Sacred Moments

What a journey!  As I am settling into my call as the Associate Pastor here at St. Mark Lutheran Church, I have found myself reflecting on how I got here.  It has been an adventure that included several hours of driving in and out of Hyde Park in Chicago, several hours reading, writing, and reflecting for classes, a year and a half of zoom classes, and a whole lot of prayers.  I would not change or trade this journey.  Each step of this journey provided the opportunity to learn and grow. 

I recently read a prayer from the book, Guerrillas of Grace Prayers for the Battle, by Ted Loder, titled “Thank You for Each Moment.” (pgs. 43-45) Here are two paragraphs that stood out to me as I read the prayer…

Lord, thank you for each moment, for the high-noon moment, the job, the necessary routine, for the sweaty struggle, the high-risk challenge, the impulse to change, for my fierce heart and the courage gathering in me. Ground me to wrestle with whatever comes as a gift and to praise you in it.

Lord, thank you for each moment, for the shared moments, the listening, the unguarded word, for the fragile openness, the ready smile, the accepted difference, for my passionate heart and the trust rooting in me. Stretch me to grow with whatever comes as a gift and to praise you in it.

I give God thanks and praise for the times that I wrestled with a challenge, it is in these times I learned the most, and I thank God for the courage and fierce heart that is within me. I thank God for the necessary routines and for the quieter times of listening and for fragile openness.  These are sacred moments.  I treasure these sacred moments. I hope you can find some sacred moments to treasure.   

Would you like a chance to meet with me?  If so, I will block out times on Wednesdays and Thursdays in August for folks to meet with me at St. Mark.  Please call the church office (815)398-3557 between the hours of 9am and 3pm to schedule a time to meet with me.  After Rally Weekend (Sept. 10-12), I will set up additional times to meet with me, look for that information later in August. 

God’s Peace,

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber

A Note on Wearing Masks Indoors

Now that we are in Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan, a lot of our members have been wondering about how our COVID rules might be changing here at St. Mark. On Tuesday night, our council adopted the following statement, which is in line with current guidance from the state:

"Per the latest CDC guidelines, face masks are no longer required for those who are fully vaccinated. If not fully vaccinated, please consider wearing a face mask when safe social distancing is not possible."

Put simply, folks who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask during worship! Of course, you may continue to do so for your own sense of comfort. In addition to this guidance on masks, we are also no longer requiring reservations, taking temperatures, or filling out any paperwork for folks to participate in events. With these changes, our indoor worship service will look almost like it used to. The pandemic is still ongoing, and these protocols may be needed again in the future. For now though, we can relax, even as we remain diligent.

When you arrive on Sunday, you will notice that our ushers and communion assistants will still be wearing masks, as will your pastors during communion. Many of our members may also continue to wear one for a long time to come. So many strong emotions arise from a few square inches of fabric. For us as a worshipping community, the thing that drives our decisions has been and will continue to be, hospitality to our members and guests. When a worship leader or host wears a mask, it can be a way to signal to your guests that you care about their health. When guests are given the option to choose what is comfortable for them, it can make room for trust. As we enter into this new phase of the pandemic, I pray that we continue to care for one another with grace, empathy, and respect.

 Peace,                                                                                                                                   Pastor Chad McKenna