Between Good Friday and Easter

The last two years, a small gathering of St. Mark folks have gathered on the day after Good Friday to light candles, wander the sanctuary, and explore the meaning of Easter. You could say it’s a worship service, but it’s unlike anything else we do.

It can seem like a strange addition to an already full schedule of Holy Week services. You might think we would want to take a break and avoid having a four-day marathon of church activities. But then, egg hunts and similar events have always been a part of that quiet Saturday. With so many options around town for kids to load up on candy-filled eggs, we decided to try something different. We wanted to be unique to who we are, and to create something engaging and accessible for our whole community.

The result has been dynamic worship that moves us from the stark emptiness of Good Friday into the fullness of Easter. We start in darkness, with an empty communion table; and we end in the same bright lavish glow we witness on Easter morning, lilies and all. In the middle of the service, worshippers have been able to get up and move to different areas of the sanctuary to pray, share communion, or discover something new about the story of Easter. These stations engage all five senses, inviting folks to approach the hope of resurrection in new ways. The last two years, folks have had the chance to take as long as needed at these different worship stations. This year the flow may be different, but that sense of the unexpected will remain. 

This is a service for people of all ages. By that, I mean it’s not just for kids. The Sunday school years are full of creative activities designed to help young people approach faith with curiosity and joy. Shouldn’t we be able to deepen our faith with that same wonder our whole life long? As we plan for our third Holy Saturday service, our hope is that families with children who come might bond over the story of Easter. We have that same hope for individuals, couples, groups of friends, and guests.

                                   

And so, I would like to invite you to join us for our Holy Saturday service at 4pm on March 30th. Come engage with the story of Easter, grow closer to one another, and explore the good news of Christ’s resurrection in a more interactive way.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

 

A Time to Connect with God

Ash Wednesday begins our Lenten journey.  We begin Lent with a reminder that we are dust and we will return to dust. The ashes used during the Ash Wednesday worship service are made from the burnt palms that were used during the Palm Sunday worship service.  The confirmation class, with my guidance, burned the dried palms and sifted them into fine ashes. 

I like using the dried-up palms from the previous years to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday.  Not only does it give a new purpose to the dried palms, it connects us to the joy we often feel as we wave the palms during the Palm Sunday procession. There is beauty in those ashes.     

Bishop Dean K. Johnson writes, “Remember you are dust, the substance of the stars, animated with the Breath of Life.  Uniquely formed in the image and likeness of Divine Love.  Authored in hope, forged in joy, very good of very good, no accident we, this beloved quickened dust, knit to love and be loved. Remember you are dust. Amen.” 

Ash Wednesday is more than a reminder of our mortality, it is a reminder that we are loved.  We are formed in the image of Divine Love.  Lent is a time for reflection and renewal.  It’s a time for spiritual growth and a time to bring us closer to God.       

During Lent, I encourage you to find time to connect with God, scripture, and one another.  Reflect on how God is at work in you.  Don’t forget that you are formed in the image and likeness of God.  We are all beloved children of God. 

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber

Pastor Chad's Annual Report

Our congregation is good at a lot of things, but as I reflect on this past year, I am starting to see one thing that we don’t do very well. St. Mark Lutheran Church is not great at simply going through the motions. Seasons and holidays come every year, and yet every time we find ways to make them feel new and meaningful. We always feel the need to try new things or tinker with tradition. We have that kind of creativity that helps us thrive and grow. The differences from year to year might be subtle at times, but like years before, we continued to lean into ingenuity in 2023.

Our Uniform Co-Op, which partners with four elementary schools, is already one-of-a-kind. In Advent, our congregation worked together to provide over 700 pairs of socks to those four schools. The Endowment Board also provided a sizable donation to cover the cost of socks, underwear, and other hygiene items. This all happened because the folks in charge of this ministry listened to the needs of the families and faculty, and because our congregation took those needs to heart.

We spent the better part of the year listening, planning, and transitioning into a new phase for our youth ministry. While our partnership with Grace Lutheran Church in Loves Park is still very new, it is grounded in that careful discernment, and we continue to search for the right person to lead that ministry with the same excitement and creativity which has led our youth ministries to this place. I am so grateful for everyone who has been part of this process, including Pastor Katrina, who has faithfully cared for our youth all year.

St. Mark has become quite seasoned in outdoor worship, led by our incredible Praise Band. It’s odd, then, that we had such an amazing Septemberfest inside, on a gorgeous day no less. With a packed sanctuary, a Fellowship Hall brimming with barbecue and community, and a bounce house loaded with kids, the day filled both our souls and our stomachs. 

We had regular Family Fellowship nights, creative worship on Easter Saturday and the Winter Solstice, a Wassail Sunday that felt as fresh and lively as ever. We opened the building to support groups, a Mosaic Hub, and events for the Northern Illinois Synod. We found new ways to partner with LSSI, the Rock River Valley Pantry, and other organizations.

Of course, all of this is merely a snapshot of the last year. This is also true of the church’s full Annual Report for 2023. I hope you will pick one up and take the time to read through it to remember, or learn for the first time, the many new and familiar ways we live as the Body of Christ in the world.

I want to thank our entire staff, including those who were only with us for part of the year. The type of work our staff does can be both life-giving and exhausting on the same day. This amazing and faithful group really showed their dedication this year, filling the gaps when we were short-staffed, connecting with the community, and always doing so with love and optimism for our congregation. 

Our volunteers are no different. Whether you help out for the occasional Sunday or service event, or you are at the church so often you wonder if you might actually be on staff, you make St. Mark what it is in our community. We could not do a single thing without our volunteers.

Thank you to each and every one of you for being a part of this wonderful congregation. It is a blessing to be your pastor.

Pastor Chad McKenna