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

Use Your Voice

What does it take to speak up? Very few of us talk simply for the sake of filling the silence. When I lead a Bible study or other group discussion, I have noticed that when a person decides to say something, there is typically an emotion behind it. Excitement, nervousness, fear, and even anger can be an undercurrent behind a person’s words. We speak because we want to be heard by others and make connections with one another. That sort of desire always comes with a bit of vulnerability, and hope that our words stir up a similar emotion in others.

But what stops us from speaking? So many of us were trained from an early age that we need to raise our hands and wait our turn in order to speak, a method that has probably always seen mixed results of success. Many children are taught to not interrupt, which is healthy advice. When grownups get together, some kids are taught to not speak at all, which is perhaps less healthy. Social pressures can keep your voice locked away. You may feel that your opinion has little value or that it isn’t your place to speak up. You may feel that you need to wait your turn, and then you wait so long that time runs out.

 The first time my oldest daughter stood up for herself was on our way out of the grocery store. Her vocabulary was barely in the double digits, but when I pulled her out of the toddler seat of our shopping cart, she mustered all her willpower to add a new word to her list. With calm indignation she said, “Shoe.” She repeated her one-word plea a few times with increased intensity until I looked at her feet and realized her shoe had fallen off when I took her out of the cart. She used her voice and received justice, however small.

 A recent study of 2,000 Norwegian adults found that among climate activists, anger is the strongest predictor of self-reported activism and policy support.  It was strongest in women and younger people, two groups who have been traditionally kept out of the conversation. Sometimes, it takes a strong emotion to break the dam of silence.

Silence is wonderful for contemplation, especially in worship, but there is one portion of our worship that does not need to remain so quiet anymore. At St. Mark, we pastors lead the prayers of the people, which includes naming everyone on the prayer list. For years, we have concluded that list with something along the lines of “…and all those we name within the silence of our hearts.” You may have noticed a slight shift in that invitation this summer: “…And all those we name out loud or in the silence of our hearts.”

Those additional two words, “out loud” are a small encouragement for you to speak up; however, to my knowledge no one has taken us up on it. Who in your life needs prayer? Say their names. Who is sick or hurting and in need of God’s grace? Use your voice. Talk to God. You may even receive support from those around you, or remind them of dear members in our community who need their prayers. Speak those names with hope, nervousness, and even anger. Speak up and seek justice from our God of mercy.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Being in Community

Over the past few weeks, I have thought a lot about community.  I have thought about communities from my past that even though I am no long actively participating in them, they helped to make me who I am today.  I have thought about my current communities and how they impact my life. Healthy communities know how to balance loving and supporting each other and holding each other accountable. 

Communities from my past helped me to become the pastor I am today.  They guided me on my faith journey and empowered me to take that first step in starting seminary.  Even the unhealthy aspects of community have helped form me.  I have learned to name things that are unhealthy and I have learned how to set boundaries. 

My current communities continue to help me grow and learn.  As an extrovert, I love being around people and hearing their stories.  This is one of my favorite parts of being in community.  Another aspect of community that I greatly value is the support of a community.  I have witnessed this support many times.  The community of St. Mark doesn’t hesitate to support me when I needed it.  Whether it was the death of my father-in-law back in January or recently when I broke my toes.  The care and concern for me was palpable.  I am so grateful for the St. Mark community. 

Each member of a community has value, from the newborn baby to the oldest member.  Our roles in community change over time, and I find that beautiful.  We cannot be actively involved when we are young children and we may not be able to be active when we are older, but that doesn’t mean we are less valuable.  Our value in community doesn’t change with our role.      

I invite you to reflect on community and how different communities impact your life.  What do you find valuable?  When you gather within community, what role do you feel you have?  What have you learned from being in community?  If you are comfortable sharing, I’d love to hear your answers.    

I give God thanks for the community of St. Mark.  I thank God for each one of you who are a valued member of this community of faith.  I look forward to another year of learning and growing in faith with you all. 

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber   

A Bittersweet Farewell

It is never easy to say goodbye. After four years of dedicated work, Wendy Iverson has stepped down as our Finance Manager. She is at a point in her career where she needs a full-time position, and so with sadness and encouragement, we wish her well as she moves on to a different organization later this month.

Many of you got to know Wendy during her four years here. St. Mark is not her home congregation, and yet she deeply cares for our community and our ministries. She worked closely with volunteers, assisted folks who would call with questions about how to manage online giving, and formed friendships. Her presence here has been a testament to our ability to be the Body of Christ beyond congregational affiliations. We can be committed to our own communities of faith and also support the work of congregations, even outside our own denomination!

Wendy has helped us through some trying years. When the pandemic hit during a major pastoral transition, she helped us maintain a balanced budget. She took initiative to apply for the Employee Protection loan and the Employee Retention credit, both difficult tasks that have allowed us to continue our various ministries with financial confidence. This was on top of the usual work that goes into a job that demands so much precision and record-keeping. In addition to all this, she has been a tremendous member of our staff, contributing to the joyfully positive atmosphere in our office.

I speak for the council and staff by saying that we are immensely grateful for all Wendy has done for St. Mark, and we send her off with God’s blessing.

We are actively searching for a new, part-time finance manager. If you know of anyone who could be a potential candidate, please send them my way! In the meantime, Karen Osolin will be assisting with necessary tasks, and Wendy herself will come in on occasional weekends to ensure we are keeping up with all our obligations. 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna

Simple Reminders of God's Love

I don’t know how you all feel, but summer feels like it is going by super-fast.  Beside summer going by quickly, it has felt different than I expected.  For me, this summer has been full of a wide range of emotions that I was not expecting.  I experienced unexpected trauma and grief.  I have experienced joy, excitement, and gratefulness.  I did not expect to have such a vast range of emotions.  Perhaps some of you have experienced the same?  

As I reflect on my emotions and the cause of each emotion, I find my heart feels heavy.  My heart breaks for folks who have lost loved ones
who were far too young to die.  Grief is interesting because it does not just go away after a few days, weeks, or years.  Grief changes over time, but will remind us that it is still there, often when we don’t expect it.  My heart rejoices with folks who are free to live their fullest life and be who God has called them to be.  It is so exciting to see the excitement of folks who are overjoyed with their future.  The excitement of graduation and heading off to college or the excitement of a job that is most enjoyable and loved deeply.    

When you come into my office, you will see a variety of trinkets on my desk.  Some trinkets are there just for fun, some are stress squishes to squeeze when needed, some are reminders of God’s love, and other things are there for me to give to folks in need of a kind word or positive message.  I have a bowl with three hearts and two marbles, the hearts say Strength, Blessed, and Grace and they are made of soap stone. The bowl with the hearts and the marbles reminds me that God loves me and God has Blessed me and God has endless Grace.  When I don’t feel like I have the strength I need, God will help me find the strength needed.  The two marbles were given to me after Pastor Joan’s funeral.  She would often jokingly say, “If you find a marble on the floor please pick it up it’s probably mine because I may have lost a few of my marbles.”  The two marbles remind me to laugh and enjoy those silly and simple moments of life.  And when people need a kind word or a reminder that they are loved you can find a bowl of positive statement trinkets on my desk.

No matter what we go through in life, God has and will continue to love us unconditionally.  And when we need it there are simple reminders that God loves us, even if it is just a small colorful clothespin or a bowl with hearts and marbles. 

Peace, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber     

Hope in the Dirt

A few months ago, our local airport bulldozed a section of ancient prairie on their property in order to build an access road. Illinois was home to 20 million acres of prairie for thousands of years, but since this Prairie State was founded in 1818 that number has been reduced to less than 2,300. It’s no wonder, then, that there was a drawn-out legal battle to save a small patch of ground from being paved over.

Bell Bowl Prairie overflows with history. Environmental scientists believe this gravel prairie has existed for over 8,000 years. It was host to many gatherings for the Army when the area was known as Camp Grant. As a Category I Natural Areas Inventory site, it is the home to endangered plant species, as well as the federally endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee. Even the soil itself is full of history. In April, conservation advocates began to sift through 20 dump trucks worth of sod removed during construction of the airport road. Their hope is to discover roots, seeds, and fungi which can be given a second life at Cedar Cliff, a newer forest preserve in Winnebago County. 

Folks who hoped to save the prairie once imagined this effort as a worst-case scenario. Digging through the dirt on a salvage mission is a whole lot different than maintaining an abundance of life. We do our best to avoid tragedies, but when they happen there’s no turning back. There is this moment when our hope shifts from perseverance into desperation. You might feel that shift when the doctor who has done everything she can mentions the word, hospice. You can feel any time you read an obituary. Here’s the thing, though: No matter what side of the threshold you are on, hope always remains. The outcome we hope for may change, and all other options may be out of reach, but like conservationists sifting through the dirt, hope is always within reach. 

As Christians, we put our ultimate, most desperate hope in resurrection. Because of Jesus, we are given new life, and even death cannot have the final say. We are in the business of new life. We remember we are dust, but we also listen to the story of Adam and remember how God brings dirt to life.  We can live, then, as advocates of life and second chances for all of creation. And, we can be confident that even when life doesn’t go where we had hoped, that desperate hope we have in Christ Jesus will always remain.

 Read more about the sod rescue operation at this link.

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna