The Rev. Lisa Gilbert, current pastor of Montello UMC in Wisconsin, holds up the Kenneth Wyatt painting "Offer Them Christ" that figures in the Rev. John Sumwalt's Palm Sunday sermon. (Photo Courtesy of John Sumwalt)
Special to United Methodist Insight | April 21, 2026
After 42 years it was still a thrill to walk into that lovely church sanctuary in the new church we helped to build in Montello, Wisconsin. I recognized many people, but there were some who had to remind me of their names. Then came the hugs that warmed this old preacher’s heart.
The Trinity pastor, the Rev. Lisa Gilbert, had invited me to preach at their Palm Sunday service.
Wayne Reiche was the first person to greet us when we walked in the door. Wayne’s wife, Mary Reiche, was up front warming up the church organ. We used to love visiting the Reiche’s in their beautiful dome house. Wayne was a member of the Building Committee when we helped to build the new church in 1984.
Since it was Palm Sunday, my message began with the story of the day:
“Before the triumphal parade into Jerusalem, before Jesus mounted the donkey and the crowds threw their cloaks in front of him and waved their palm branches and shouted hosanna, there was an argument.
“Just before they got to Jerusalem, there was a big disagreement among Jesus’s followers which ended with all the disciples being angry with one another, and Jesus, as usual having to step in and set them straight.
“It began with the mother of James and John, the two disciples known as the sons of thunder, marching up to Jesus and demanding that he allow her sons to sit at his right and left hand in his kingdom. When the other ten disciples heard this they were furious. Just before the big parade into Jerusalem the disciples were fighting. Everything was falling apart.
“We all know this story. It happens all the time in our everyday lives in families, at work, at school and on the playground. It happens all the time in churches too, especially in churches.
“We had a little disagreement right here in this room 42 years ago, just two weeks before we moved here from the old church. The sanctuary wasn’t quite finished. The pews had not yet been brought over, and they were still staining the ceiling.
“I kept a journal in those days, and I will read you what I wrote about that little disagreement. But before I do let me tell you a little about what life was like in Montello and in our church at that time:
"I started my Montello Journal in April of 1980. In one of the first entries I wrote, 'It is the hottest day ever in April, 94 degrees. I planted peas, radishes, spinach, marigolds and lettuce in the little garden plot behind the parsonage. The garden was just below the granite wall that separates the church property from Izzy Baxter's yard above. I put horse manure on the garden. The postmaster, Allan Christiansen, told me that fresh horse manure might burn the root crops.” It didn’t.
"Are you allowed to say horse manure in the pulpit? I have been accused of it more than once.
The Rev. John Sumwalt and his wife Jo greet 102-year-old Eunice Hutchings at Trinity United Methodist Church in Montello, Wisc. Rev. Sumwalt called her “the indispensable woman” in his sermon.
“May 7, 1981: ‘Hectic day in the office, Jane Kronshnable, our church secretary, was finishing the newsletter. A crew was in the basement to fold the newsletters and had difficulty filling out the post office form without Eunice Hutchings, who was on vacation.” Eunice, who is now 102 years old, and was present for this sermon, was, and is, the indispensable woman.
“That afternoon I visited Helen Druggish who told me she had a snake in her living room the night before, a four-foot pine snake. She called Mark and Shelley Robinson to come over and get it out. They found 3 more in the basement. Helen is beside herself, doesn’t know what to do. She has had Jim Kronshnable from the DNR in to look at the problem.
“I am afraid of snakes. I offered a quick prayer and got out of there as fast as I could.
“Kids always had the best comments in church: On January 19, 1981, during concerns & celebrations, Stephanie Szabelski announced, ‘Julie went to the hospital to get her butt fixed. It brought down the house.
“On the Sunday that one of Larry and Kathy Becker’s babies was being baptized, I announced, ‘As the ushers come forward let us bring our tithes and offerings.’ The oldest Becker boy stood up and started to take off his tie. Kathy told me afterward that when she asked, ‘What are you doing?’ he said, pointing at me the preacher, ‘He wants my tie!’
“Feb. 23, 1981: Visited Jack Robinson and Doris North at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison. Jack said his Aunt Edna Ritchie had been to see him, gave him two big kisses. ‘Almost worth having the operation for that,’ he said. ‘She has hardly spoken to me for ten years.’
“Feb 15, 1981, my 31st birthday: 155 in worship, 1 baptism, 1 confirmation, took in 9 new members, congregation sang happy birthday. When I carried Angela Cartwright down the aisle after her baptism, I handed her to her great-grandmother, Mary Cartwright, and Mary kissed her. It was a holy moment.
“That afternoon 12 members of the choir went with me to do the worship service at the Oxford Federal Prison – they never sang better – inspired - Bunny Paul’s rendition of the Lord’s Prayer moved me to tears – finished to many Amens from inmates – two prisoners, John Lawerence & Stan Robinson, read scripture. After passing the peace we all shared communion by intinction around the altar. Twelve inmates were present. We visited with them for a long time afterwards; they want us to return soon. Everyone was beaming when we left; the Spirit was truly present. We went to the Pioneer restaurant in Westfield for lunch afterwards
"I will never forget Bob Wright, the legendary editor and owner of the Marquette County Tribune. His wife, Marion, called to invite me out to their house a few weeks after Bob was diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer. It was the day after his 64th birthday, May 27, 1981.
Trinity United Methodist Church was built in 1984 when the Rev. John Sumwalt was pastor. (Courtesy Photo)
Bob told me he was the only one who was not surprised by the news of his terminal illness: 'I have had an intuitive sense about it for two years, ever since I first felt the pain in my bones. I have an epitaph for those who thought I was a hypochondriac: I told you I wasn’t feeling well.' Bob always had something smart to say; he winked at me and said, 'If I can’t leave them laughing, I ain’t going.'”
Then I got to the heart of the sermon:
“Years ago in this community, we had a little disagreement about which books should be in the school library.
“If Montello is anything like where Jo and I live, in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, you are probably still arguing about that. And it is worth arguing about as American citizens and as followers of Jesus. If we are not arguing about the big things that affect all our lives, we are probably not paying attention.
“On April 15, 1980, I wrote in my journal:
“I attended a controversial school board meeting last night. At issue was the censorship of certain library books considered obscene by a vocal minority of concerned citizens. If we had several hours I would tell you the whole story about the book controversy, about helicopters from all the major national television networks landing on the football field, about the time CBS news filmed one of our worship services – and the time the sheriff, Kelly Campion, sat beside me at a school board meeting because they had a tip that the Posse Comitatus might cause violence that night.
“It seemed odd that the Sheriff made a point of sitting next to me. I learned later his intent was to protect me, because I had been outspoken about the issue. I didn’t begin to tremble until I got home, and it sank in that I might have been in real danger.
“The Posse was distributing literature in the community accusing high school teachers of corrupting the morals of students. One school board member, who was a guest on a Wisconsin Public Radio program, accused the high school biology teacher, George Tanner, on air, of telling students there was nothing wrong with smoking marijuana. He had not, of course. George filed a slander suit and 12 jurors awarded him a settlement. George was the chair of the church’s Administrative Board. I testified on his behalf.
“Suffice it to say it was an interesting time. I defended our teachers and spoke out in favor of free speech. I was afraid that the church might lose members; in fact, we grew.
“I recall vividly the night Joanne Schwitz, who was an English teacher at the high school, called me and asked for my support on the book issue. It was January 17, 1981. Joanne said she was worried and had decided to talk to as many people as possible. I asked her about coming to church. She was hesitant. I asked her to come because the church needs her and she needs the church. I also said, ‘I would feel affirmed and I need your support.’ Joanne said, ‘Then I’ll be there. I hope I can contribute something.’ That Sunday, she and her husband, Mif, and daughter Becky were in worship.
“On March 8, two months later, when I preached a key sermon on the issue which got written up in two local papers, there were nine teachers present in church.
“On Oct 21, 1982, I wrote: ‘Went to a neighborhood meeting at Leo and Nola Campbell’s last night to discuss the Long Range Planning report. Bob and Edith Roe, Dale and Betty Daniels, Fred and Jean Cartwright, Linda Daniels, Arlis Olson, and Esther Galbraith were present. All seemed in favor of building a new church. Nola Campbell said, ‘I want to be able to attend worship when I am old and using a cane. I don’t know if I will be able to do that in the present building with steps as they are.’
“Esther Galbraith said to me as we were leaving, ‘Well, I guess we better get started on a new building.’ Linda Daniels said, ‘It was time to take some big steps, especially for the sake of the children.’
“Now we come to the little disagreement I told you about. It happened just a few weeks before the move from the old church in September of 1984:
“The building committee had a big debate about the stained-glass windows in the old church. There was no question about keeping that beautiful glass; the controversy was about keeping the memorial plaques that were under each window. The committee was about evenly divided.
“It is strange how some details stay in memory. We were sitting right here in the middle of the sanctuary. I can see every member of that group and where they were sitting. At the head of the table was Bill Dow, our chair, now a retired Local pastor; next to him was Jim Paul, then Shelley Robinson, Linda Tanner, Krista Sherin, Wayne Reiche, Herb Sheller, Eleanor Steinhaus, and Fred Cartwright, sitting next to me.
“Herb Sheller was a well-known muck farmer in Marquette County and Eleanor Steinhaus was a retired funeral director.
“Eleanor saw to it that the front doors of the new church were high enough that her six foot eight twin grandsons, Gregg and Tom Steinhaus, who played basketball for University of Wisconsin teams in the 1980s, would be able to carry her coffin into the church without ducking their heads.
“Herb and Eleanor, who were the senior members of the building committee and good friends, went at it tooth and nail in the debate about the memorial plaques. I won’t say who was on which side. The rest of us kind of ducked down under the table while the matriarch and the patriarch politely duked it out.
“In the end, Fred Cartwright, the church Lay Leader and always the peace maker, made a few remarks, and we voted. You can look at the windows and see how the vote turned out. Like most church disagreements it doesn’t matter much now, forty-two years later.
“There will always be arguments and disagreements in and outside the church about little issues and big issues.
“We do well to remember what Jesus said to the two wannabe ‘great disciples’ who wanted to sit at his right and left hand. And to the other ten disciples who were so angry at them.
“Jesus said to those disagreeable, angry disciples, ‘You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.’
“And then Jesus added the crucial point: ‘Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ (Matthew 20:20-28)
“That is standard for those of us who follow Jesus. Disagree, be angry with one another; just remember what we are about. Be a servant! Drink the cup that he drank!
“Jesus made sure the disciples got that right before the big parade into Jerusalem. Arguing is not a bad thing as long as we remember who and whose we are.
Then I held up a painting of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, which hangs in the main hallway of the church. It was dedicated on that first Sunday in the new building. The caption beneath the painting reads: “Offer Them Christ.”
I said, “This is why we were called to build this beautiful building, and it is the call that will sustain Trinity United Methodist Church in all the years to come!”
The Rev. John Sumwalt is a retired United Methodist pastor and the author of “How to Preach the Miracles.”