Churches hold the Soul of America

Where do you find inspiration? Often my “aha” moments happen at church in the Sunday morning service. Sometimes these moments seem to drop from heaven. For instance, a few years ago I was trying to listen to a wonderful sermon, but I was distracted by back spasms that shouted at me and took my breath away.

Suddenly a strange thing happened: I had something like a vision. In it, I saw my Larson cousins standing in a line. It was a long line because there were forty-six of us! I stood at the end, because I am the youngest of them all.

Seeing all of the cousins brought tears to my eyes. My Larson grandparents and some of the cousins had died before I was born, but that day I felt a deep bond with them. I sensed a call to write down the family stories that I knew before they were lost forever. As soon as I understood that, the back spasms quit! I was pain free.

The result of that vision is Little Sister, A Family Memoir, which was published in 2025. It includes stories about my family, and it also shows life in the heartland of America in the 1900s.

Many times over the years, I’ve sensed God speaking to me during Sunday services, and here’s why: When God’s people come together, the power of the Holy Spirit is strong, and we can more easily find healing, forgiveness, direction and much more. Yes, God can speak to our hearts in other ways and in other places. But, if you want to have your prayers answered, be blessed, be a blessing, and perhaps see a vision, it’s more likely to happen if you go to church.

Our Founding Fathers believed that. Freedom to worship was a main reason people came across the pond to America. Attending church was considered a privilege as well as a right. Most of the signers of the Constitution were church goers, and several were pastors. They weren’t worried about Christianity’s influence on government. Instead, they didn’t want government infringing on their right to worship.

A lot of people have drifted away from attending church, but we should be cautious about throwing away those rights. Many people paid a high price to ensure that freedom. Today, churches are banned in numerous countries, but in America we are free to attend the church of our choice.

If you’ve wandered away from the flock, consider the many benefits of finding a church home. There are different types of places to worship, some are traditional and some more contemporary. Certainly there is one that will speak to your heart. Along with receiving food for your soul, you may find new friendships and a place to belong.

The right to worship together is deeply imbedded in the soul of America, a foundation formed 250 years ago. We have many blessings because of the faith of our forefathers. In turn, we have the right and responsibility to bless future generations by following the same path.

This year my blog posts will be in honor of the 250^th anniversary of the United States.

For more information on faith in Early America, check out America’s Godly Heritage by David Barton.

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, 

I am there in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

Writing Update:

• Dear readers I’m having a lot of fun writing a fourth book based in the fictional community of Cottonwood Creek. I’ll tell more about it in a future post.
• On March 28, I’ll be signing books at Edgewood Assisted Living Center, 2801 39^th Ave, S.E. in Mandan, N.D. from 10 to 3 p.m. There will be lots of vendors, so stop by if you are in the area.
• Little Sister, A Family Memoir is available online at Amazon.com. Find it also at LaMoure Drug and stores that sell books in Bismarck.