In thanksgiving we gathered on Reformation Day to celebrate the 10 anniversary of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church worshipping in Hyannis, NE. This church previously worshipped as Swede Valley Lutheran Church located south of Ashby, NE. We also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Sandhills Lutheran Ministry now comprised of three congregations: Shepherd of the Hills, Bingham and Faith Lutheran Churches. All three congregations have at least two things in common. First, they are located in the beautiful, rolling Sandhills of Nebraska. Secondly, they are Lutheran Christian congregations. This year marks the 504th anniversary of the Reformation. Reformation Sunday is an occasion for the Church to celebrate with the reformer Martin Luther her possession of the one, true, never-changing Gospel message. Luther’s “Discovery” is shared by us all and not confined to only a specific region or a group of people. Today, we are celebrating not only Church anniversaries but more importantly we are celebrating the complete freedom that is ours through Jesus. The freedom we have is the release from the slavery of our own sin and to be transformed to a new life in Christ.
