Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

Welcome to fall! I’ll often get music lyrics stuck in my head, and I’m sad to say that I missed a tie-in to the Earth, Wind, & Fire hit September. 

“Do you remember 

The 21st night of September?
 Love was changin’ the minds of pretenders
 While chasin’ the clouds away

I don’t know when the 21st of September will fall on a Sunday again, but I guess I’ll have to wait until then to use the reference. Nevertheless, as further evidence of this song’s catchiness, the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in 2018 for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

But it’s the question of the lyric that keeps on repeating in my head; do you remember? Do you remember a time in the past year that you were deeply moved by the Spirit, in worship, or in service? Do you remember a time volunteering with this faith community and found yourself as the one being served the most, even though you were the one serving?

Do you remember a particular moment of heartache when you felt the community of faith rally around in support and solidarity? Do you remember when the life-giving gift of the Gospel first took hold of your life and felt that heart-bursting joy? Do you remember bearing witness as someone else shared their faith out loud and how it further bolstered your own? Do you remember?

At Earth, Wind, & Fire’s recommendation, taking this time to remember and connecting the dots with how this community changes lives, as well as your own, is of paramount importance. Ministry doesn’t take place in an insular silo. As Green Day reminds us to “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” these crisp fall mornings and days are the perfect time to reflect on how your life has changed and how you, in turn, have changed the lives of others through this community. 

Peace & Blessings, Dear Church,

Pastor Dave

Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

School has been back in full swing for several weeks now, and I’m continually amazed at how quickly I fall into the habits of the fall. Like with most routines, they can quickly become rote, and I’ll start to pay less attention to them, and every once in a while, I’ll forget something. 

Case in point, during the second week of school, I forgot to pack August’s lunch into his backpack, realizing my mistake after he had already boarded the bus. So, I had planned to run August’s lunch over to school on my way to church. Thankfully, I remembered that August’s bus snakes around our neighborhood and was able to meet the bus at a later stop and get August his lunch that day. I never had another thought about what might happen, other than getting August his lunch for the day.

This story stands in rather stark contrast to another story I heard this week. Throughout this week, I have been seeing reports and stories of ICE raids not only in Carol Stream, but in the majority of surrounding communities, from West Chicago, Naperville, and Elgin. Regardless of your opinion of ICE, its tactics, or policies, one result remains ubiquitous: fear. 

I have a friend who is a Special Education teacher, and they had a student this week who also forgot their lunch at home. Unfortunately for this student, because their parent knew ICE was in the area, they called the school saying they wouldn’t be able to bring their child’s lunch because they were afraid that if they did, they might not make it home. 

Thankfully, this student was able to eat lunch that day and didn’t go hungry. I wish I could say the same for some of our other neighbors. Monday was a typical operating day for our Neighborhood Food Pantry site here at LCM, as we were able to serve nearly 50 of our neighbors in need of food. The next day was a different story. 

With the continued presence and threat of ICE in the community, the pantry saw a precipitous drop in clients, serving only 19 people. Even on days with the most extreme cold weather, several more than that are served. I couldn’t help but notice that in several cases, fear had prevented the most vulnerable from receiving the food and sustenance they needed.

I find it abhorrent that fear for one’s safety stands in the way of our neighbors being served. Fear does not nourish the body, nor does it sustain the body of Christ. When confronted with such a significant issue, I tend to think, despairingly, that solutions or responses must be equally substantial and believe that I am incapable of solving something so huge. But here’s the thing, as a community, you all have, time and again, shown me what the best way forward is. 

You have all continually shown me that there is great power in simple actions, no matter how small. We even witnessed some of these actions, just a couple of weeks ago, as we worked together serving our neighbors. With kindness rocks, you left encouraging messages for whoever might have needed that in their life. You’ve shown me your care for one another, working together to meet each other’s needs. 

We can take these ideas and carry them forward. We can continue to be present in our community and neighborhood, interacting with our neighbors with our continued kindness and generosity. As I move throughout this community, I hope to keep the following prayer in mind: “Dear God, we thank you for this community and the place you have placed us in.” Help us to see our neighbors as you see us: loved children of God. Help us to reach out to those in need with a kind word or smile. Help us to be peacemakers. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thank you for being willing to lead your life with love. Let us be free from fear as we seek to serve one another in love.

Peace & Blessings, Dear Church,

Pastor Dave

Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

I’m excited for Rally Day this Sunday, the 14th! I’ve been out to Reams in Elburn and have a box of delicious hot dogs ready to grill up for everyone. Thank you to those who have signed up to help round out our meal. 

During worship, we’ll celebrate the beginning of the ministry year with a blessing of the backpacks during the children’s message. And please, this blessing is for everyone, whether you’re a student teacher or just wish to mark this new season in your life. Come and receive God’s blessing in this season of life. 

After worship, as we enjoy hot dogs and lunch, if you didn’t have the opportunity to paint your own Kindness Rock last week, you’re more than welcome to! We’ll also have a new collaborative poster to color and create around the theme for Sunday School this year: “Be the Light, Share the Hope, Live the Love.” 

Beyond this time for fellowship this Sunday, we have a new opportunity beginning this Sunday. Stemming from a collective desire to delve deeper into God’s Word, I’m introducing an additional time for us all to engage in bible study. Each Sunday, I invite you to join me at 8:45 in the Fellowship Hall for bible study!

We’ll primarily utilize the day’s liturgical scripture readings as our scriptural guide, but I encourage you to please bring your questions, your curiosities, and your wonder. I want to engage with the questions of scripture that you have. So, bring them this Sunday, let’s talk about them, and then celebrate this new year!

Peace & Blessings, Dear Church,

Pastor Dave

Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

Why do we do this? Why do we take an entire liturgy and day to focus our work on service towards others? In short, we believe that service is a foundational way we, as Christians, can live out the call God has placed upon our lives. But just what is that calling? 

Looking to the Gospel and the life of our Savior Jesus, there are many things that he calls for us to do. Jesus calls us to follow, to forgive, to pray always, to turn the other cheek, to repent, ask, seek, knock, and do this in remembrance of me. This is already a lengthy list, and it is far from comprehensive. Thankfully, there were lawyers around Jesus who, maybe like us, wondered, which of these is most important!?

And in one of the few times. Jesus gives a direct answer, her says, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind … and love your neighbor as yourself. On these two, all of the Law and prophets hang. 

These commandments are deeply relational in nature, and a significant way that our relationship with God and one another is described in our baptisms. When we are baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we are forever claimed as one of God’s children and marked by the seal of the Holy Spirit. As we recognize God’s incredible action in this moment, promises are made, both by God and by us. 

We promise to live among God’s people, study the word and partake in the sacraments, study and learn the holy scriptures, proclaim Christ, care for others and the world God made, and to work for justice and peace. While centered upon this upcoming Sunday, God’s Work Our Hands is an ongoing activity as we seek to lovingly serve others. 

Our baptisms into Christ’s life creates a whole new world of relationships that are characterized by loving, liberated service. Is it my calling to directly paint rocks or a wall, or to pick up trash? No, probably not. But in Jesus Christ, all of life – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. This is why we do what we do. As you love God and neighbor, may it indeed be a graceful blessing.

Peace & Blessings, Dear Church,

Pastor Dave

Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

As we begin to bid farewell to August, September brings with it several opportunities. Today, I wanted to provide some additional details on the projects we have lined up for God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday on September 7th. As listed below, our projects include Kindness Rocks, two painting projects (one outside and one inside the building), Food Pantry Cleaning, & Adopt-a-Highway trash pickup.

I can’t wait to see us all come together and work on all these projects! I’m also glad that our projects accommodate a range of abilities and efforts. While some of the projects are already familiar to us, such as painting or Adopt-a-Highway, others are new to us. 

This Sunday, we’ll be able to sign up for the project you’d like to help with. This year, in the food pantry, we’ll be removing the rugs to clean the new floor, as well as deep clean one of the freezers. We’ll also be able to sign up for our outing to Feed My Starving Children on Tuesday, September 9th, at 9am. While not on Sunday itself, this outing is still a part of God’s Work Our Hands! 

A new project for us this year will be the painting of Kindness Rocks. I think the world is always ready to receive kindness, and sometimes, the smallest gestures can have the most significant impact. Kindness rocks are intended to be decorated with inspirational words, scripture, or beautiful designs, then hidden in public places for others to find.

We all get to exercise some creativity while sharing encouragement with the world. We may never know who might need your rock’s particular message. One message at just the right moment can change someone’s entire day, outlook, or even life.

Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

Again, thank you all for the hard work that has been taking place as we work to find new homes for the preschool equipment and supplies. Word has certainly spread, and so many quality items are finding new life, serving children throughout our area. Again, thank you. 

Service continues as a theme in the coming weeks as we approach God’s Work Our Hands Sunday. There are several projects that need our hands that Sunday, and I preemptively thank you for your service. Similar to last year, there will be an opportunity to help the food pantry with some of the needs that they have. We’ll also have projects to work on that don’t require a substantial physical effort.

We do have an exciting service opportunity for us, too. While not taking place on Sunday, the 7th itself, we do have an opportunity to serve at Feed My Starving Children. Inspired by a desire from Mary and the OWLS, we will be serving at 9am on September 9th at the Schaumburg location, and then head back to LCM after lunch. 

We’ll have sign-up and other information available this Sunday. I hope you can join us! But overall, this one particular Sunday isn’t just the one time in a year we focus on service, but is just one opportunity out of many to focus on the tangible markers of living out our faith. 

I think of it this way: when we receive the body of Christ, the eucharist, we receive what we are—the body of Christ. Jesus’ real presence comes to us in such simple things, like bread and wine. The service acts we do goes beyond simple acts of kindness. In a small manner, it’s a way for us to share a sign of Christ’s real presence in the world, recognizing our place and that of our neighbors in God’s beloved community. Thank you for your service, dear church!

Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

Just like that, our summer travels and adventures have concluded, and we find ourselves anticipating our next adventures as back-to-school season is in full swing! I always enjoy the flood of first-day pictures, and I’ll be adding my own shortly as August begins his first day of 2nd grade today!

It’s also the time of year that we are actively preparing for our fall ministries to begin again shortly. Be on the lookout soon for information about Confirmation, Sunday School, Music Ministries, Bible Studies, and more. As we continue to gear up for another wonderful fall, we have both God’s Work Out Hands Sunday on September 7th and Rally Day on Sunday, September 14th to look forward to.

Projects are still being formulated for God’s Work Our Hands, as well as plans for Rally Day, but I wanted to be sure you had the dates now. But from students heading into school for the first time, to the last year of college, or yet another year serving in the education field, I wanted to offer this blessing and prayer for the start of a new school year:

O God, source of all goodness: we give you thanks for the gift of reason and the opportunity for education. Bless all schools, colleges, and universities, that they may be lively places for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom. Send your blessing on all who are engaged in the work of education: give them clearness of vision and freshness of thought, and enable them so to train the hearts and minds of their students that they may grow in wisdom and be prepared to face the challenges of life. Amen.

Peace & Blessings, Dear Church,

Pastor Dave

Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

First and foremost, as we approach this weekend, thank you so much to Carol & Kara for starting the preschool sale project, and to all who have lent their hands to make this sale a reality. I am incredibly grateful for all of your efforts! Secondly, amongst other reminders, I greatly appreciate your attention and attendance for our congregational meeting this Sunday, 8/10, immediately following worship. We have a plan to present for fixing the parking lot, and it requires a congregational vote! 

But as we head into the weekend, I write this week to the sound of waves and the view of a canoe on the beach. We’re ending our summer as we have now for ten years up north in the U.P. at my aunt and uncle’s cottage on Lake Michigan. Taking my uncle’s Hoefgen Canoe (pictured above) out for a daily mile-long paddle with August has quickly become my favorite pastime while up at the Stuga. 

 August and I will often chat, spot birds (two bald eagles this time!), and laugh as we slice through the waves. Frequently, we’re also just quiet, reflecting in our own ways as we paddle left and right. There aren’t many songs written about canoes, but a song that one of my friends from camp, Kendra, popped back into my mind this week. Kendra wrote the song about an old Grumman Canoe her grandfather had purchased and had passed down through the family to her. 

 “I can’t stop thinkin how all I wanna do is spend my day [sic] in my Grumman Canoe.” “So take me to the river if you’d be so kind; another moment on this shore’ll make me lose my mind!” Her song has a more fishing while canoeing focus, but it was the following lyric that was at the forefront of my mind while canoeing this week. 

 “I can’t forget, I gotta let you know that sittin’ on the water’s gonna save your soul! Jesus did it lotsa times, he taught those guys and bit by bit it fed ’em after just a few tries.” There is just something about water that has such a lasting impact on me. It should ring fairly obvious, though, because much of Jesus’ ministry took place in, around, on, and with water. The water he provides us as the Holy Spirit marks us in baptism is the living water. 

My favorite sensation, which speaks to how water has a way of sticking with us, is how, at the end of the day, just before I fall asleep, I can still feel the sensation of my body rising and rolling in the waves. It’s such a pleasant sensation, and it brings all of these thoughts again to the forefront, literally lulling me to sleep. Whenever Jesus mentions the sea, he is out on the water, or is just by the water’s edge, I’m taken to those moments of August and me, out on the water. May water such as this be a blessing to you, too.

Peace & Blessings, Dear Church,

Pastor Dave

Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

What an incredible blessing this week has been. It’s been a blessing in two distinctive ways, and I want to share both of them with you. My family and I have been taking advantage of these waning summer days to travel and be together as a family. I got to take August to the heart of Wisconsin last week to be surrounded by airplanes and the wonder of flight. 

This week, we’ve found ourselves surrounded by yet another wonder. We’re currently visiting family in Northern California, and we spent a day at Muir Woods National Monument. I’d visited Muir Woods once before, and there’s something about the majesty of those tall trees that simply takes your breath away. This time, however, seeing that same sense of awe and wonder through August and Emmett’s eyes was nearly beyond words. 

There’s a particular spot called Cathedral Grove that has signs asking for quiet as you enter the grove. The sign is hardly necessary as the grove commands a stillness that comes over naturally. Pictures rarely capture the entirety of a moment, but this one comes close. I sure hope that we all find the experiences that are full of awe at the majesty of the Divine. 

This week is also a blessed one within the realm of our church body. I wrote last week that the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is happening this week, and that a new Presiding Bishop would be elected as Bishop Elizabeth Eaton is retiring. I’m beyond thrilled to announce that our own Metropolitan Chicago Synod Bishop, Rev. Yehiel Curry, has been elected as the next ELCA Presiding Bishop! 

Having experienced his leadership, care, direction, and friendship amongst our community and this Synod, I look forward to the future of this wider church with great hope and joy. While it’s a bit bittersweet that he’ll be leaving the Metro Chicago Synod to serve wider, it is a sweet day for the church. I’ll share with you all once I know how we, as a Synod, will select a new Bishop to fill Bishop Curry’s vacancy. I want to leave with the words and the video of Bishop Curry addressing the assembly after his election.

Speaking to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly after his election as presiding bishop today, Yehiel Curry reflected on his first ministry role as a lay mission developer of Shekinah Chapel in Riverdale, Ill. “I’m what a return on your investment looks like,” he said. “Perhaps I’m out there in one of you. I never saw myself as good enough, so for two years, I said no. I finally said yes. When I said yes, your support, this church’s support, of that ministry meant everything. So if you want to know what your benevolence dollars look like, it looks like me. And I want to say thank you. Thank you for your investment.”

In Bishop Curry’s words, thank you for your investment in this congregation, dear church. 

Peace & Blessings, Dear Church,

Pastor Dave

Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

The beginning of my time in professional ministry was marked by transition and the privilege of participating in some extraordinary celebrations. I began seminary in 2012 at LSTC in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. President Obama had just been reelected to his second term, and I quickly learned that you could get caught on the wrong side of road closures when he came home. 

Although a very different kind of presidency, LSTC had just hired a new president, and as a student, I had the opportunity to participate in his installation service. Not even a year later, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton was elected as the first female presiding Bishop of the ELCA. Again, as a Lutheran Seminary Student in Chicago, I also got to participate in her installation service. (It was really rather fun! That’s me below, twirling the long red banners throughout the service!) 

Twelve years later, Bishop Eaton’s tenure as our church’s Presiding Bishop comes to a close as she will be retiring. I remain grateful for her service and for the blessing of her ministry, not only for the church, but also for me personally. 

The churchwide body will gather this week in Arizona for the Triennial Churchwide Assembly. One of the primary business items at this assembly will be the election of a new Presiding Bishop. I look forward to following the proceedings and pray for whoever is called to this office. As Bishop Eaton’s time comes to a close, I wanted to share this heartfelt reflection entitled "Ordinary & Extraordinary" written by Bishop Eaton’s daughter. Enjoy, and I hope you all have a fabulous Friday! (Click the ‘Ordinary and Extraordinary’ button below!)

Peace & Blessings, Dear Church,

Pastor Dave

Pentecost Blessings, Dear Church!

I’m looking forward to this Sunday as we take some time to share more about our mission trip experiences with all of you! One of the ways we’ll share our experiences will be the devotion we ended up doing each evening of the trip. I’ve shared highs and lows with groups before and often used various names for the same thing, such as ‘roses and thorns’ or ‘whoops and poops.’ 

We shared highs and lows on the trip, but we took it further than just this simple dichotomy. Beyond high and low, we also shared a God moment and a Sunrise with everyone at the end of the day. A God moment is reasonably self-explanatory, but it’s an answer to the question, “Where did you experience God at work today?” A Sunrise, then, was something that we were looking forward to the next day. 

This turned out to be a way of doing devotions that really resonated with me. There’s a litany, a call and response, that we say each week in the Eucharistic liturgy that goes like this, “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.” “It is right to give our thanks and praise,” comes as the response. I then continue in the Proper Preface chanting, “It is indeed right, our duty and our delight, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ...”

Despite it being our “right, duty, and delight” to give thanks and praise to God, I often feel like I’m not really sure what it means to praise God. I realized that I thought praise needed to be something formal, with the correct words that sounded ‘churchy,’ and if it wasn’t, then it couldn’t be praise. 

But as we shared with one another in devotion each evening of the trip, I realized that as we shared in the joys of the highs, empathized with one another in our lows, sat in awe at the work of the Spirit in the God moments, and the hope of sunrises with one another, praising God was exactly what we were doing. 

I’m also willing to bet that you have praised God this week without fully realizing it. In that moment of deep belly laughter, having a plate of food made for you, catching a glimpse of the sunset, or the weightless feeling of a burden being lifted. Praise seems to flow from the sorts of things we can’t earn or make. 

So, we hope to share some of the praise from our mission trip with you this Sunday, and I hope that you too join in with praise of your own. 

Peace & Blessings, Dear Church,

Pastor Dave