"One generation shall laud they works to another, and shall declare thy might acts." Psalm 145:4

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

As you page through this book, you will undoubtedly notice how much things have changed. Styles of clothing, the assimilation from a basically German community into the mainstream of American life, patterns and practices in worship, all speak of change. And yet, those who were here before us were much like us. Their concerns and goals were the same: to make a living, to raise a family, to live with the Lord. It is that last item that we are celebrating in our centennial year. It is, of course, the most important thing: to live with the Lord. As we look back, and remember those who first gathered around Word and Sacrament in this place, we praise God and give Him the glory, for it is our gracious God who gathers his people into congregations and condescends to dwell among us in grace and mercy. As we look forward to the generations that shall come after us, it is with the prayer that God will condescend to dwell with them in grace and mercy and lead them to give Him the praise and glory. The common thread that binds us together with those who have gone before us, and those who will follow after us is not, after all, our common humanity or the particular place in the creation that we inhabit. The common thread that binds us together is the marvelous, eternal grace of God, in Christ. "100 Years of God’s Grace" is the theme for our centennial, because those words so simply and clearly remind us what it is we have to celebrate.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Ault