Connection, Joy and Comfort

All too often I find that my days fill up pretty fast, especially during the holidays.  When this happens, it can be easy to complain about the long day.  Weariness can set in as the exhaustion intensifies.  It can be difficult to find joy.  Until someone says or does something silly.  Then we all break out laughing and once that starts the house is filled with laugher that warms our hearts and breaks through the exhaustion, even if it is only for a moment.  That moment of laughter can change your mood. 

The focus of the Sanctified Art devotion for the Second Week of Advent is “We find joy in connection.”  Many long for connection, for a place to fit in, and for folks that can be called upon when we need them.  As an extrovert I find great joy in connecting with people, lots of people.  It recharges me and energizes me.  But for many folks, being around a lot of people can be overwhelming.  Whether you enjoy being around many people or just a few, we all need connections. 

Sanctified Art writes, “In community, our joy expands. When we can’t rejoice, we can carry each other’s joy. That is what Elizabeth and Mary do for each other. The good news begins to take shape in Elizabeth’s womb, but scripture tells us that she stays secluded, hiding her pregnancy from others—that is, until Mary arrives at her door, also pregnant. Perhaps Mary’s arrival is the inbreaking that changes everything for Elizabeth, for in that moment, her child leaps in her womb and she is filled with the Spirit. She can’t help but to rejoice. Her joy is contagious and wraps around Mary like a hug. Through the prophet Isaiah, we hear God speak tender words of comfort; this is the comfort we can give to and receive from each other during this season.”

If you are struggling to find joy this holiday season, I encourage you to be in community with others and carry the joy of others.  I pray that you will find comfort when you are in community with others, either at church or at gatherings with family and friends.  I wish you all a Blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas. 

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber

From All Saint's Day to Thanksgiving

In some ways, it is hard to believe that we are in the month of November.  October seemed to go by very quickly.  This month is filled with many emotions.  We began November with All Saint’s Day where we remembered those who have died since last year’s All Saint’s Day and we will end the month with a holiday centered around giving thanks.

On All Saint’s Day Pastor Chad and I read the many names of beloved children of God who are no longer with us.  It was a heavy day.  As I have reflected on All Saint’s Day, I find myself thinking of my interactions with many of those saints. I reminisce about the conversations and visits we shared and how they each made an impact on my life.  I am beyond grateful for each one of them.  So, as we continue towards Thanksgiving, I will carry with me those stories and that gratitude for the impact they made in my life and the life of St. Mark. 

I seem to have the phrase, “Give thanks with a grateful heart” stuck in my head.  I have caught myself singing those words or just the phrase popping in my head at what feels like random times throughout the week.  Each time these words pop into my mind I try to figure out why.  After attempting to figure out why for several days, I decided to just sit with those words and I tried not to overthink it.  This is not always an easy thing to do.  However, as I sit with those words’ images have popped into my head.  Images of the many things in my life that I am thankful for.  I have so much to be thankful for and I thank God for the many blessings in my life.  I invite you to sit with the phrase, “Give thanks with a grateful heart.”  What pops into your head?  How has God blessed you today?

If you find yourself struggling with All Saint’s Day, knowing that your loved one is no longer with you, I want you to know that you are loved and prayed for by the pastors, staff, and community of St. Mark.  We are here for you; to love you and support you in times of struggles and times of joy.

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber     

  

Committing to the Story

A few weeks ago, I wrote to you about the story of our congregation, with a summary of everything we have been up to this past year. We are a deeply faithful community rooted in worship, with a wide variety of ministries focused on faith formation and outreach. If you haven’t had a chance to read that letter, I hope you take a look and see just how much St. Mark has been up to. All of these ministries are made possible because of the generosity of our members.

On Sunday, October 22nd, we officially kicked off our annual season of stewardship. Every October, all members of St. Mark are encouraged to make a plan for giving in the upcoming year. We do this so that our council and leadership can prepare a budget that represents the commitment of our congregation to our ministries. In order to continue the story of our mission, we hope to meet a goal of $710,000 in committed giving for the coming year. 

To be to the point, we did not meet our goal last year. Even though this year’s goal is slightly lower, we will not meet it either, unless members like you pledge to increase your giving by a small percentage. If giving were to increase by even 7%, we could get there. Not everyone is able to make such an increase. If you are, though, I hope you will prayerfully consider how you could help us meet our goal and allow us to continue all we are able to do in our congregation and with the community.

Take a look at the table on the back of a pledge card, or on the online Plan for Giving form, and see how much you might be able to give to these ministries of ours in 2024. After some reflection and prayer, please complete your pledge and return it. You can use the enclosed envelope or bring it with you the next time you come to worship. You can also complete your plan for giving online by going to www.stmarklc.com/give or by scanning the QR code below.

No matter how much you pledge, thank you for your commitment to St. Mark and our unique story of how we grow in faith and share God’s grace. All gifts, large and small, are what allow us to share the story of Jesus Christ. You are part of this story, and it is an absolute joy to be with you in this wonderful ministry we share.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Telling the Story

 Dear St. Mark Member,

It is time for us to reevaluate how we talk about our budget. If you have ever been to an annual meeting, you know how the conversation typically goes. We look at lines with labels like “Outreach” or “Christian Education” which are fairly self-explanatory and always overshadowed by lines like “Property." Someone always stands up and asks what “Stewardship & Finance” means. While these categories are necessary for our leadership, they don’t exactly paint a picture of how much we actually value the primary ministries of St. Mark.

Take Outreach for example. Our congregation operates school uniform co-ops at four elementary schools on the west side of the city. We are able to provide regular meals to places like Rock House Kids and Carpenter’s Place. We give directly to local agencies and charities through both the budget and our endowment. The Sew & Sews meet twice a month to make blankets, quilts, and medical port pillows for people in need. We host four support groups, two bridge clubs, a Mosaic Hub, and other outside organizations. Recently, we began providing pre-packaged foods and other essential items in the St. Market cabinet by the kitchen entrance. I would even include our weekly coffee and donut hospitality as a form of outreach.

While much of what we do relies on volunteers, everything also relies on our pastors, staff, and property. The parking lot is plowed in winter to provide space for outside groups and volunteers who rely on a heated and well-lit building. All those behind-the-scenes expenses exist to support the ministries of our congregation. In fact, for every dollar we spent this year, 26 cents went to ministries that care for our community and welcome our neighbors.

Another 24 cents per dollar went to our ministries of Faith Formation. Mainstays like Sunday School and Vacation Bible School are strengthened by regular family fellowship events. Adult Forum on Sundays, as well as the Wednesday morning bible studies, provide learning opportunities for adults. And, we are excited to be partnering with Grace Lutheran in Loves Park for our new shared youth ministry. Growing in faith is a life-long process, and we are blessed to be able to provide opportunities for faithful people of every age.

We are also blessed to have such vibrant and varied worship. New members often cite our music ministry and choirs as a main factor in their decision to join our congregation. Life-long members can be seen lingering in their seats after worship to enjoy the full breadth of the postlude. Our praise band diligently leads worship every week, both inside and on the lawn. With two services every Sunday, evening prayer in Lent, and worship on major holidays, it’s no surprise that the largest ministry at St. Mark is Worship. It accounts for 33% of our budget because it’s what we do. Worship is where our community gathers to grow in faith together, as the love of Jesus unites us into the Body of Christ.

What I have been describing is not simply an overview of our congregation, but a narrative budget. When you donate to St. Mark, this is what you support. When we talk about our expenses, we are talking about ministry. An increase in giving allows us to do even more. Almost all of our budget can be attributed to those three areas of Outreach, Faith Formation, and Worship. The remaining 17% covers our mortgage, insurance, and other administrative costs.

Our staff and council are beginning to prepare the ministry budget for 2024, and you are a vital part of the process. On Sunday, October 22nd, everyone will have the opportunity to make a commitment for giving in 2024. It can be an act of worship to declare how much we will give toward the ministries of this unique and wonderful community of faith. If you are able, I would invite you to consider increasing your pledge for the coming year. Whatever amount you decide to give, though, I wholeheartedly thank you for supporting all the wonderful ministries that we share.

Peace,
Pastor Chad McKenna 

How do we settle ourselves when life gives us lemons?

When Life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  This is a phrase that many of us have heard in our life.  It is the proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity.  But what if you don’t like lemonade?  I ask this question not just to be the devils advocate, but to acknowledge that making lemonade in a time of adversity is not possible for everyone.

As humans, we want to fix things and make them better.  We want to ease the pain of people we love and care about.  Unfortunately, we can’t do that every time.  Struggles in life are real and they are hard. 

I am currently reading a book titled, My Grandmother’s Hands, by Resmaa Menakem.  In Chapter 10, titled “Your Soul Nerve” he talks about how his grandmother was a strong and loving woman, but her body was frequently nervous.  Like she felt something bad was about to happen. This feeling rarely left her.  She would soothe herself by humming and rocking while she was in the kitchen.  This was a sacred ritual, imbued with meaning a purpose.  The soul nerve in the health profession is called the vagus nerve or wandering nerve.  The soul nerve (vagus nerve) reaches into most of our body and it regulates all your body’s basic functions.  Resmaa Menakem goes on to talk about how we can with practice, settle our body, and soothe ourselves during difficult or high-stress situations.  He talks about humming, belly breathing, buzzing, slow rocking, rubbing your belly, singing aloud to yourself, and more.  I want to elaborate on two, belly breathing and rubbing your belly. 

Belly breathing is where you focus on your belly, breath in and out deeply and slowly.
Follow your breath as it flows in and out of each part of your respiratory system.  Do this as you sit in a comfortable position and continue this for about 4 minutes.  Notice what you body is experiencing. 

Rubbing your belly, this may sound crazy and you may think there is no way this will work, but I tried it and I was surprised how my body felt afterword.  You place the palm of your hand on the center of your belly, relax your shoulders and slowly rub your belly for three minutes.  I was surprised how my body felt at ease and less tense.

There is a lot of tension in our world right now and so much going on that we may not understand or have control over.  I encourage you to take time to settle your body by trying one of these practices.  I pray that these practices will help when life throws lemons at you.

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber  

Faith Like the Grasshopper

If you have been worshipping regularly with us for the past month, no doubt you have noticed that the first reading every Sunday has been carrying us through the story of Moses and the exodus from Egypt. We have reached the point in the Israelites’ journey where they make a hard transition from city-dwelling slaves to wilderness foragers. When they complain of hunger, God gives them manna. When they thirst, God provides a rock that Moses needs to crack open.

There is plenty of manna to go around every morning, but it has a short shelf life. The rock quenches their thirst, but it isn’t a permanent solution. In fact, through this whole ordeal the Israelites haven’t had a moment to stock up or plan ahead. They can only trust that God will provide enough with each new day.

I recently heard another pastor say this part of the story is the opposite of Aesop’s fable of the ant and the grasshopper. In that story, the ant is praised for spending its whole summer stockpiling food for winter, while the grasshopper fritters its days away. 

The Israelites, on the other hand, do best when they rely on their faith in God instead of their own self-sufficiency. Despite what the wealthy told them about hard work and success, their liberty came first from God. Every morning, any leftovers they held onto go bad, but God provides yet again. Daily bread truly is daily.

One of the more popular reality-competition shows over the last few years is Alone, where a dozen or so survival experts are sent into the wilderness, and whoever lasts the longest wins. A few seasons ago, one contestant struck it rich with an abundant catch of fish. He prepared them, dried them out, and seemed a shoe-in for first place. Instead of sustaining himself on this bounty, though, he became Aesop’s ant preparing for a winter that never came. He chose to go hungry to safeguard his stores, and the judges pulled him out of the competition for being dangerously malnourished. Nobody ever ate his stockpile of food.

Aesop’s fable wouldn’t be complete without an ending full of consequence. When winter comes, the grasshopper has nothing and begs the ant for food. In more cutting versions of the tale, the ant foregoes compassion and shuts the door in the face of his hungry neighbor. The ant cares so much about a possible future need that he refuses to do something about the reality of hunger today. 

Faith is approaching each day as a gift, taking care of ourselves and our neighbors today first, before we even begin to be concerned about what tomorrow may bring. It goes against every survival instinct and lesson, but we thrive as people of faith when we rely fully on God. What has God given us today, and how can that gift nourish us and our community now?

As Jesus put it, nobody has ever added a day to their lives by worrying about tomorrow. With God, the question is never, “Will we have enough for the future?” but rather, “Has God given me enough for today?” Emergency supplies expire, and stock markets crash, but God always endures. Today’s sufficient scarcity has far more value than an abundance that will go bad before it can even be enjoyed.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Oh, the joy!

SeptemberFest was amazing!  The Groove Hotel Concert on Friday was a great way to kick off the SeptemberFest weekend with a concert full of wonderful music and talented musicians.  Worship on Sunday was spirit filled, energetic, joyful, fun, exciting, etc.  The fellowship after the worship service was marvelous with great food. The outdoor activities were enjoyed by kids of all ages.  The generous donations of cereal and luggage/backpacks filled the barrels and the red truck.  What a great day! Thank you to all who made SeptemberFest a success.  You all are a gift and we appreciate all you do for St. Mark. 

I’m sure some of you saw me clapping and dancing to the sending song, “I Saw the Light/I’ll Fly Away”.  At the end of worship, I was so filled with joy and excitement for the day that I just had to express it.  Plus, I love when the praise band sings this song.  In that song, we proclaim with joy that we are happy and we praise the Lord.  Despite the songs connection to death, it is a joyous song that proclaims there is no sorrow in sight.  I think we need songs like this to remind us that Jesus is the light and that we will be home on God’s celestial shore.

As I looked through a devotion book titled, Dancing on Mountains by Kathy Keay, I came across a prayer titled, God Dances With Us by Jan Berry which reminded me of the way I felt during Sunday’s worship.  It says…

“God, you invite us to dance in delight, shaping and forming in figures of grace.  We move to the pulse of creation’s music and rejoice to be part of the making of earth.  Praise in the making, the sharing, the moving; praise to the God who dances with us.

In the steps of Jesus we reach to our partners, touching and holding and finding our strengths.  Together we move into patterns of freedom, and rejoice to be part of the sharing of hope.  Praise in the making, the sharing, the moving; praise to the God who dances with us.

We whirl and spin in the Spirit’s rhythm, embracing the world with our circles of joy.  Together we dance for salvation and justice, and rejoice to be part of the moving of love. Praise in the making, the sharing, the moving; praise to the God who dances with us.  Amen”

What a blessing it is to be invited to dance with God.  In this dance with God we can rejoice for being a part of the moving of love and the sharing of hope as we move to the pulse of creation’s music. 

 Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber