Weekly message & Upcoming Events

Dear friends and members of Big Canoe and Highland Lutheran Churches,

Earlier this week I happened to read some reflections by Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-59), a French diplomat, political philosopher, and historian. In 1831, he and a friend traveled widely in the United States, from the east coast to as far west as what is today Michigan. Tocqueville and his companion also went down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. They then returned to the east coast by stagecoach, after crossing the southern states. Throughout his trip, Tocqueville took extensive notes, writing down his observations and reflections on American life and customs. He also wrote about religion in America.

            After his trip, Tocqueville published his reflections in a book, Democracy in America, which came out in two volumes (1835 and 1840). Here’s the material I read earlier this week:

Most of the [American clergy] seemed voluntarily to steer clear of power and to take a sort of professional pride in claiming that it was no concern of theirs. I heard them pronouncing anathemas against ambition and bad faith in people of all political stripes. …I saw that they were careful to keep clear of all political parties, shunning contact with them with all the anxiety attendant upon personal interest. …When a religion seeks to found its sway only on the longing for immortality that torments the hearts of all equally, it can aspire to universality; but when it comes to uniting itself with a government, it must adopt maxims which apply only to certain people. Therefore, by allying itself with any political power, religion increases its strength over some but forfeits the hope of reigning over all. As long as a religion relies only upon the sentiments which are the consolation of every affliction, it can draw the heart of mankind to itself. When it is mingled with the bitter passions of this world, it is sometimes constrained to defend allies who are such from interest rather than from love; and it has to repulse as adversaries men who still love religion, although they are fighting against religion’s allies. Hence religion cannot share the material strength of the rulers without being burdened with some of the animosity aroused against those rulers. …Like our years upon this earth, the powers of society are all more or less transitory. They come and go quickly, like the various cares of life; and there has never been a government supported by some invariable disposition of the human heart or one founded upon some interest that is immortal. …When religion chooses to rely on the interests of this world, it becomes almost as fragile as all earthly powers. Alone, it may hope for immortality; linked to ephemeral powers, it follows their fortunes and often falls together with the fleeting passions that sustain them. Hence any alliance with any political power whatsoever is bound to be burdensome for religion. It does not need their support in order to live, and in serving them it may die. (Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, trans. George Lawrence [Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, 1969], 296-98 [trans. modified])

            You might consider these reflections in light of Jesus’ teaching in the appointed Gospel lesson for Sunday: Luke 14:1-14.

  See you in church!

                        Pastor Becker

                        8/28/25

Upcoming Events:

Sun, Aug 31 (10am): Service w/Holy Communion (Big Canoe) – Twelfth Sun. after Pentecost (green)

Sun, Sep 7 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the nave at Big Canoe

Sun, Sep 7 (9am): Sunday school resumes in the Fellowship Hall at Big Canoe

Sun, Sep 7 (10am): Service w/Holy Communion (Big Canoe) – Thirteenth Sun. a. P. (green)

Wed, Sep 10 (7pm): Burr Oak WELCA bazaar and raffle

Fri, Sep 12 (10am): Pr. Becker leads the worship service at Green Lea Manor (Mabel)

Sat, Sep 13 (2:30pm): Mitch Nordheim and Brooklyn Larsen wedding (Big Canoe)

Sun, Sep 14 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the Fellowship Hall at Highland

Sun, Sep 14 (10am): Service w/Holy Communion (Highland) – Holy Cross Day (red)

Sun, Sep 14 (after worship): Special congregational meeting at Highland to discuss sidewalk/parking

Tue, Sep 16 (1:30-4pm): Meeting of the Upper Iowa River Conference of the ELCA (Big Canoe)

Wed, Sep 17 (noon): WELCA of Big Canoe lunch and meeting (Big Canoe)

Sun, Sep 21 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the nave at Big Canoe (Pr. Brackett)

Sun, Sep 21 (9am): Sunday school meets in the Fellowship Hall at Big Canoe

Sun, Sep 21 (10am): Service of the Word (Big Canoe) – Matthew, Apostle (red) (Pr. Brackett)

Sun, Sep 21 (11:15am): Helms Funeral Home luncheon/presentation in the Fellowship Hall at Big Canoe

Mon, Sep 23-Wed, Sep 25: Pastor Becker will be attending a pastors’ retreat in Chicago

Sun, Sep 28 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the Fellowship Hall at Highland

Sun, Sep 28 (10am): Service of the Word (Highland) – Sixteenth Sun. a. Pentecost (green)

Sun, Sep 28 (11am-1pm): Bazaar meal at Highland

Sun, Sep 28 to Tues, Sep 30: Pastor Becker will be attending the Tri-synodical fall theological conference

Oct 1-6 – Pastor and Detra will be in Oregon for his brother’s funeral

Sun, Oct 5 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the nave at Big Canoe – Pr. Gies

Sun, Oct 5 (9am): Sunday school meets in the Fellowship Hall at Big Canoe

Sun, Oct 5 (10am): Service w/Holy Communion (Big Canoe) – Seventeenth Sun. a. P. (green) – Pr. Gies

Sun, Oct 5 (11am – 3pm): WELCA Meatball Dinner at Big Canoe Fellowship Hall

Fri, Oct 10 (10am): Pastor Becker leads the worship service at Green Lea Manor (Mabel)

Sat, Oct 11 (9am-noon): WELCA bake sale (Big Canoe)

Sun, Oct 12 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the Fellowship Hall at Highland

Sun, Oct 12 (10am): Service w/Holy Communion (Highland) – Eighteenth Sun. a. P. (green)

Sun, Oct 12 (after worship): Feed the Farmers event – meals prepared at Highland

Sat, Oct 18 (7:00pm): Feast of St. Luke, Physician - Service of Anointing for Healing (Big Canoe)

Sun, Oct 19 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the nave at Big Canoe

Sun, Oct 19 (9am): Sunday school meets in the Fellowship Hall at Big Canoe

Sun, Oct 19 (10am): Service of the Word w/blessing the quilts at BC (Big Canoe) – 19th Sun. a. P. (green)

Thurs, Oct 23 (9am): Shared Ministry meeting (Peace Lutheran Church, Ridgeway)

Sun, Oct 26 (8:45am): Bible class (on the Nicene Creed) meets in the Fellowship Hall at Highland

Sun, Oct 26 (10am): Service of the Word w/blessing the quilts at H (Highland) – Ref. Sunday (red)

Wed, Oct 29 (2:30pm): Pastor Becker leads the worship service at Aase Haugen

Fri, Oct 31 (dusk-??): Pastor and Detra will be handing out “treats” (no tricks!) at the parsonage

Sat, Nov 1 (7:30-10:30am): Lutheran World Relief Truck at Olson Explosives

Nov 3-4: Pastor Becker will be participating in a pastors’ retreat in Chicago

Thurs, Nov 6 (9am-3pm): Pastor Becker will be participating in Boundaries Education

Nov 17-19: Pastor Becker will be giving three lectures at a pastors’ retreat at Creighton University

Apr 21 – May 5, 2026: Pr. Becker will be in Nigeria, Africa (ordaining 20 pastors)

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Matthew L. Becker, STS, B.A., M.Div., M.A., Ph.D.

Pastor, Big Canoe and Highland Lutheran Churches, Decorah, IA

Treasurer, Lutheran Quarterly

Senior Research Professor of Theology Valparaiso University College of Arts & Sciences Room 314
1400 Chapel Drive Valparaiso, IN 46383 Phone:  219-916-8535 E-mail: matthew.becker@valpo.edu