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On Sunday, November 4, 2018 Dows First Lutheran celebrated 150 years of worship!
The worship service opened with the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.”
Trumpeters Cindy Trainum and Kylie Klaver played with organist Phyllis
Wesenberg. The song accompanied a procession led by our four confirmands, Owen
Coldiron, Ethan Hurt, Jacob Ingebritson and Nash Lienemann, who carried in the
Christ Cross, the Holy Bible and the Elements (Bread & Wine). The confirmands
were followed in by several pastors who served the congregation in the past.
Reverends Dave Anderson, Harold McMillin, Glenn Kappelmann, Ron Nelson, and Paul
Thompson joined Rev. Howard, Lay Pastor Meester and Bishop Ullestad. After the
clergy members, came the Sesquicentennial Choir, a 30 person group led by guest
director Jennifer Littlejohn and accompanied by Sheree Koutsoukos.
The service included a “Litany of the Saints” which paid tribute to those lost
this past year. Remembered were, Emma Colnes, Marilyn Ingebritson, Janet
Beem-Boll, Denny Moore, Carlene Peyton, Arthurine Haupt and Kenny Nielsen. Also
acknowledged, were the seventeen pastors who have served First Lutheran, and
have gone on to the Church Triumphant.
Special music was shared by the Sesquicentennial Singers and The Wesenberg
Quartet (Mina Fantz, Dayce McAndrews, Sheree Koutsoukos and Dane Wesenberg). A
small group which included Deb Coldiron, Sheree Koutsoukos, flutist Aimee Hanson
and guitarist Grant Parker also performed. Lay Pastor Meester shared a
children’s sermon.
A meal was enjoyed following worship and afterward, Rev. Roger Dykstra joined
the rest of our guest clergy in attending an afternoon program. Emcee Laurel
Meester coordinated songs from the Sesquicentennial singers and The Wesenberg
Quartet with memories shared by each of our former pastors. Also shared, a
letter from Rev. John Langehough’s wife, as well as a message from Rev. Dr. Ron
Yarnell. The entire Sunday school (preschool though high school) led the crowd
in singing one of their favorite hymns, "Siyahamba (We Are Marching In the Light
of God)” and the confirmands joined Emcee Meester and parishioner Craig Russell
in a hilarious and touching skit called “The Hug Machine.”
One of the many highlights of the program was a 20 minute documentary film on
the history of the congregation, written and produced by Deb Coldiron and
narrated by David Stein.
The day ended with coffee and cookies in the Fellowship Hall, where members
enjoyed visiting with former pastors and their families and also many guests,
some who had traveled from very far away.
Symbols were behind so many of the day’s details. The sanctuary was decorated
with eight new banners declaring the Four Solas: Grace Alone, Faith Alone, the
Word Alone and Christ Alone. They were made to remember Lay Pastor Meester’s
Internship project, an adult bible study on Martin Luther and the Four Solas. A
beautiful mobile of 150 doves (made by Beth and Dan Hurt, with help from Jeanne
Russell and Judy Gorder) represented each year of the anniversary. The baptismal
font from the congregation’s first building (when the church was called “Otis
Grove Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church”) was on display, as well as a
nativity set brought back from the Holy Land by former Pastor Anderson during
his tenure at First some fifty years ago. Every piece of special music was
chosen because it had been performed memorably at some point in the
congregation’s history. Even the meal was chosen for a special reason, in honor
of “Lutheran potluck” culture, a meal of ham balls and cheesy potatoes was
served!
The day’s theme was from Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I am making all things new!”
It was chosen because First Lutheran just completed mentoring its very first
pastoral intern. “Intern” Laurel Meester became “Lay Pastor” Meester in
September and the congregation is eagerly looking forward to her ordination
later this Winter or early Spring. The 150th Committee included Chairperson Deb
Coldiron, Jeanie Agena, Arne Anderson and Maynard Agena. Scott Coldiron served
as Sound and Technical Coordinator. Monica Johnson and Kathy Thelke chaired the
food committee, with Jean Swanson heading up the Fellowship Hall decorating.
Countless people helped in the preparations (including cleaning, baking, sewing,
yard work and repairs), making the day one to remember for years to come!
Committee Chair Deb Coldiron stated, “The day was really wonderful, the church
looked beautiful, the music was terrific and seeing and hearing from each former
pastor was delightful. Thank you to all who traveled great distances to be with
us and to everyone who worked hard to make it all come together!”
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