Dear church,
This Sunday is Commitment Sunday, an opportunity for each of us to prayerfully consider how we will support the ministry we share at St. Luke’s in the coming year.
I’ve come to appreciate just how much difference an intentional commitment can make. When we thoughtfully consider our generosity and share our commitments, we help our congregational leaders plan responsibly and invest confidently in the ministry God is calling us to do.
Dear church,
We know the world around us is changing; participation in church and faith expression is too. But when I think about the generosity of this congregation, and all that faithful people have made possible over the past 110 years, I can’t help but get excited about what might be ahead.
One of the things I’ve been dreaming about is the possibility of legacy giving. As one generation passes its resources to the next in the coming decades, I wonder what it might mean for the future of our congregation if St. Luke’s were part of those plans.
Dear church,
This week, our beautiful new lectern was delivered and installed. Crafted by the same designer as our new baptismal font, from the very same wood, it complements the architecture and liturgical furnishings of our sanctuary. We are delighted that these two pieces, designed and created together, will now serve generations of worshipers at St. Luke’s.
The lectern also includes several thoughtful features that are both practical and beautiful: a built-in shelf, electrical connections for lighting, wheels for easy movement, and even a specially designed matching step so that our youngest readers can proclaim God’s Word with confidence!
Dear church,
This week, we kick off our annual generosity appeal, Rooted and Reaching!
This year’s appeal invites us to consider how we can deepen our roots through faithful pastoral leadership, strengthen our community through staffing and hospitality, and extend our reach by building new relationships and welcoming others into our life together.
I am grateful for the many ways your generosity continues to bear fruit. In the weeks ahead, I invite you to prayerfully consider how God is calling us to grow, together, Rooted and Reaching!
See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle
Dear church,
This Sunday we observe St. Luke’s Day, and we have so much to celebrate as a congregation bearing the name of this evangelist, physician, artist, and storyteller of God’s love!
It promises to be a particularly joyful morning… numerous reminders named below that our congregation is a living community of faith.
Dear church,
I’ve been spending a few days at Holy Wisdom Monastery in Wisconsin, making space for some rest and renewal, while also working with my prayer partner on a revision of the prayer book we have been shaping together. These beautiful fall days have been nourishing.
Dear church,
We hold some of our confirmands, Gerry, and Vicar Hannah in prayer as they head to LOMC for retreat, a time to deepen relationships and enjoy God’s good creation together.
On Sunday, we’ll celebrate another part of that good creation with our St. Francis Day Pet Blessing, giving thanks for the animals who bring joy, companionship, and love into our lives.
And during Lifelong Learning, I hope you’ll join Julie Rooney and Tonya Halfpenny for an important conversation about youth mental health, a timely opportunity to learn together and consider how we can better support the children and teens in our families and community.
See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle
Dear church,
This weekend brings two meaningful opportunities to engage with the wider church and the work we share together.
On Saturday at 3:00 p.m., the Rev. Erik Christensen will be installed as Bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod. I have the honor of serving as Director of Liturgy for the installation service, helping to shape the celebration.
Then on Sunday, we are delighted to welcome the Rev. Dr. R. Guy Erwin to St. Luke’s. President Erwin serves as president of United Lutheran Seminary and previously served as Bishop of the Southwest California Synod. He will preach at both worship services and lead our Lifelong Learning forum.
Dear church,
There are so many voices willing to tell us we are not enough. Not successful enough or faithful enough or productive enough. And sometimes the loudest voice is our own.
My best friend recently preached a line that has stayed with me: Baptism is death to the lie that you are not enough.
In baptism, we are joined to Christ’s death and resurrection. And among the things drowned in those waters is the idea that we must prove our worth before God, one another, or ourselves.
Baptism does not mean we have nothing left to learn or change. It means our belonging does not depend on our performance.
God has already claimed you. You are marked with the cross of Christ forever.
And perhaps part of living as baptized people is letting that promise drown the voices that insist otherwise.
I hope you’ll plan to join us on Sunday as we dedicate our new baptismal font and re-center ourselves around these promises.
See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle
Dear church,
Baptism is the center of our faith. It is our welcome and immersion in grace, forgiveness, and life. We are excited to share that St. Luke’s will soon be receiving a new baptismal font that has been commissioned specifically for our space. Our current font has served this congregation faithfully for generations. The new font is being designed with that same kind of horizon in mind, a font for the next 100 years of baptisms at St. Luke’s. It will honor the beauty and character of our sanctuary while also allowing us to practice baptism with fuller immersion of infants in the baptismal waters.