A New Feast Day

This September, the wider Church will be celebrating a brand new liturgical festival. To put that in perspective, protestant churches have shared the same liturgical calendar for over 40 years, and this is the first time a feast day has been added to that calendar. But, it’s not just us protestants who will mark the occasion. This festival, Creation in Christ (or the Feast of Creation) marks the culmination of many years of collaboration between the World Council of Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. A worldwide effort like this hasn’t been seen for over a millennia, so you know it’s a big deal.

While a festival day for Creation may be new to us, celebrating God’s Creation around this time of year is an ancient practice. Since about the seventh century, the Eastern Orthodox church has held the belief that September 1st was the day that God began to create the heavens and the Earth. Later, folks latched on to the idea that Jesus began his public ministry on this day as well. For the Eastern Church, it became the first day of the liturgical year. (As a refresher, in the west our calendar restarts on the first Sunday of Advent.) In addition, this autumn observance lines up a bit with the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the New Year and the day of the world’s creation, which occurs in September or early October.

Work to expand the Feast of Creation into the wider, western church has been going on since 1989, when Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios of the Orthodox Church invited Christians around the world to spend the first day of September offering prayers, “both as thanksgiving for the great gift of Creation and as petitions for its protection and salvation.” Since that time, the day has become two very modern things. First, it is the biggest ecumenical initiative since the church began to fracture between East and West over a thousand years ago. Second, it has expanded from a celebration of the first day of creation into a day to also address issues of ecology and justice through our faith in Christ. As issues of eco-justice become less avoidable and more universal, it will take a new kind of unity to address the worldwide problems humanity faces together.

As with many feast days that happen in the middle of the week, at St. Mark we will celebrate the Feast of Creation the Sunday after September 1st. I am excited to come together with you that day, along with Christians around the world. On September 6th, the Church will be united in giving thanks for all that God has made. And, we will acknowledge all the ways that we can live out our faith by caring for the Creation that feeds us, clothes us, and gives a home to every human, creature, and plant that has ever lived.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Reporting on the 2026 Synod Assembly

This past weekend, Lutherans from Joliet to Galena gathered at Augustana College for the 2026 Northern Illinois Synod Assembly. Close to 380 pastors, deacons, and lay leaders gathered from this annual event to make important decisions, look to the future, and strengthen our relationships with one another.

St. Mark sent four delegates to the assembly: Bob Osolin, Karen Osolin, Mary Kay Schingothe, and our youth representative, Luke Snyder. They joined Pastor Katrina and myself as voting members. Together, we represented our congregation as we voted on new leaders for the synod, updates to the synod constitution, the synod budget, and other business matters. 

In addition to that official business, we heard from the ELCA’s newly-elected Churchwide Secretary, Rev. CeCee Mills, who brought greetings from our presiding bishop, Rev. Yehiel Curry. She reminded us that as ELCA Lutherans, our stories are woven together across the entire country. This sentiment was apparent in the number of times our folks ran into old friends who were there representing their own congregations. No matter which church we call home, or where we live, all of us are united in both faith and mission.

Our keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Laurie Skow-Anderson is the former bishop of the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin. Since her retirement, she has been working to revitalize the wider church and help point the ELCA toward the future. She gave examples from other denominations who are imagining the future of the church as the world continues to change. For her, a future-focused church will be simpler, bolder, more empathetic, more diverse, more open to fresh expressions, and more interested in a life of faith outside of traditional church buildings. Speaking for myself, her keynote, along with the words from Secretary Mills, had me feeling inspired and excited for the future.

Our own Bob Rub was once again the lead musician for the weekend, which began with festival worship on Friday morning and had two smaller services on Saturday. As part of her role in planning worship for the assembly, Pastor Katrina opened the assembly with words of welcome before that first festive service. I also had a small role, serving on the Courtesy Committee which traditionally gives closing words of gratitude for everyone who had a hand in making the assembly happen. 

This assembly has been meeting in Rock Island since the ELCA was formed in the late 1980s. Next year, though, it will be moving right here to Rockford. Details about this move are sparse at the moment, but I am sure that it will mean St. Mark will be contributing even more to the life of the synod while the assembly happens in our own back yard!

Pastor Chad McKenna

How Long is Easter?

I learned a lesson during the children’s message a few weeks ago: Never underestimate kids. I gave them a one-question pop quiz and asked them how long Easter is, fully expecting them to say it’s only a day. After all, that’s a perfectly common response you would expect from most people. Instead, a number of them shouted, “Fifty Days!” Which, as it turns out, is the correct answer.

For centuries, Churches around the world have agreed that the season of Easter lasts for seven Sundays, culminating at the feast of Pentecost. This is why the linens decorating the communion table and lectern remain white, almost a month after Easter Sunday. It is why the pastors wear white stoles and we begin every service with a thanksgiving for baptism. Supermarkets sold out of chocolate bunnies weeks ago, but in churches around the world, it is still the Season of Resurrection. 

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that our kids have a decent grasp on the church calendar. The curriculum we use in Sunday School is tied to the same calendar, with lessons based on the readings we hear in worship. Every week, they begin their time together by examining the giant pie chart on the floor, pictured below. They talk about where we are in cycle of the year and visualize the rhythm of the Church. There is a chart just like it on the bulletin board in the hallway by the narthex, which you are welcome to examine any time you’re in the building.

During these fifty days of Easter, we focus a lot on resurrection. We hear stories about Jesus visiting the disciples after that fateful Sunday morning, as well as stories from Acts about the early church. Along with the decorations and prayers I mentioned earlier, the season has a decidedly distinct feel. But, here is something we don’t teach in Sunday school: Every Sunday of the year is a little Easter oasis. In fact, Easter itself is one of the reasons why we worship on Sunday to begin with.

In the middle of the second century, one of the earliest Christian theologians wrote about the relatively new idea of gathering for worship once a week. In his First Apology, meant to explain the budding religion, Justin Martyr wrote, “we hold this meeting together on the day of the sun since it is the first day, on which God, having transformed darkness and matter, made the cosmos. On the same day Jesus Christ our savior rose from the dead.”

When Easter is over, even next Lent when folks might feel the need to be introspective and dour, Sundays are days of Resurrection. On the first day of every week, we gather to remember the gift we have in God’s creation, celebrate the life we have been given, and hope for the life to come. And during the remainder of the week, the good news of Easter is the Good News that we share in everything we say and do as people who put our trust in Jesus Christ.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Reflecting on Heritage and Faith

During my first year at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, I was stopped on my way to the library by a group of retired alumni who were visiting the seminary. They were being shown around by a professor of mine, and they seemed friendly enough. That is, until I introduced myself, prompting one of the older pastors to remark, “McKenna? How does someone with a last name like McKenna end up at a Lutheran school?” 

I don’t remember exactly how I responded to such an asinine question. Most likely, I walked away after making some brief comment about how I didn’t grow up in this denomination but chose to be part of it as an adult. Looking back, I wish I had come up with a more snarky response. I had only identified as a Lutheran for about five years. The history class that covers Lutherans in America wasn’t for another two semesters, but this exchange was my first lesson. This was the moment I realized how ethnically entrenched our denomination can be. If a white guy like me can be made to feel othered in this church, imagine what people of color endure. If my All-American last name can seem out of place, what chance is there for people whose names signify Hispanic, Asian, or African heritage? And while we’re on the subject, what in the world does lutefisk have to do with the Lutheran doctrine of justification by grace through faith?

Despite that interaction outside the library, my heritage is a privilege. I know this, because it’s not something I have to think about on a daily basis. I get to choose how much I identify as an Irish-American, which is why when March 17th rolls around, I wear green like anyone else. That’s about it. Of course, when I’m feeling nostalgic I can always dig into my ancestry like it’s an extra-curricular research project or a fun puzzle to solve. But, such endeavors have little impact on the way I live my life.

Folks like me, whose families came to this country willingly before anyone had heard of the automobile, experience heritage as little more than traditions, celebrations, and food. We never have to worry about how our ethnic backgrounds might disrupt our future. Those who have come here more recently, though, worry about it every day.

Right now, a Lutheran pastor in our own Northern Illinois Synod is in that sort of daily struggle with his heritage. For him and his parishioners, their ethnicity is like a target on their backs. Worship attendance is down at the church because people are scared of being profiled in the streets and being taken by masked men in unmarked vans. Recent precedence reveals that the government could take away this pastor’s refugee status without cause and force him to return to a country where his life was in danger. They cannot hide their identities or forget where they came from. They can only hope that their chosen neighbors live with mercy and welcoming hospitality.

 As Christians, our scriptures call us to be inspired by our heritage to open our lives up to others. This past Sunday, we heard from Deuteronomy 24, where it is written, “You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.”

In our church and in our community, we are called to welcome all people with thoughtfulness and grace because we were once in need of that same kind of welcome. So, let us recognize that the thing that makes us Lutherans more than anything else is our trust in grace that is freely given by God, not because of who we are or what we have done, but because God loves us. And, let us share that same loving grace with all of our neighbors, as we work for a world where all are welcome. 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Christmas and the Solstice

The worst kept secret in Christianity is that Jesus wasn’t actually born in December. Though followers of Jesus have been celebrating the story of his birth from the very start, December 25th didn’t become the official day until the middle of the fourth century.

There are a number of theories about why this specific day was chosen. Perhaps the Church wanted to replace pagan practices around the winter solstice. This time of year, nights are long and many hope for the light to return. In ancient Rome, December 25th was when folks could first observe that the days were starting to lengthen again.

As we hear in the opening verses of John’s Gospel, “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.” What better time to celebrate Jesus, the light of all people, than on the day that light begins to overtake the night once again?

All living things respond to the changing seasons. Animals hibernate or migrate when the days start to get shorter than the night. Even leaves on trees change color, not because of temperature or lack of water, but because of dwindling sunlight. When a tree branch is next to a streetlight, its leaves stay green even after all the other branches have let go. In recent years, scientists have begun to treat symptoms of seasonal depression with specialized lights that simulate the sun’s rays. Life responds to light.

Observing the winter solstice has been a universal human experience for thousands of years. From Machu Picchu in Peru to Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, ancient astronomical observatories studied the sun’s movements. In Newgrange Ireland, a large mound built from quartz stones has a single opening that only allows the inner chamber to be filled with sunlight on the shortest day of the year. The Wurdi Youang in Australia is similar to England’s Stonehenge, though it has been marking the shifting seasons for almost twice as many millennia.

There are countless customs and festivals humans have come up with to ward off the night and to celebrate the daytime during this time of deep darkness. Burning Yule logs, hanging evergreens, lighting candles, exchanging gifts, and hosting feasts are all ways that people get through this difficult span of time. These traditions are meant to strengthen our hope. For Christians, they are here to remind us of the brightness of God’s unwavering love. We use them best when we enter the new year, not with stress and anxiety, but rather with joy and confidence in our God.

Unfortunately, too much of Christmas has been commercialized. Traditions meant to restore hope have become commodities with a price tag. Rituals meant to bring peace have been stuffed with high expectations. All the music and light designed to take our minds off of winter has been pushed earlier and earlier into autumn. So many of us enter January burdened by debt and defeat, unable to tell if the days are actually getting longer.

Do what you can this season to lean into hope over obligation. Embrace traditions that remind you of the warmth of God’s love, and hold onto them well beyond Christmas Day. Keep the lights up and the joyful music playing. Take care of yourself and those you love. Remember, as John wrote, that “the true light, which enlightens everyone,” has come into the world. This is good news worth celebrating all year round!

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Your Generosity is a Celebration

It’s that time of year again. Let’s talk about the budget, shall we?

The good news is that giving has gone up the last couple years, and this year offerings have been higher than the council anticipated. We are not in a state of decline, and St. Mark continues to grow in our ministries of service and faith formation. The generosity of St. Mark’s members is unmistakable. This summer, we challenged you all to match a gift given from Ulla Kercher’s estate, and you went above and beyond. Those funds are being used to support our outreach, youth, and children’s ministries. 

Every time we ask you to support a local charity with food, gifts, or donations, you do so with enthusiasm and kindness. You gave 133 pounds of cereal to the Rock River Valley Pantry in September. Right now the hallway is overflowing with coats for Rockford’s refugee community. Soon, you will no doubt buy Christmas presents for 60 foster children in LSSI’s annual Adopt-an-Angel program. It is a joy to behold your goodness.

Of course, you know what is always paired with good news. I hesitate to use the word, “bad,” so I’ll say that the less good news is that, like your generosity, expenses are also on the rise. Anyone who has bills to pay and groceries to buy knows that rising prices are the unfortunate reality everyone is living under. Households, businesses, healthcare providers, non-profits, and local governments all feel the pinch when everything costs more than it used to. Expenses have grown so much that, even with your increased giving, we will most likely end this year with a deficit.

Your offerings are used with care to support everything from music ministry, worship, faith formation, outreach, and staff salaries. Over the last few years, our staff and council have worked incredibly hard to trim our expenses to be as lean as possible, while still providing these ministries. As one ministry leader put it, there isn’t any fat in our budget.  To get it balanced again, we need everyone’s help. 

In November, St. Mark members will be asked to make a pledge for giving in 2026. Our goal this year is $800,000. As we approach Stewardship Sunday, I ask you to pray about your commitment to our ministry and to carefully consider increasing your pledge for the coming year. If giving increased by a dollar a day per household, we would exceed that goal! At the same time, a pledge of any amount will get us closer to the finish line.

I was hesitant to call rising expenses bad news earlier because every dollar that we spend goes toward sharing God’s love with the community and meeting the spiritual needs of this congregation. Our entire budget is a celebration of our values as followers of Jesus Christ. I am confident that you will once again rise to the occasion and support this wonderful congregation of ours to the best of your ability. Thank you for all you do for St. Mark, and all that you will continue to do in the coming year! 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

How to Prepare for the Rapture in Two Easy Steps

If you are reading this, I am sorry to say that you have not been raptured. In fact, it looks like no one got to enjoy the elevating experience of meeting Jesus as he descended to Earth this week.

Over the weekend, the internet was abuzz about the second coming of Jesus, thanks to the ravings of a pastor who posted his claims on America’s most trusted news source, TikTok. He convinced countless people that the Rapture would occur during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, on September 24th. As I am sure you know, the day came and went without so much as a hint of global apocalypse, and our world made it through yet another predicted end of days.

 

This will not be the last time someone attempts to prophecy when Jesus is coming back. For 200 years people have told one another to get ready for the Rapture, when Jesus comes to take away all the good Christians and leave the heathens behind. To prepare for the next prediction, here are two brief pieces of advice:

 

1) Ignore the predictions. Even Jesus said in Matthew 24 that he doesn’t know when he will return. It’s probably best to not trust anyone who thinks they know more than the Son of God.

 

2) Remind yourself that the Rapture isn’t real. There is no scriptural basis for the idea that Jesus might return halfway, zap up a few billion Christians to meet him in the sky, and leave again for another 1,000 years. Much like the Left Behind book series about the Rapture, it is all a work of fiction. An Irish minister named John Nelson Darby came up with the idea in the 1830s by plucking a few misunderstood verses out of context and cobbling them together. Darby’s methods have been rejected by most critical scholars, and I struggle to understand how a person who reads the bible literally could accept his cherry-picked conclusions.

 

The second coming of Jesus will be a wondrous moment for all of creation, but remember that Christ is already in our midst. You don’t have to look far to see signs of the one who suffered, died, and rose again so that we might live. Christ is present in the people you love, and with those who you cannot stand to be around. Christ is with the hungry, and with those who have nowhere to call home. Christ is in that hospital room, and in that empty house full of memories and grief. Christ is with children doing lockdown drills in their schools, and those who have lived through the real thing. Christ is among the rubble of Gaza, and with hostages, prisoners, and those who will never know peace again in this life. Christ is present in every person you encounter, and Christ is present in you.

 

In Matthew 6, Jesus reminds us that today’s troubles are enough for today. But if the Rapture still has you worried, here is one last piece of advice, sometimes attributed to Martin Luther: If you think the world will fall to pieces tomorrow, plant a tree today.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

For the Life of the World to Come

To say it was an honor to be at our most recent Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix is an understatement. This legislative event, which currently happens every three years, is the highest legislative body of our denomination. That body is comprised of a small handful of voting members elected by each of the 65 synods. Because so many pastors hope to be able to go at some point, I have always thought that I may only have one opportunity in my career to be part of this important, church-altering work. 

Fourteen people from the Northern Illinois Synod were among the 803 voting members at the 2025 Churchwide Assembly. Together, we elected a new presiding bishop, a new secretary, and over 100 folks to serve on the various councils, committees, and boards of the Churchwide organization. We also adopted constitutional amendments, resolutions, and a new social statement.

This is all just the basics, though. So much more happened— more than can fit in an essay like this. If you yearn for all the details, voting members from our synod wrote daily reflections, throughout the week, and more of us are posting overall thoughts on the experience now that we have had time to process the whole event. All those can be found at on the Northern Illinois Synod website, under the News tab (https://nisynod.org/news).

I will share briefly one aspect of the assembly that still sticks with me. Whether by design of the Holy Spirit or the planning committee, everything seemed laser-focused on the future of the Church and our world, and how everything is changing. Perhaps that had something to do with the fact that we were in the process of electing our new presiding bishop, Yehiel Curry. That focus on the future showed up in profound worship, moving sermons, and energizing speeches. Bp. Vashti Murphy McKenzie called us to action when she preached that “prayer is not what we whisper when we lay down at night, but what we risk when we rise in the morning.” Bishop Elizabeth Eaton told us us that if you account for every Lutheran in the world, the average Lutheran looks like a woman in Tanzania. Reflecting on the theme of this year’s assembly, “For the Life of the World,” Rev. Dr. Chad Rimmer reminded us that the whole of that phrase in the Nicene Creed is, “We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” 

When Bishop Eaton gave her final report as Presiding Bishop, she echoed something else that Dr. Rimmer said by quoting Martin Luther: “This life, therefore, is not righteousness but growth in righteousness, not health but healing, not being but becoming…we are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it; the process is not yet finished, but it is going on; this is not the end, but it is the road; all does not yet gleam with glory, but all is being purified.”

The whole of our lives is constant movement away from what has been and toward what will be. We didn’t finish our work in Phoenix, but I pray that our decisions helped our church look a little more like what we look forward to in the life of the world to come. 

Pastor Chad McKenna

Empathy is the Answer

It is hard to follow the news these days. Every story is stuffed with partisan politics. The stakes could never be higher, just like we were told last week and the week before that. It is exhausting to keep track of every little thing when it feels like every little thing is merely meant to elicit an emotional response out of you. From a temperamental climate, to the crisis surrounding immigrants, to the closing of an important hospital in our own city, you might feel pressed to have an opinion about what should be done, and yet powerless to actually do anything.

If I am honest, my own news consumption has declined dramatically over the past year. I am privileged enough to be able to tune major crises out because most have little effect on my day-to-day life at the moment. As a person of faith, though, I am not called to use that privilege to shelter only myself, but rather to advocate for those who are not as fortunate as I am. Because the truth is, I am surrounded by people in my family, my church, and my community who cannot as easily ignore the reality of our rapidly shifting society. In baptism, I am bound to my neighbors in this community of saints, and I am called to share the love of God with those outside of our faith as well. As our hymnal Evangelical Lutheran Worship puts it, the covenant God made with us in baptism is:

            “to live among God’s faithful people,

            to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper,

            to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,

            to serve all people, following the example of Jesus,

            and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.”

I was recently reminded of a profound quote by Swedish theologian, Gustaf Wingren: “God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does.” When we advocate for our neighbors and strive for justice and peace, our goal is not to earn salvation for ourselves but rather to ensure that our neighbors can know the life-giving grace of God in their time on earth. This is the reason congregations like ours invest so much of ourselves into organizations like Mosaic and Habitat for Humanity, as well as our own outreach programs. We share what we have, we advocate for one another, and in so doing we cultivate justice and peace for our neighbors.

In the end, empathy is the answer to every issue that threatens the lives of others. Everyone needs medical care, but not everyone can afford it — especially children, the elderly, and those who live with disabilities. Everyone deserves a place to call home. Our children and grandchildren deserve to grow up in a world with as much natural beauty and stability as we enjoyed in our youth. Whatever the big news story of the day may be, I pray that our actions and responses are rooted in empathy, and that those in power strive for the justice and peace we know in our savior, Jesus Christ. 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

The Problem with Excellence

To say I have been busy lately is an understatement. In the course of a single week, my family took part in three major music performances. On a Tuesday our oldest daughter’s school had their spring concert, overwhelmed with singing, drumming, dancing, and xylophones. The following Monday was her first piano recital. And in between, Andrea and I had the pleasure or singing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Nielsen Chorale and Rockford Symphony Orchestra.

 

To add to all that, earlier this spring I was able to attend my sister’s spring concert. It was amazing to watch her direct about 100 elementary students in a wide-ranging performance at the rural school district where she is the sole music teacher.

 

As much as I am proud of what my family was able to do musically, these moments were also a strong reminder that excellence is not all it’s cracked up to be. Mistakes were made. Notes were missed. Thanks to a cold in a week full of rehearsals, I barely had enough of a voice to squeak out my part at our final performance. Despite these things, there was still joy and applause. Focusing on the imperfections instead of the joy will only sour the memory of witnessing the people I love do what they love to do.

 

The need for excellence has gotten incredibly strong in recent years. Thanks to social media, where everyone seems polished and perfect, we rarely see each others’ flaws. Thanks to club sports and singing competitions, it is hard for some folks to enjoy the simplicity of activities which were originally meant to bring us together in community. How often have you hesitated to sing because you didn’t want others to judge you, or sat out of a group activity because you didn’t think you were as good as everyone else?

 

Often, the pursuit of excellence takes away the joy that an activity is meant to bring. You don’t have to play the best round of your life in order to enjoy a morning on the golf course with dear friends. You don’t need to be a classically trained singer in order to add your voice to the multitude of worshippers on a Sunday morning. A kid doesn’t have to set their sights on a spot with the swim team in order to benefit from swimming lessons. If you like to knit or paint or sew, the things you make don’t have to end up at a craft fair. It is one thing to be good enough at something to enjoy it. It’s a completely different thing to strive to be better than others, or to worry what others might think of you. Comparison is the thief of joy.

 

This may not seem like a particularly spiritual subject, and yet it has everything to do with how we experience our faith in community— from worshipping together, to contributing to the ministries of the church, to the way we hope the community might recognize us. One of the wonderful things about having faith in Jesus is that perfection is already considered out of reach. We don’t need it in order to be part of what God is doing in the world. Jesus doesn’t insist that the disciples be polished, pure, and pristine. Instead, he commands us to have love for one another. So love one another, love who God has called you to be, and never let your limitations stop you from experiencing joy. 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Glimpses of Hope

I pulled into the garage on one of of those beautiful spring days last week, and as the we walked through the yard toward the back door, both girls begged to go straight to the front yard, where sidewalk chalks and scooters awaited. The air was so crisp that I couldn’t say no, and before I knew it, the three of us had sauntered past all the yard toys and into our first neighborhood walk in months. We noticed tulips and irises poking out of leaf piles. We used a phone app to identify the songs of birds returned from their winter retreats. We laughed at squirrels. We greeted dogs out for a walk, as well as the humans on the other end of their leashes.

After a frigid winter with little sunlight, being outside can be incredibly healing. And while we can’t quite pack up our heavy coats just yet, these glimpses of new life can still warm us with hope. With Spring officially here, those glimpses will be more and more common, until that hope is the whole of our reality.

There are entire fields of research that study what exactly is going on in our minds and bodies when we spend the right amount of time in the sun, in a forest, or simply working in the back yard. This post-winter feeling, though, is about more than the biological benefits to our bodies. There is connection and community at play. Winter is isolating, but spring can help us step out and discover our neighbors again— from wildlife and perennial plants, to the folks we meet on the sidewalk. We can discover again how we can care for creation and our community.

As much as I love being outside, this phenomenon of springtime connection is evident inside our church building as well. At the weekly dinner before mid-week Lenten worship last night, one person I sat with glowed as he talked about the community that we experience when we simply come together to eat, serve one another, and worship outside of our typical routines. Families filled the Fellowship Hall last night with food, life, and joy. Like glimpses of spring, moments like that are tangible reminders of the hope we have for the Kingdom of God.

Lent is usually thought of as a season for fasting and prayer. In Isaiah 58, though, the prophet reminds that these practices are only helpful when they cause us to feed the hungry and care for one another. We can take these little springtime moments to restore ourselves, and we are all the more restored when those moments recognize our neighbors and bring us together. Isaiah says that when we do this, we become like a watered garden whose springs of water never fail. As we continue on this journey through Spring and Lent, I pray that you find moments of hope and connection that bring you closer to your neighbors, and closer to the God who created us all.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Still With Us

As baffling as it may sound, there are many people in our midst who actually like winter. Some folks love to go for a run, letting that dry, cold air fill their lungs. Some love to ski or skate, or simply cozy up next to the yellow warmth of a fireplace. No matter how you feel about the season, though, everyone will find it harsh and unrelenting at times. The same storms that give us conditions for play also slow us down and put drivers in danger. Scarce daylight hours can damage our moods. Sometimes the cold is simply too much to handle.

My feelings about winter seem to change with the weather. It can be lovely at times, but I would probably love it more if we could just have a soft blanket of snow on the ground from the moment the last leaf falls to the day the first shoots of spring emerge. When all is overcast and brown, it is hard to get much joy out of a barren landscape. I think this is one reason why so many folks use lights and colorful decorations to liven up the outside of their homes during Christmas. 

So many of us celebrated the good news of Jesus’ life by bringing signs of hope into a world that has turned drab. We brought that hope through decorations, music, generosity, and togetherness. As people of faith, we are called to still proclaim that good news even beyond the holiday season— especially in a world that still feels dim and devoid of vibrance in so many ways. The light of Christ shines in the darkness of night, and we need the warming assurance that Emmanuel is still with us.

This is one reason why we have kept a few decorations up around the building— to remind ourselves that the Messiah we celebrated in December is with us even now. You may have noticed the paper stars in the windows of the Fellowship Hall. We originally chose these because the quilt-like patterns within them worked well with the imagery our Advent devotionals. The confirmation students and I spent a few Wednesdays folding them and progressively filling the building with their color throughout Advent. 

Now that Christmas is behind us, all the stars have relocated to the windows in the Fellowship Hall. We have lifted the blinds to let the light shine through them, filling the space with radiant color. They will probably remain there a little while longer. And while this little installation won’t replace your Vitamin D supplements, hopefully it can lift your mood ever so slightly. And, like the Star of Bethlehem, hopefully these points of color will remind you to continue to seek out the love of Jesus and share that joy with all the world.

Peace, Pastor Chad McKenna

 

Our New Advent Paraments

A few years ago, our Sew & Sews group did their best to touch up the paraments we use at Advent. It was a lovely set, but after so many decades of use and repair, the detailed piping on those old pieces could only be improved so much. It was clear then that we would soon need to have a brand new set of artistic fabrics to decorate our communion table, lectern, and pastoral stoles for Advent.

The Altar Guild had such a lovely experience working with Ann Anderson of Interwoven Studio when we commissioned our paraments for Lent in 2022. It was a no-brainer to call her up again and see what ideas she could come up with for us this time around. We went back and forth about vision, style, and details this past summer and fall, and if you have worshipped with us this Advent, you have seen the results of those conversations. 

One thing I love about Ann’s artistry is how she is able to capture an image or a moment, and yet leave it abstract enough for us engage her work with our own interpretations. Stars dot the stoles and paraments alike. The stole itself has a small seedling rising from below, a reminder of life’s persistence in the cold of December. 

I have always been enamored with the bold message of an Advent Wreath. As the days get shorter, the light in our worship space pushes back with increasing luminance until at last God’s own self enters into the world on Christmas Day. Like the increasing light of an Advent Wreath, the altar piece gains a new panel each Sunday in Advent, filling in the emptiness we might feel this time of year. The design seems to blend in more and more with the stained glass in the chancel, pulling us in to the story. Is that Mary and the Christ Child in the center of the altarpiece? Or is it an angel? Each week, the art speaks to us in new ways.

The piece on the lectern may seem less complex, but it emanates movement. A single figure stands on the edge, as if their journey is still in motion. A star rises to the left. But just who is that supposed to be? So many different people in the Christmas story are on a journey, guided by the heavens. Perhaps you have felt like you are being pulled into a journey of hope and trust in this season of your life. 

I pray that this new artwork has helped you encounter the season of Advent in new ways this year. I am so grateful to Ann Anderson for creating this new set of Advent Paraments, and to Christy Malenchik and the Altar Guild for their tireless work to make it happen. And, thanks to our Memorial Committee, these lovely new paraments were paid for in full using funds given in memory of St. Mark members. May their memory be a blessing as we await the one whose birth has given us all hope for new life in God’s love.  See the pictures below of the paraments.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

A Tradition of Gratitude

Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday. Sure, it has straightforward traditions, from a set menu of turkey and potatoes to the ritual of going around the table. But its origins and our nation’s history can mix up our feelings about America’s most treasured meal.

One unmistakable aspect of this holiday is the way it connects us to the indigenous peoples of North America. Every grade school kid learns the story— of how the Mayflower made a November landing in modern-day Massachusetts; how the Wampanoag people saved the Pilgrims from starvation during that harsh first winter; and how they celebrated their friendship with a grand feast the following fall. It is a lovely story of hospitality that is wonderful to tell, but it is merely the beginning of a longer, more complicated history.

If you know that history well, hearing this story on Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in gratitude, can feel a bit ironic. With the horrific ways European settlers treated Native Americans in the following centuries, it doesn’t seem like the lesson about gratitude sank in. How different would our world be if gratitude for the Wampanoag people had a genuine, lasting effect on our relationship with the indigenous people who originally called these lands their home? Lacking such a history of gratitude for Native Americans, the story of the first Thanksgiving becomes another decoration on the table, nestled next to the cornucopia and turkey feathers.

Pure gratitude leads to respect, humility, and even love. Gratitude forms relationships, connection, and understanding. It is hard to ignore or mistreat another person when you are grateful for how that person has shaped your life.

At our Thanksgiving Eve service this year we spent some time reflecting on the tradition of gratitude practiced by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of nations, which includes the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora peoples. This tradition is called the Thanksgiving Address, Greetings to the Natural World, or simply “The Words Before All Else.” Before any social gathering or meeting, people from these nations open with a lengthy litany of gratitude for the earth, plants, animals, and all that which gives and sustains life in our world. We express gratitude to God all the time. These words take it a step further by expressing gratitude directly to all that God has created.

Imagine going into a tense meeting, where emotions are high and conflict seems inevitable. But before anyone has a chance to sling a few hurtful words, everyone gathered takes five minutes to express gratitude to the world for all its life-giving splendor. Before raising your voice in anger, you raise your voice in thanksgiving for animals, forests, the sun, and even the wind. How might such a habit shift your perspective about squabbles with your family, co-workers, and neighbors? 

Take time this Thanksgiving to reflect on everything you are grateful for. Do more than simply recite one thing. If you want, you can read the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address alone or with others. https://danceforallpeople.com/haudenosaunee-thanksgiving-address/. A holiday which celebrates abundance is most meaningful when met with an equal abundance of gratitude.

Note: The Haudenosaunee People see their practice as a gift to the world, and they encourage others to modify the words to fit their own context. The version used at our Thanksgiving Eve service was indeed adjusted to be true to the makeup of our little Lutheran community in Northern Illinois. 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Shifting Our Language

A few weeks ago, scientists from Southern Methodist University revealed they had discovered fossilized footprints left by dinosaurs some 120 million years ago. Such a story doesn’t typically make headlines; however, the matching prints were found an ocean apart in Brazil and Cameroon, back before the Atlantic Ocean had pushed its way between them. To those dinosaurs, South America and Africa were always connected by a land bridge. To us, the two continents are thousands of miles apart. The earth’s tectonic plates move slowly, but they are always shifting.

A lot of things seem to be immovable and timeless, but in reality everything changes. It’s just that most of the time, we barely take notice. Then one day you might open up a photo album and cringe at the fashion choices you made in your youth. Or, you sit down to watch an old episode of a beloved show, only to be appalled by jokes made at the expense of women and minority populations. 

During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther took an incredible leap by translating the Bible into a language the people could understand. He also translated the words used in worship from Latin to German. A little while later, protestants in England did the same thing, producing the King James Bible of 1611 and the Book of Common Prayer. For the next 300 or so years, those were the primary sources people used in English-speaking churches, even as their own language shifted into something new. But after a few centuries, walking into church was like opening a photo album and glimpsing into the past.

When the Lutheran Book of Worship was published in 1978, much of the language was updated to reflect the way people actually spoke in the 20th century. In the companion book, Manual on the Liturgy, the authors made a case for the change: “Protestantism, which had begun protesting the use of an archaic and largely unknown language, Latin, in the Roman Catholic Church, now found itself in the position of using an increasingly obscure language. It was time, more and more people admitted, to use contemporary expression.”

Nobody uses words like “thy” or “thine” in everyday conversation. We structure our sentences more plainly than folks did in the renaissance. And so, it made sense to update our worship language some 45 years ago. And yet, many Lutherans— and I’m including St. Mark here— have still clung to one last antique of language in the way we say the Lord’s Prayer. 

Our students in Sunday School and Confirmation are going to focus on the Lord’s Prayer quite a bit this coming year. In order to help them understand the meaning of this prayer that Jesus teaches us, we will help them memorize it in language they understand. Because of that, we have begun to use the 1975 translation of the Lord’s Prayer in worship. It may take some adjusting for all of us, but I pray that this shift will allow us all to take in the full meaning of this most precious prayer that we say each and every time we gather together.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Announcing a New Campaign

Over the last four years, one of the most persistent questions I have heard from St. Mark folks is, “What can we do to reconnect with each other?” There has been talk of post-pandemic surveys, phone call initiatives, and even the return of the dreaded suggestion box. While those Perhaps the best way to find out how to reconnect is to simply get together and listen to each other.

This year, the people of St. Mark will be taking part in a Listening Campaign. In fact, we have already begun. You may have seen a handful of focused conversations in the cafe on Sunday morning. Or maybe you know someone who has been asked to sit down with one of the 11 St. Mark members on the listening team. We are still in the planning phase, of this intentional, organized effort.

Our listening campaign will officially begin during worship on September 1st. In the weeks that follow, trained leaders will listen to as many people in the congregation as possible in one-to-one conversations. You may be called to have a conversation. Nobody will ask you to do anything but talk, perhaps over a coffee and donut on Sunday morning. And, no one will ask you to give anything but your time.

We are hopeful that this initiative can help us discover who St. Mark is right now, what our needs are, and what we can do to enter a future with hope. It is amazing what can happen when we simply gather to listen to one another. This sort of campaign has been shown to transform congregations, infusing them with joy and gratitude. Relationships can grow and new possibilities for ministry can surface when we get to know each other just a little better than we already do.

In the coming weeks, you will hear more about this campaign from Pastor Katrina and me, as well as our team leaders, Sheryl Crowell and Jodi Graber. And, you may see more folks in one-to-one conversations as the planning continues. I am so thankful for the team we are building, and for the willingness of all our members who will be agreeing to take part in these thoughtful conversations.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

In Defense of Self-Interest

For my first Father’s Day as a dad, I got a mug. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a lovely, customized travel mug. It’s covered in pictures that are now way out of date, since our first child had only been around for a few months. In one, she has that little baby smile every new parent craves. In another, she’s swaddled in a hospital blanket and tubes as I hold her during that brief, initial stay in the NICU. Even though we’ve taken countless pictures since, I still treasure every time I pull that mug out of the cupboard.

I remember holding it one Sunday in the Fellowship Hall, when a wise person pointed to the large “DAD” lettering on the side and said, “Be careful. Don’t let parenthood become your entire identity. You’re still you, you know.”

It took me a long time to figure out how poignant that advice really was. As much as I love my children, I have learned over the years that I am best as a parent when I care for myself as well as I care for them. Some days, that means I pour coffee in my mug before I get started on breakfast for everyone else.

Or, in the sage advice of flight attendants, “Put on your own oxygen mask before turning to assist others.”

You do not have to think poorly of yourself in order to be a good person. You do not have to put your own needs on the back burner in order to care for other people. Your identity is your own, first and foremost. Your needs, interests, and hopes are every bit as valid as the needs of everyone else.

A lot of folks get told this idea that it is bad to think about ourselves. Strangely, the people who hear it most are those who are often overlooked: women, people of color, and LGBTQIA folks, to name a few. “Pride goeth before the fall,” as people misquoting Proverbs 16 will say. Yes, some people can be conceited, focused inward, and concerned only about themselves, but that is not the same thing as having self esteem. You can be proud of who you are without putting others down. And, you can tend to the needs of others without neglecting your own needs. There is enough space for everyone to be celebrated and valued for who they are. Love and service are not zero sum games. There should be no winners or losers when it comes to compassion.

There’s this passage in Paul’s letter to the Philippians where he makes a plea to empathy. He writes: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”

Paul was dealing with issues of arrogance when he wrote those words. The selfishness of a few was threatening the unity of the community. In the verses that follow, he reminds us that Jesus, the Son of God, had the greatest reason of all to be proud and boastful, yet he gave all that up in order to serve to the point of death. But you are not Jesus. You do not have to die in order to serve anyone. And even Jesus made sure to take care of himself and refill his cup every now and then.

I recently heard another pastor say that we don’t have to choose between being selfish or being selfless. We can meet in the middle with self-interest, caring for ourselves and focusing our outward care in ways that line up with our passions. That is the very definition of compassion. I am self-interested in raising my children as best I can. I am self-interested in creation care. And as Christians, my hope is that all of us are self-interested in sharing the good news of Jesus by the way we live with compassion for one another. 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Experience & Cicadas

Chances are, if you live in Rockford and haven’t really ventured out lately, you are probably wondering what all the fuss is about. Maybe you have seen photos or videos of them emerging in the Chicago suburbs, but you have yet to notice any signs in your own neighborhood. While some folks who live near forest preserves may have witnessed their presence, here in the Forest City excitement over the seventeen-year cicada has, so far, been nothing more than hype.

Whether the quiet air is a relief or a letdown, I would encourage you to at least take a brief trek up near Rockton, or down to Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, where the cicadas are in full gear. You don’t even have to get out of your car — just the sheer volume of their droning is like nothing I have ever heard. The hype is real. If you do go, consider taking a set of earplugs to donate to the folks who live nearby!

This whole entomological event is a wonderful reminder that even in the most common of circumstances, people will have vastly different experiences. Cicadas emerge in pockets, terrorizing some and completely avoiding others. A solar eclipse leaves a narrow line of communities breathless, while those only a dozen miles away are rendered unimpressed. Some people are eager to celebrate Father’s Day next week, while others will greet the day with grief.

We can experience the exact same moment, but our unique, individual stories will turn that moment into a type of Rorschach test, reflecting our own histories back on us. The only way to know that some people witness totally different images in the inkblots is to ask, listen, and believe.

I grew up in a small town, where those in the LGBT community were at best mocked, and at worst outright shunned. That was the only view I knew. But once I moved away, I met wonderful people so different from me and learned the depth of joy that can be found when we celebrate people for who God has made them to be. By listening to others, we can discover that the world is so much bigger, complicated, and wonderful than it ever could be if everyone was exactly the same.

The wonderful thing about diversity is that we have so much to learn from one another. I don’t know what it’s like to grow up in a city. I will never be a minority. I have never felt compelled to move to a new country simply to survive. But, I can listen. Learning about the different experiences others have had creates empathy and helps us embrace the valid, human experiences of our neighbors. We are all unique children of God, wonderfully made in God’s image.

Cicadas aren’t made in God’s image, but they too are wonderful. 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Everything Deserves a Space

A few years ago, I planted a few beautiful coneflowers in one of the sunniest spots in the yard. The little greenhouse card staked into the pot told me this was the right space for them to go. But, after a few weeks of perfect sunny days, interspersed with just enough rain, those transplants turned to absolute mush. It turns out soil is as just important as sun, and the ground where I had put them was simply too wet. For those of us who garden, knowing the proper place for a plant is often a lesson we learn the hard way.

The creation poem in the first chapter of Genesis shines a light on the importance of space. I’m not talking about a final frontier of endless galaxies. What I mean is that in the act of creation, God spends precious time establishing a specific space for each created thing to call home.

 

There is a very specific order to the way things happen. In the first three days, spaces are created— the heavens, the sky and sea, and the dry earth. The following three days then fill those three spaces in order— the moon and stars, followed by birds and fish, and finally land animals and people. The structure of the poem reveals that habitats are equally vital to creation as the creatures who inhabit them. God creates a space for all that is, and all along the way, God calls each space and every created thing good.

 

All this might remind you of that old proverb about being tidy: “A place for everything and everything in its place.” That might be a nice sentiment if you are trying to declutter your kitchen, but an obsession with storage solutions doesn’t really work outside the walls of your home. Nothing good happens when we confine people or wildlife to certain spaces simply to protect our own claim to a place. When it comes to the lives of others, order without goodness is oppression. We see this whenever walls block in entire communities or fences limit the age-old migrations of wildlife. When we read beyond the first chapter of scripture, we learn how we are tasked with preserving the habitats and housing of our neighbors so that their homes might be a place where they can thrive. And sometimes that means getting out of the way.

 

Here is one example. Earlier this week, the Prairie Band Potawatomi established the first ever tribal land in the state of Illinois. After purchasing bits of land for years, the indigenous nation handed over a mere 130 acres to the Department of the Interior to formally restore what was taken from them over 150 years ago. In relation to this, our state senate is now considering a bill that will turn all 1,500 acres of Shabonna Lake State Park over to the Prairie Band Potawatomi, who were the original stewards of that corner of our state.

 

At the end of the creation poem, God creates humankind in God’s own image, calls us good, and tasks us with continuing the joyful work of creating a world that is good for all. Every creature deserves its habitat, every peoples a free and just community, and every individual a safe place to call home.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna