MILBERGER — United Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Milberger, will celebrate its German heritage with a worship service conducted entirely in German at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 27.
Milberger is located 16 miles southwest of Russell.
This service will use the order of worship that the Volga German forebears of the present members brought with them from the Volga River of Russia. This service will include Holy Communion using the common cup, as was the practice back when the church was founded.
An unusual feature of this service is that part of the sermon will be preached using the Milberger dialect of German. It was always the practice that High German was used by the pastors who served United Emmanual because they could not speak the local dialect, known as “Daitsch.”
The Rev. Delvin Strecker, pastor of Elim Lutheran Church in Marquette, whose grandparents and parents were members of United Emmanuel, and who grew up speaking the Milberger dialect, will preach and preside at the worship service.
Terry Batt of Thornton, Colo., will serve as the guest organist. Batt’s parents and grandparents were members of the former Trinity Lutheran Church at Bender Hill, and grew up speaking Volga German and playing the music of the local Volga German churches, as well as their folk music.
Since many of the area residents don’t have an opportunity to sing the old familiar hymns, there will be a short hymn sing following the worship service.