Thursday, December 26, 2013

Volume 98; Number 26

www.bladepublishing.net staff@bladepublishing.net

A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560

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Greetings of the seasons from Christ the King and Zion Lutheran
Fr. Peter, Christ the King Ready or not here I comethose famous words from my childhood ring in my ears these days. As children we loved to play the game hide-n-seek. Who would be clever enough to outwit the other and avoid being found by the seeker? Of course great strategy went into such decisions. Would you choose a secluded place, or an open space? Would you journey high or stay down low? How much cover of camouflage would be needed? It seems that times were simpler back then. There were no GPS signals to track you, or cell phones to text. It seemed like there was more than enough time. One might even struggle with the occasional case of boredom, but dont tell mom! Today things just seem to be different. Life went and got itself busy. With all of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season one might forget how Christmas began, or what it is all about. Please remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. Prepare to make room in your heart for his coming. Ready or not here he comes On December 22nd at 7:00pm, Christ the King is hosting an Advent/Christmas reflection night with music and the reading of the Christmas story from Lukes Gospel. We will gather for Mass Christmas Eve at 9:00 pm and Christmas morning at 8:30 am. St. Joseph in Clarissa will celebrate Mass Christmas Eve at 4:00 pm, and St. Joseph in Bertha will celebrate Mass Christmas day at 10:30 am. All are welcome. Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Fr. Peter, Pastor of Christ the King Parish, St. Joseph Parish in Clarissa, and St. Joseph Parish in Bertha. Rev. Gena Maria Koeberl The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. I love this line from O Little Town of Bethlehem. Hope and fear met in Bethlehem. Hope and fear also met on the cross, so that today you and I might be among those who, for the love of Jesus and one another, comfort the grieving, tend the suffering, and work together with courage and hope for the day when we wont need to anymore. We ache in the wake of senseless violence throughout the world, especially when it is our children who suffer. We want to do what we can to shield ourselves and those we love. But what good does that really do us? Mary sings in the story from Luke 1:39-55 of a day when the world is turned upside down. She encourages us to grasp this hope that is meant for us. Even as we sort out our rage, grief, and fear, there is hope born in us today. My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Marys song begins by singing praises to God. She knows her own lowliness. Her faith looks beyond the obstacles to the possibility, knowing Gods blesses her anyway. For he who is might has done great things through me. God reached out to her. This unexplainable generosity completely disrupted her life. She sings of great things God is doing in her, while living in exile with constant unknowns. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty and exalted those of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. Marys song inspires a few questions: Do we believe that a blessing is waiting within us to be born? Do we realize that in our hunger, depression, grief and questioning we open ourselves to accepting Jesus birth as meaningful and significant? As uncomfortable as these feelings are they are the vehicles through which deeper meaning is born. When we run or deny the powerful presence and discomfort of grief, disappointment, outrage, or loss, we deny ourselves an even greater birth of hope. Christmas is a time in which our hopes and fears unite. In this union, God with us is revealed. I pray this Christmas to sing with Mary the Good News of what is about to take place. A child came to be a deeper and fuller manifestation of Gods love in the world. I pray that we let go enough of trying to control the messiness of life to recognize our blessed lowliness our own need for God. I pray we say yes to our calling to birth into being again this year the blessing of God with us, revealed where hopes and fears meet tonight. Ask as the spiritual writer, Meister Eckhart once did, What good is it that Christ was born a long time ago if he is not born now in your heart? Rev. Gena Maria Koeberl Zion Lutheran Church, Browerville

Citizens Groups Applaud and Criticize Todd Board Chair

By Rin Porter against agriculture. At the Dec. 17 county board Neumann vehemently denied meeting, about 30 citizens being against farming. Im crowded into the commissioners just against putting these faciliroom ties too some to close to criticize housBoard es, he Chair said, in Commdefendissioner ing his Randy posiN e u t i o n . mann, He said a n d he cant some to attend praise L A C him. meetT h e i n g s citizens because w e r e t w o there other either c o m as memm i s bers of sioners t h e Nancy Judd presented Randy a t t e n d L i v e s t o c k Neumann with a plaque in recogni- t h e m . A d v i s o r y tion of what the TCCC sees as his H a v i n g C o u n c i l leadership and recognition of citi- three com(LAC) or as zens concerns during his term as m i s s i o n members of chair of the county board. ers at a the Todd meeting is County Concerned Citizens against the Minnesota Open (TCCC) two groups with differ- Meeting law, he said. ent purposes and agendas. Neumann also criticized the The members of the Livestock LAC for not contacting him Advisory Council were there to about their concerns before protest Neumanns support of a showing up at a public meeting lawsuit recently filed by the to condemn him. He said, Its Humane Society of the United just common courtesy for you to States (HSUS) and some neigh- notify us. He said the LAC has bors against the Gourley not been sending its minutes to Brothers hog facility built earli- the board, as required by any er this year in Gordon Township. organization that receives counThe suit contends that the DNR ty support. should not have approved the TCCC member Nancy Judd construction of the facility spoke on behalf of what she because the hog farm uses more described as many concerned than eight million gallons of citizens to thank Neumann for groundwater per year, according listening to the citizens of Todd to an HSUS press release pub- County, showing leadership, and lished Nov. 26, 2013. proving that an administrator LAC members Mark Buntjer is not necessary to the running and Delvin Durheim criticized of the county. Neumann for his support of the suit and for not attending their meetings, which they interpreted as showing that Neumann is

Merry Christmas from Aaron, Peggy, Stacey, Venus, and Rin!

WEEKLY WEATHER REPORT
Tue. Dec. 24 Snow Showers 15/6 Wed. Dec. 25 Partly Cloudy 15/-8 Thur. Dec. 26 Partly Cloudy -1/-9 Fri. Dec. 27 Mostly Cloudy 14/4 Sat. Dec. 28 Cloudy 19/2 Sun. Dec. 29 Snow Showers 9/-10