Dear St. Mark friends,
I wish you God’s blessings as we enter this Easter season
with joy at the resurrection of our Lord Jesus!
As members of the Body of Christ, here and throughout the world, we
share a common faith in Christ our Savior.
That common bond is experienced most closely at the congregation and
synod levels, where we regularly support one another through prayer and shared
ministries.
Last week, Bishop Jeffrey Clements wrote a moving letter to
each of our synod’s congregations. I
have been touched by his personal encouragement to our synod’s pastors, as well
as his steadfast reassurance to our many church members. I am grateful for Bishop Jeff’s leadership
and witness to God’s enduring presence in these difficult and confounding days.
I am delighted to announce that Bishop Jeff has prepared a
special Sunday-after-Easter sermon to be shared this Sunday with all the
congregations of the Northern Illinois Synod.
This timely sermon will be included in our weekly online worship service. What a wonderful and unique opportunity this
is to see and hear our Bishop as he shares in our collective worship services
throughout the synod.
As we continue to implement the stay-at-home restrictions
put in place, we trust in the Lord of all creation to guide and sustain
us. I encourage you to stay in touch
with one another, offering prayers on behalf of all who are deeply affected by
the tragedies of the COVID-19 pandemic. We
are especially indebted to all those courageous souls who serve in roles of
leadership, medical attention, and caregiving.
We are witnessing the astounding strength of character and conviction in
those who sacrifice so much for the good of our country.
We look forward to the time when these necessary
restrictions are eased and lifted, allowing us to resume weekly worship at St.
Mark. Like you, I miss seeing and
greeting one another each week. I long
to be in your presence and to share in your joyous companionship again. In the meantime, we wait, we pray, and we
rejoice in the shared resurrection with Christ our Lord!
Walking this journey of faith with you,
Pastor Mark
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