Dear church,
We are looking forward to a wonderful morning of outdoor worship this Sunday! We will welcome missionary guests from the ELCA, receive a special offering for the food pantry [bring a ‘meal in a can!’], celebrate those with July birthdays and anniversaries, and enjoy ice cream treats together following worship. We are also glad to welcome Pastor Mike Busbey as our guest preacher. It should be a joyful celebration!
See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle
Dear church,
As Independence Day approaches, Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry invites us to hold together gratitude and humility as our nation looks toward the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
That feels like faithful language for Christians. We can give thanks for the gifts of this country and the bold vision of freedom and equality named in its founding documents, while also telling the truth about the ways that vision has not yet been fully realized.
In many ways, this is the shape of Christian hope. We live in the “already and not yet,” trusting God’s promised future even as we are called to repentance, justice, mercy, and love here and now.
I encourage you to take a few minutes to read Bishop Curry’s statement linked below.
See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle
Dear church,
Yesterday we shared the joyful news that Annika Sundberg has accepted our call to serve as St. Luke’s new Director of Music Ministries. I hope you will take a moment to read that announcement and give thanks for the work of the search team!
In worship this Sunday, we hear Jesus say, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me.” Community begins there: in the welcome we extend, the small acts of hospitality, and the ways we greet the Christ in each other.
We look forward to planning a warm welcome for Annika when she joins us in August.
See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle
Dear church,
In this Sunday’s gospel reading, Jesus speaks honestly about the cost of discipleship, divided households, courage, and truth.
That may feel complicated on a day when many are giving thanks for fathers, grandfathers, and father figures, while others carry grief, absence, strain, or longing. Perhaps that is part of the gift of this text. Jesus does not pretend that life or family is uncomplicated. Instead, he reminds us that we belong first and finally to God, the One who knows even the sparrow that falls and counts every hair of our heads.
This week, we are invited to bring a special offering of items for birthday bags for the Maine Township Food Pantry.
In the earliest patterns of Christian worship, people brought what they could: bread, wine, money, food, and other gifts. From those offerings, bread and wine were set apart for the Eucharist, and the rest was entrusted to the church’s care, shared with strangers, neighbors, and anyone facing hardship.
Dear church,
Please join me in prayer for the bishop election that we will be participating in around the very time you will receive this email…
Holy One, we pray for your church. Fill it with passion for your word and trust in your promises. Raise up gifts among us as we work to call a new bishop for the Metropolitan Chicago Synod: listening and speaking, analyzing and inspiring, humility and grace. In all things may we trust in your promises, follow your will and serve your people, through Jesus Christ, who is our hope. Amen.
See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle
Dear church,
This Sunday is Holy Trinity Sunday, the day the church pauses to name the mystery at the heart of our faith: God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is a living relationship that draws us in.
Dear church,
I want to share a brief update on our search for the new Director of Music Ministries.
During the initial application period, we received 22 applications for the position. The search committee carefully reviewed those materials and invited six candidates into the next round of conversation, which included a one-on-one Zoom conversation with me and a Zoom interview with the search team.
Dear church,
This Sunday, we will celebrate the Confirmation/Affirmation of Baptism of nine of our young people. In the rite, they will be asked whether they intend to continue in the covenant God made with them in Holy Baptism: to live among God’s faithful people, to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper, to proclaim the good news in word and deed, to serve all people following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.
Dear church,
This Sunday, May 10, St. Luke’s will celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday by welcoming Mark Stutrud, President and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, as our guest preacher.
Each year, LSSI gives powerful witness to the shepherding love of God through ministries of care, healing, and accompaniment across our state. Last year alone, LSSI served more than 62,000 people, about 1 in every 203 Illinoisans. As the largest private provider of foster care in Illinois, LSSI walks alongside children, families, and neighbors in some of life’s most vulnerable moments. Last year, 88% of those served by LSSI had an annual income below $25,000.
Mark and Terri Gens, Senior Director of Development, will be with us during worship and afterward to share more about LSSI’s work, answer questions about their services, and help us understand how potential Medicaid and SNAP cuts could affect the people LSSI serves. Terri will also be bringing the LSSI sheep!
See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle