Worship on the Bus - One of Gethsemane's former members, Pastor D. J. Rasner, was installed as senior pastor at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hancock on June 3rd We wanted to surprise him. So we charted a bus and seventeen members from Gethsemane Lutheran and St. Stephen's Lutheran, Pastor Cori, Cyndie Berger, Wendy Hanson, Elaine Haban, Betty Solfest, Sue Skowronski, Gwendolyn Erickson, Carol Lindner, Pastor Tom Lindblad, who confirmed Pastor D. J., Ora Lindblad, Bud Light, Clyde Thoune, Alvin Etelamaki, Sharon Etelamaki, Addi Light, Belle Light, and Linda Djupstrom, boarded the bus and headed for Hancock. Gethsemane's 10:30 a.m. worship service was moved to the bus. We figured out how to have communion in spill-proof containers. We sang songs from Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp. We heard readings from the Bible. And we are certain we made history by reciting the Athanasian Creed on the bus!! It was the Sunday of the Holy Trinity. We began the worship service in Norway, Michigan and an ELCA congregation worshiping in all of the following towns as well: Iron Mountain, Merriman, Pastor Cori's hometown, Granite Bluff, Randville, Sagola, Channing, Silver Lake, Witch Lake and Humboldt Township. We concluded in South Republic. One of our members, Bud Light, re-wrote the lyrics to "On the Road Again" for prelude music. We packed sack lunches. Pastor D. J. was completely surpised to find a bus in the parking lot of Gloria Dei. Pastor Tom Lindblad was the first one off of the bus. Pastor D.J. was completely surprised. All Pastor D.J. kept repeating was "You're Crazy!" It was indeed a special moment. We also received two large plates of bars to enjoy on our trip back. We called it Copper Country Hospitality!!!! Everyone who attended said they had a blast!!!
On the bus with Cori |