June Newsletter 2025

During both World Wars, the city of Halifax in Nova Scotia served as a vital staging area for troops and supplies before traveling to Europe. If you were to look at the harbor on Google Earth, you’d see a fairly significant bottleneck in the waterway (about 1/3 a mile across), limiting ships to two lanes. In December 1917, a French cargo ship (the Mont-Blanc) was kept from entering the Halifax harbor until the following day. The next morning, a series of events led the Mont-Blanc to collide with a Norwegian vessel leaving the harbor at a whopping 1.2 mph. On the surface, this may not seem like a big deal – until you find out that the Mont-Blanc was on its way to France and was loaded with fuel and munitions. The ship caught fire and resulted in the largest man-made explosion in history until the invention of atomic weapons. The blast was felt 130 miles away, destroyed nearby buildings, and blinded the people who were watching the emblazoned ship. The explosion also displaced enough water to expose the harbor floor and create a tsunami in the harbor. The shockwave and following fires resulted in the loss of 2000 people and injury of additional thousands.

This account is incredible, horrifying, and tragic – so why share about it? I believe it’s a profound picture of what happens when we have a trivial attitude towards spiritually significant instructions and disciplines. Compromises in our faith usually don’t start as monumental changes. Such a radical swing in behavior would (hopefully) cause us to repent and return to following Jesus. Instead, our spiritual adversary’s usual tactics brings about our demise by a thousand little cuts instead of one big blow. Maybe you stay silent when you should have spoken a correcting word to your family member. Your general attitude may be influenced by your unbelieving coworkers more than you may think. And who wants to go to church on a perfectly glorious morning when you could see if the fish are biting, or maybe you could just enjoy a slow agenda-free start to the day for once?

Flirting with temptation is dangerous because it takes very little for us to cross the line into sinful behaviors. Just like the slow crash of ships outside Halifax harbor, it may not seem like a big deal at the time. Scripture is clear that such actions bring about sure destruction; Proverbs is full of warnings about avoiding the path of the fool. James speaks of resisting the Devil and his efforts to derail our relationship with God. Peter identifies Satan as a lion who seeks to devour us. More than once do we see Paul instruct Christians to flee from temptation. Rather than seeking confidence in our own abilities and power, we are instructed to hold fast to Jesus Christ – one who was tempted as we are. It is only through Him that we claim any strength and victory over our spiritual adversary. It’s only in His grace and mercy that we can identify how His power is made perfect in our own weaknesses.

Pastor Dan Hurner

Preaching Rotation and Texts

June 1 

9:00 a.m.   Tordenskjold (Pr. Mark) II Tim. 2:1-13

9:00 a.m.    Kvam ( Pr. Dan) I  Timothy 1:1-18 10:30 a.m. Zion/Sarp. ( Pr. Mark) IITim. 2:1-13

June 8

9:00 a.m    Tordenskjold (Pr. Dan) II Tim. 2:14-16

900a.m.      Kvam     (Pr.Mark)  II Tim.  3:1-10

10:30 a.m.  Zion-Sarps. (Pr. Dan) II Tim.2:14-16

June 15

9:00 a.m.    Tordenskjold (Pr. Mark) II Tim.3:1-10

9:00a.m.     Kvam (Pr. Dan)IITimothy 2:14-26

10:30 a.m.  Zion-Sarps. (Pr. Mark) II Tim.  3:1-10

June 22

9:00 a.m.    Tordenskjold (Pr. Dan) II Tim.3:11-17

900 a.m.      Kvam (Pr. Mark) II Tim.4:1-22

10:30 a.m.   Zion-Sarp. (Pr. Dan) II Tim.3:11-17

June 29

9:00a.m.     Tordenskjold(Pr. Mark)IITim.4:1-22

9:00a.m.      Kvam (Pr. Dan) IITimothy 3:11-17

10:30a.m.    Zion/Sarp. (Pr. Mark)IITim. 4:1-22

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Holy Communion

June1               Zion-Sarpsborg

June 8              Tordenskjold

June 15            Kvam

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June Council Meetings

Tordenskjold   June 5 @ 7 p.m.(Deacons 6p.m.)

Zion-Sarp.        June 10@ 7p.m. (Deacons 6p.m.)

Kvam                June 17 @7:p.m. (Deacons6p.m.)

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VBS

Mark Your Calendar-Dalton Free Lutheran Vacation Bible School. Kick-off Sunday July 27th, 2025.

Theme for this year is True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World.

Please consider joining our team as there are many roles to fill. There is a sign-up sheet at each church and more information on the back of June calendar. You may also register  at dalton freelutheran.org/vbs or contact the church office

Daltonfreelutheran@gmail.com.

Ministerial Acts

Baptisms

Wrenley Rae Scott, daughter of Maxwell Scott &  Taylor Leitch, May 10,2025 (At home).

 Isaiah Mark Seland , son of Titus & Amy Seland May11, 2025 Zion/Sarpsborg Church. 

Funeral

Darlene Muriel Akerman , May17,2025 Zion- Sarps.

Annual Conference webpage at aflc.org./about-us/conferences

Bible Studies

June 5   - 2:00 p.m. – Zion/Sarp. Ladies Group

Men’s Study

The Young Adult Bible Study will meet on Thursdays at 6:30pm through the summer.

Kvam Prayer Group

This group will be meeting once monthly. Contact: Deanna Mounts for dates and time. 218-770-9304.

Thanks to All Who Serve ………..

A special thank you to all who have served in so many ways in these last months. We are grateful  that so many of you are using your gifts in this way. Thanks for teaching Sunday School, VBS, leading Bible Studies and Preaching, serving meals, visiting and caring for others in times of need. Also for caring for our buildings and grounds and doing so many things that go unnoticed. God is Good!

Parish Softball….. Monday Nights

 The new season is underway and we are currently undefeated! The goal of our team is to be able to enjoy fellowship, witness to the love of Christ in our lives and church and also to have some friendly competition. We play each Monday night at Delagoon Park in Fergus Falls.  Here is the schedule for the upcoming month: 

    June 2- 6:30  VFW  Field - 8:30 Bell Bank

    June 9- 6:30   Eagles Field- 7:30 VFW Field

    June 15- 6:30 Eagles Field -7:30 Eagles Field

    June 23- 6:30 Eagles Field- 7:30  Bell Bank

    June 30- 6:30 Bell Bank  Field- 7:30 VFW

Anchor  News

Anchor will take off for the FLY Convention on Sunday, June 29th from Zion. Our plan is to start loading the bus at 7:30pm, taking off for Colorado at 8pm. All are welcome to the sendoff as we pray over our group. We look forward to seeing how God will be at work during our week in Colorado.

Congratulations  To Our Graduates

  Tuyet Vy Bui   a graduate of Ashby High School    received a quilt at Zion- Sarpsborg on May 18th.

Others receiving quilts will be Danica Asberg and Kaitlynn Finkelson.

Services On Line

If you are not able to attend in person or would like to introduce our churches to a friend  or neighbor the 9:00a.m. Tordenskjold Service and the Zion/Sarp. Service at 10:30 is available on our YouTube channel. Simply search Dalton Free Lutheran parish and click on the worship service  ______________________________________________________________