Lenten Reflection

I am enjoying the Holden Evening Prayer services on Wednesday evenings.   From the glow of the candles, the words of each song, the singing bowl, and the smell of the extinguished beeswax candles, I love it all.  I was first introduced to Holden Evening Prayer while I was on internship.  I learned many of the songs and helped lead the service.  Until this Lenten season, I had not sung the whole Holden Evening Prayer service.  After singing all of Holden Evening Prayer, my love for this service has grown. 

The words of the songs are moving.  As we sing the words Let my Prayer Rise up, like incense before you, a lifting up of my hands as an offering to you, I can see some thin, faint lines of smoke for the burning candles rise up.  I imagine each thin, faint line carrying the prayers we lift up during the service and the ones we hold in our hearts and minds. 

As we journey through Lent and build on the Wednesday evening services, each service brings new meaning for me.  The confirmation class helped light the candles during the first two Lenten services, which is a great way to involve them in the worship service.  This week having Pastor Chad and Andrea McKenna singing together added another layer to the experience.  I loved the difference in the sounds of their voices and when they sang together with a little harmony.  It was so beautiful! 

Holden Evening Prayer services have been a blessing to me.  It is a spiritual practice of singing prayers and embracing a time of silence.  It has been my escape during a busy week as well as an intentional time spent in prayer with God.  I hope your Lenten journey has provided you and continues to provide you with opportunities to connect with God.   

Peace, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber

A Memorial in Purple

On Ash Wednesday, our worship space had a brand new look. New linens adorn the table and the lectern, and both of us pastors wore stoles to match. These new paraments were designed and made by Anne Anderson, an artist from Forest City, Iowa, in collaboration with our Altar Guild, led by Christy Malenchik. We commissioned the set to breathe new life and focus into the season of Lent. Anne did an incredible job creating thoughtful Lenten imagery, while also balancing the colors with our stained glass. 

The many details in these pieces focus on the three disciplines of Lent: fasting, prayer, and charity. The church has used those practices for centuries to help folks prepare for Easter and baptism with humility and hope. Lent is often seen as a journey or pilgrimage, following in Christ’s footsteps through the wilderness of temptation, among the ones he heals, and toward his death and resurrection. Images of crossroads, prayer, and service can guide us on our journey, as we spend the season reevaluating our commitment to God through the way we live our lives.

Lent, Holy Week, and Easter are all grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ— the greatest hope of our faith. Ash Wednesday reminds us of our mortality; Easter promises new life. It is worth mentioning, then, that this new set of paraments was funded by memorials given in honor of dear St. Mark people who have died and now rest in anticipation of the great resurrection. Memorials are donations made by friends and family after a loved one has died, and they are set aside to fund ministries or physical improvements to our congregation. The decision of how to use those gifts is entrusted to our Memorial Committee. Families may choose to designate their loved ones’ memorials to a specific use. For instance, our Lenten paraments were mostly funded by gifts designated for the Altar Guild which were made in honor of Bill Vivian. Bill joined the church triumphant on March 1st, 2018. As fate would have it, we first used the paraments given in his name almost exactly four years later, on Ash Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022.

I am so grateful to those who give memorial gifts, as well as willed bequests. Those types of donations are able to support this congregation in ways a budget cannot, and they make a lasting impact on our community. In the last several years, we have been able to redo the parking lot; replace the roof; remodel the kitchen; update our video technology for live-streaming; and purchase new sanctuary Christmas trees, microphones, projectors, offering plates, picnic tables, computers, and artwork, to name just a few. 

While we are on the subject, I should note one major change to how we use memorials: For a long time, memorials have been used almost every year to purchase computers for our staff, but computers have become increasingly short-lived. After reevaluating this practice, the council decided there must be a better way. The budget we approved at the annual meeting now covers the ongoing expense of computer technology as necessary office equipment. In addition, thanks to ending last year with a surplus, the council recently moved to reimburse our Memorial Fund for computers purchased in 2020 and 2021, which total $5044.16. I am thrilled that these donations can now be used for more meaningful and life-giving gifts to our congregation!

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna