams have expressed faith in God to the world, asking not so much for victory but to put their lives and efforts in his hands.  The Cup has been more than just a tournament celebrating the best of soccer, but a place where the individual faith of all involved can be shared with the world.  Hope in a risen Christ, Love for another human, and service to a neighbor they didn’t know were suddenly highlighted on an international stage.

For instance, Argentina, sought to repeat the feat they achieved at Qatar in 2022 when they won the tournament, under the protection of the Virgin of Luján, a statue of the virgin Mary. A few weeks ago, a video shared by goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez revealed an image of the patroness of Argentina in the locker room at the teams’ training camp.

Furthermore, the athletic shoes worn by Lionel Messi, the captain and superstar of the Argentinian national team, were blessed by Father Lucas García, a rector of the local church back in his home town.  In another video shared on social media, the priest is seen sprinkling holy water on the footwear while praying that the World Cup becomes a time of unity for all Argentinians.

Then there is Croatia.  Before the World Cup started, the players and coaching staff left their training session to attend Mass on the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.  This was a regular occurrence for the team and their fans.  And to think that I felt guilty letting Matt skip church a few weeks ago because his baseball team was in the final stages of their tournament, and his Sunday morning game was scheduled for 10:30 am on Sunday morning.  Here, the whole Croatian team stopped to worship (and not because their parents were making them!)

There was even a moment that I caught where a news organization asked the Croatian players Kristijan Jakić and Igor Matanović what Catholicism means to the team and if prayer and faith are important to them.  Their answer?

“I think faith is very important in my life. When you pray to God, you feel that someone is listening to you, and that gives me a lot of strength,” Matanović said.  Jakić added: “We are a Catholic country where faith is the pathway of our lives. I think faith represents the entire national team. Faith is everything in our lives.”

There was Scotland, whose members and fans talked of the central role of their faith in their lives, many of whom took out a medal of various Saints that they carry.  Many of them also had Bibles that the carried with them, reading from them daily.  Following Scotland’s victory over Haiti, cameras captured members kneeling on the playing field, thanking God in prayer.  This happened with many teams in the tournament.

Mexico showed many places where statues of the church were draped in the teams colors, and people praying in front.  I thought it was just a fad because the World Cup was on, but a story that was told shows how nuns would walk amongst fans who gathered to watch games offering free hugs and listening to others faith stories.  And they have done this for years.

Even a few from the U.S. team showed their faith to the world.  Several players spoke openly about their faith, led by winger Christian Pulisic who is known for leading teammates in a Bible study he calls “Bible Time” and has spoken about the important role that reading Scripture plays in his daily life.

So what I get out of this the most is how a group of 20-30 year olds can come together, face the many obstacles that each of them have in their lives staging from transportation, visas, heat, anxiety of new places, possibility of violence and theft, and sharing spaces with others, then I can do the same.  I can live my neighbors, even if I don’t agree with them.  I can serve others, even if they don’t think and act like I think they should.  I can love all people, no matter who they are or what they do.  After all, these teams of players do that while playing a game I learned as a small child so many decades ago.

God made us all to be disciples, and to share our faith with others.  I may not be on a pitch and have thousands of fans cheering from the stands, but I can do it with the few people around me here in MN.  In the end, win or lose, God will be glorified.  And I didn’t need to put on an Oscar winning performance over a small bump on the leg to get my point across!

-          Pastor Jon Wendt

You can find information as well as service livestreams for St. Matthew on our Facebook page: St. Matthew Lutheran Church Wabasso.

We also have a new website: www.stmatthewwabasso.com.  Here you will find all the information about church and schedules.

You can also e-mail the church office at stmatthewwabasso@gmail.com If you could please send an email to the church office with your name and phone number, that will help us update our church directory (name, phone, email).