By Pastor Rod Anderson

Q is coming to us!

It looked like a basketball in my Sunday paper batch of circulars and advertisements – a flat basketball! March Madness is coming to us, so why not the “ultimate game changer” ad for a Mega March Madness experience brought to your screen and mine in the “best bundle” by DirectTV and Qwest (Q, hereafter, to a point, in this column)?

By Lauren Carlson-Vohs

Once again I am awed by the synchronicity of events, teachings and thoughts that have been unfolding in my life and deepening my spirituality. Moved to share them in this column, I found myself wondering where to begin, how to decipher their meaning. Trusting in the divine, I turned to a recently found treasure from the PROP Shop for insight – a book of photos of Walden Pond by Bonnie McGrath with accompanying writings by Henry David Thoreau.

By Bernard Johnson

I’ve been thinking about what I would do if I were the devil. Among other things I would try to convince the world that I do not exist.

I would persuade people that there is no such thing as evil in the world, only ignorance. I would elevate the notion of being a victim and ridicule the idea of personal responsibility for things dark and wicked. I would convince people that everything is relative and truth is merely a matter of opinion ... your truth and my truth!

By Timothy Johnson

These days my travels have taken me to Antwerp, Belgium on a speaking engagement and I have had the opportunity to tour The Cathedral of our Lady. It is an impressive gothic structure that has been on its current site for over 400 years. It is amazing to see the majestic beauty of such a place. It is a reminder of just how mundane our church architecture in the United States can be.

“On Sunday, Feb. 28, as part of a continuing program of seeking ways to protect God’s creation, Pax Christi Catholic Community’s Environmental Challenge Ministry is holding an Environmental Expo after the 9 and 11 a.m. Masses,” according to a news release.

At 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, the Mexico Mission Trip Team at Eden Prairie Presbyterian Church will host a Fundraiser Dinner and Silent Auction.

This event is a fundraiser for the 2010 Mexico Mission Trip to Tijuana, Mexico, through AMOR Ministries, building homes and hope for families in need, according to a news release. This is the seventh mission trip to Mexico by members of EPPC.

Celtic Worship will be offered from 6:45-7:15 p.m. Wednesdays during Lent at Eden Prairie United Methodist Church, beginning Feb. 24. “Drawing from the Christian Celtic tradition and resources of the Iona Community in Scotland, each half hour worship time will include songs, prayers and periods of silence along with scripture reading and brief comments regarding Celtic theology, led by Pastor Michael Miller,” according to a news release. All are welcome.

By Pastor Rod Anderson

A year ago at a February funeral I met an elderly gentleman who had gathered with the congregation to mourn the loss of a dear friend. We struck up one of those especially meaningful conversations that prompted several visits in my office over the year since, focused on the role of the funeral service in shepherding those in grief to greater faith. We agree every funeral is an encounter with one’s own mortality and, thus, is a valuable opportunity for proclaiming faith and making the case for the promises in scripture regarding our afterlife with God.

By Lauren Carlson-Vohs

Many of us have been pondering this question in recent weeks as we have tried to process the immense tragedy of the earthquake in Haiti. Inundated with graphic images and harrowing stories, we are left to wonder how could this possibly come to be? Where do we find our God amidst it all?

By Kristin Holtz

In today’s environmentally conscious society, natural is the way to go – even when it comes to deciding the right time to have a baby.
More couples are turning to natural family planning as a way to achieve or postpone a pregnancy. Whether for religious, health or environmental reasons, these couples are shying away from contraceptives and having the family they always wanted.

“It just made sense,” said Juli Currie, a mother of seven from Chanhassen. “This fits with that we believe.”