Weekly message & Upcoming Events

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

            In the spring of 2009, Detra, Jacob, and I visited the city of Constantinople. Earlier it had been the Greek colony of Byzantion, while today Muslims refer to it as Istanbul, in the country of Turkey. It was the city that Constantine the Great (ca. 272-337) founded and named after himself (in AD 330) as the capital of the eastern Roman empire. (It was besieged and taken by the Ottoman Turks in the year of our Lord 1453. They’re the ones who renamed the city “Istanbul” [Greek: “into the city”].)

            During Constantine’s reign, when Christianity became legalized (in AD 313), he began plans for the construction of a huge Christian church building in the city. Named “Hagia Sophia” (“Holy Wisdom,” i.e., the person of Jesus Christ), it was completed during the reign of Justinian (ca. 483-565). Known as “the Great Church,” it was for centuries the world’s largest interior space and the first structure to employ a fully pendentive dome. For a millennium, it was the most significant Christian church building on the planet. When the Ottomans rolled in, however, they converted it into a Muslim mosque. As a result, all the Christian icons/images/mosaics in Hagia Sophia were destroyed or covered over in plaster. Between 1935 and 2020, the structure was a museum, but since 2020 it has once again become a place of Muslim worship.

            When we visited Hagia Sophia, when it was still a museum, I was simply awestruck by the immensity of the space. While the Christian symbols had been (mostly) covered, and Arabic words had been added, I couldn’t help but notice that the image of the risen Christ in the dome above the altar had not been fully concealed. It was as if the risen Jesus was looking down on us. At the time, I remarked to Detra and Jacob, “It seems the Turks couldn’t completely wipe out the risen Christ! As the glorified Lord, he’s still looking down upon all who enter here!”

            A few years after we returned from living in Europe, I got into a conversation with a Muslim friend of mine. He told me, “We have evidence in our religion that you Christians do not have. We can make a pilgrimage to Mecca and find the tomb of Muhammed, while when you go to Jerusalem, you can’t be sure you’ve found the grave of Jesus.” I told him, “You’re right. We have no tomb in Christianity. Do you know why? Because we have no corpse! Christ is risen!”

            Jesus is Lord. The “is” here is most important. Christ can’t be wiped out, covered over, set aside, concealed, and forgotten. The crucified and risen Lord has a way of “breaking through.” All our vain attempts to keep him at a distance, to keep him removed, plastered over, gone, and forgotten—fail. Just as the risen Christ “broke through” death, just as he broke into the upper room to reveal himself to those cowering disciples who had hidden for fear behind locked doors, so the risen Christ meets us today. He meets us as Victor over death, sins, the grave, and the devil. And Christ Jesus meets us in the same way as he did with those first disciples on that first Easter: “Fear not! I come as your friend and brother…” Ever since that first Easter, Christ has been breaking through, entering into locked rooms, into locked hearts, into locked heads.

            Don’t shut him out! Don’t cover him! Don’t try to ignore his victory for you and your life. In the long run, such efforts won’t work. Just look at the interior dome in Hagia Sophia today! That image speaks more than a million words….

            Christ is risen! He’s risen, indeed! Hallelujah!

            See you in church!

            Pastor Becker

            4-8-2026

Reminder: Both Highland and Big Canoe congregations have agreed to do a pictorial directory. The pictures for both congregations will be taken at Big Canoe on Tues-Wed, April 14-15, between 2pm and 8:45pm.

Upcoming Events:

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

Fri, Apr 10 (6:30pm): Young couples’ game night at the parsonage with child-sitting at Big Canoe

Sun, Apr 12 (8:45am): Bible class (Gospel of Matthew) meets in the fellowship hall at Highland

Sun, Apr 12 (10am): Worship w/Holy Communion at Highland – Second Sun. of Easter (white)

Sun, Apr 12 (after worship): Highland Church council meets

Tues, Apr 14 (2pm-8:45pm): Photos of both congregations for the pictorial directory (Big Canoe)

Tues, Apr 14 (3pm): Gather Bible study (Highland)

Wed, Apr 15 (2pm-8:45pm): Photos of both congregations for the pictorial directory (Big Canoe)

Apr 16-18: Pastor Becker attends the annual board meeting of Lutheran Quarterly in Des Moines

Sun, Apr 19 (8:45am): Bible class (Gospel of Matthew) meets in the nave at Big Canoe

Sun, Apr 19 (9am): Children’s Sunday school meets in the Fellowship Hall at Big Canoe

Sun, Apr 19 (10am): Worship w/HS baccalaureate service for Karlee and Ryan (Big Canoe) – (white)

Sun, Apr 19 (after the service): Light reception for Karlee and Ryan in the fellowship hall at Big Canoe

Sun, Apr 19 (after the service): Youth confirmation class meets in the nave at Big Canoe

Mon, Apr 20 (9am): Shared Ministry Group meeting (St. John, Locust)

Tues, Apr 21 (morning): Pr. Becker meets with the archivist at Luther College about Big Canoe history

Thurs, Apr 23 (9:30am): Pr. Becker meets with his ELCA pastoral colleague group in Decorah

Sat, Apr 25 (11am): Luther League to go roller skating

Sun, Apr 26 (8:45am): Bible class (Gospel of Matthew) meets in the fellowship hall at Highland

Sun, Apr 26 (10am): Service of the Word (Highland) – Fourth Sunday of Easter (white)

Sun, Apr 26 (10am): Blessing of the quilts and kits at Highland

Sun, Apr 26 (after worship): Highland WELCA will meet

Apr 26-27: Pastor Becker will be in Valparaiso, attending to university matters

Tues, Apr, 28: Pastor Becker will be leading a pastoral retreat in Chicago

Sat, May 2 (7am): Special consecration service for the pastoral candidates in Jos, Nigeria (via Zoom at

            Big Canoe)

            --Rev. Dr. David Albertin from Michigan City, Ind. is the guest preacher

Sun, May 3 (8:45am): Bible class (Gospel of Matthew) meets in the nave at Big Canoe

Sun, May 3 (9am): Children’s Sunday school meets in the Fellowship Hall at Big Canoe

Sun, May 3 (10am): Worship w/Holy Communion at Big Canoe – Fifth Sun. of Easter (white)

            --Rev. Dr. Steve Albertin from Indianapolis, Ind., is our guest preacher

Fri, May 8 (10am): Pastor Becker leads the worship service at Green Lea Manor (Mabel)

Fri, May 8 (morning): Terje Mikael Hasle Joranger from Norway visits Big Canoe for historical info

Sun, May 10 (8:45am): Bible class (Gospel of Matthew) meets in the fellowship hall at Highland

Sun, May 10 (10am): Worship w/Holy Communion and blessing of seeds, etc., and steeple at Highland

            (Sixth Sunday of Easter [Rogate Sunday]) – Also Mother’s Day (white)

May 11-13: Pastor Becker attends a pastoral retreat at Creighton University

Tues, May 12 (2pm): Gather Bible study (Highland)

Fri, May 22 (5pm): Wedding rehearsal (Big Canoe)

Sat, May 23 (3pm): Wedding of Molly Oehme and Beau Benzing (Big Canoe)

May 29 – June 9: Pastor and Detra are on vacation (Pastor Gies will be serving on 5/31 and 6/7)

Sun, Aug 23 (after worship): Side-by-side event, starting at Highland (rain day is Aug 30)

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