Good morning everyone!
What a great day we had last week as the Intern Committee provided us with a wonderful good-bye breakfast for Intern Rita and her family.
Can you believe that this Sunday is Intern Rita’s last day with us? We will be having a blessing for Intern Rita and her family at each service Sunday. Let’s send her off with a hearty thanks to God for our year together and prayers for her continued faith journey.
Readings for Sunday include:
Isaiah 44:6-8
Psalm 86:11-17
Romans 8:12-25
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Summer blessings to you!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Mark
Hello one and all!
I trust your Thanksgiving holiday has been one of reconnect, family, friends and a time to thank God for life on this earth! St. Paul, Immanuel and St. John all enjoyed a joint worship service on Wednesday evening held at Immanuel Lutheran in Rock Falls. There was a really nice group gathered to center thoughtfully in worship with the theme of gratitude to God for blessings that abound!
At our home, Nancy and I were blessed to host nearly half of our family- 20 were present for lively conversation, some table games, delicious meals (in true Luthearn format, everyone brought a dish to pass) and catching up on many happenings of family members!! What joy!! Thanksgiving is one of my favorites holidays!
Tomorrow, Sunday November 28th, is the first Sunday of Advent. This day marks the beginning of yet another year in the church calendar, a gift of God!
Here are the readings:
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:36-44
I do look forward with great joy and anticipation to worship with you each and every one on the Lord’s day tomorrow! See you then, you will be glad you came!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Mark
Good afernoon everyone!
Blessings as the work week winds down!
I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to those who have heard
the message regarding the importance of weekly worship. Some of you know
that it only takes 21 days to develop a new habit and I have observed that
several of you are almost there in regard to the priority of being in God’s
house on Sunday. Keep it up!
If you are one that has yet to commit, now is the time. If you know of a
friend or neighbor who is absent, give she or he a call tommorow to invite
them again to worship this Sunday. We’ll all be blessed by this act of
hospitality!! Most of all, we’ll all be making great strides in getting
right with God! Come to worship- you will be glad you did!
Sunday is Reformation Day. Remember to wear red if you have such clothes.
The church is even more beautiful than normal with the pew torches and all.
At 10:45 worship we will have an adult baptism when we welcome Ryan Reaver
to the body of Christ! ALso there are 6 young people (first year high
schoolers) who will publically affirm their faith. This important
profession of faith means an even greater participation in the life of the
church as abilities and maturity takes place. WELCOME!!
The readings for Sunday are as follows:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 46
Romans 3:19-28
John 8:31-36
The sermon Sunday is based on Psalm 46, the very psalm Luther used as the
foundation for the great hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” We will
examine the relationship between the two and find connections with today’s
living and knowing Christ as our advocate and guide!
I look forward to sharing the joy of praising God with you on Sunday!
See you in church!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Mark
“Commit to the Lord, whatever you do…” Proverbs 16:3
As Lent ends and we begin the joy of the Easter season, I ask you to examine yourselves in the light of Jesus journey toward the cross. I encourage you to ask yourself, “What is my commitment to Jesus? What does it mean to say that I am a Christian? What does it mean to be baptized and to be a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church? What does it mean when I say yes to Jesus?”
I always enjoy meeting with persons interested in becoming members of St. John’s. The questions, the hopes and the spiritual hunger to grow in the faith are marvelous. Whether you are a long time experienced member of the congregation, or new to the faith, there are expectations of the people of God who hear God’s call to profess Jesus as Lord. As you reflect on the questions above, be honest in answering them. To help clarify, I want to share with you what it is we agree to when we unite with St. John’s. This means each of us as the baptized and confirmed members. Every day, every month, every year of our lives.
1.) Weekly worship – “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy!”
2.) Share your faith- “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
3.) Commit to one learning experience each year, one class. How will we grow if we do not learn?
4.) Daily prayer- “Pray without ceasing”
5.) Share according to how God has first blessed us. That means tithe (10%) giving.
6.) Participate in at least one committee or event that serves each year.
How do you measure up to the expectations of being a Christian? As your pastor I strongly encourage you to honestly answer how you are living your Christian witness in relation to the expectations. Without commitment in the minimal ways listed above, you are missing much of the “fruit of the spirit” that God promises to those who confess Jesus as Lord. We have a number of members who are invited here and now to re-commit as members of God’s church!
At St. John’s, God has need of leaders. Are you a leader? Pastor Steinke, a long time and strong leader both in the local church and nationally, has offered to share his leadership experience and training with our congregation. Please prayerfully consider attending this unique 5 session class. You will not regret it. Leading is fun and energizing, both for you and those who will grow in the faith by your efforts. Begins April 15th at 7:00 P.M. in the library! This will be good!!
Sabbatical planning is nearly complete. Summer promises to be an exciting time for both God’s people at St. John’s and myself. Check out the details as they come forward.
Remember, Sunday is for church! Honor God by being there!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Mark
“Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go
before you.” Exodus 32:34
And who shall lead them? In our day and time leaders are a rare commodity. Many will say, “I will help, but I don’t want to be in charge.” Truth be told, God needs leaders. God needs persons who will stand and say, “we can do this, come, together we will make a difference in this our day and time.”
In this Lenten time, please pray for leaders. Whether this is in church, community, schools, business, service organizations, or government, leaders are sorely needed. It is almost a past time in our world to speak negatively of leaders. Speaking in such a manner is the way of God’s people. Leaders need support and constructive conversations about the mutual role of leader and server.
One way that we will be addressing the imminent need for leaders at St. John’s is by offering a leadership seminar. Did you know we have experienced leaders here willing to share the joy of serving God in a leadership role? Pastor Charles Steinke, one of our members, has offered to teach a seminar on leadership for our people. This event will be forthcoming after Easter. Please pray for and consider your place at the table of people willing to lead. Sign up will be available soon. Questions? Call Pastor Steinke at 632.0874 or ask Pastor Mark.
Other leaders have offered to teach. One will be a module on iconography. These are hand painted images depicting the eternal mysteries of God. Icons are much like puzzles, only in image form. Many details are depicted by the artists of icons. Much can be learned by studying them. If you are a visual person as I am, icons can bring much meaning to faith. Another is Pastor Phil’s class on the Divine Drama. Many have enjoyed his passion to teach the bible.
If you have an interest in these or other classes, let us know either in the office or directly to me. I invite, welcome and encourage your participation.
I look forward to seeing you in church. Truly we are more together than ever we could be alone!!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Mark
