Inside this issue: Pastor s Corner 2. Lent 2017 & Holy Week. What s happening in Youth & Family. The Work of the People

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1 St. Mark Lutheran Church 200 South Wille Street Mount Prospect, Illinois March 2017 St. Mark Lutheran Church CrossBeams A publication of St. Mark Lutheran Church, Mount Prospect, Illinois Inside this issue: Pastor s Corner 2 Volume 56, Issue 2 March, 2017 Celebrating More Baptisms St. Mark Lutheran Church 847/ Fax: 847/ stmarkmp@stmarkmp.org Web: stmarkmp.org Lent 2017 & Holy Week What s happening in Youth & Family The Work of the People Staff Pastor Rev. Christie Webb cwebb@stmarkmp.org Music Director Timothy Spelbring tspelbring@stmarkmp.org Parish Administrator Nancy Hundley nhundley@stmarkmp.org Office Administrator Jill Galyon jgalyon@stmarkmp.org Youth & Family Ministry Deacon David Webb dwebb@stmarkmp.org Sunday Worship Chapel Service ~ 8 am Worship Service ~ 10 am Wednesday Youth Christian Education (Sept. May) WOW (3 yrs through 5 th grade) FaithWalk (Confirmation 6-8 th grade) 4:30-6:00 pm 6:30-8:00 pm Wednesday Adult Christian Education Bible Study 11:00 am Office Hours Monday Thursday 8:30 am 4:30 pm Friday 8:30 am 12 pm noon St. Mark Preschool & Enrichment Center 847/ Web: stmarkpreschoolcares.org Preschool Director Barb Zediker bzediker@stmarkmp.org Thoughts from the Loft & Craft Connection Women of the ELCA Spring ahead, Lucille & More Stewardship, Seniors & Preschool Metro Chicago Synod Letter Calendar of Events Luke Kora In February, we celebrated 2 more baptisms. Luke Arthur Rohleder was baptized on February 12th. We rejoice with his parents, Derek and Vivian and big brother Ben. On February 26, Kora Grace Keslinke was baptized. We share in this great happiness with her parents, Ken and Kelly. Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs. Mark 10:14 The mission statement of the people of St. Mark: To nourish God s people in Body, Mind and Spirit.

2 Page 2 Page 11 Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves... Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer. Rainer Maria Rilke Recently I was talking with someone and they said of their current life circumstances It s just brought up so many questions. She then went on to list the deep questions she was pondering about life and death and life to come. I could sense that she worried there was something wrong with these questions, that perhaps they showed a lack of faith. I suspect we all know that worry in our own way too. However, I have heard it said (and quite agree): The opposite of faith is not doubt. It is certainty. Questions and uncertainty and wondering are part of faith. If we didn t have them, we wouldn t be wrestling and growing in our understanding of God. If we didn t have them, we would have no need for faith, for TRUSTING God. If we didn t have them, we wouldn t have to return again and again to the source of our answers, return again and again to God. In the season of Lent, we focus on returning to God. It is a time in the church year to turn around and return to the Lord our God. This year at St. Mark we are inviting you to return to God by bringing your deep questions directly to the source to seek out the answers. We invite you to live the questions, love the questions, and perhaps we can live our way into the answers together. Each week in Lent we will delve into some powerful stories in the faith. Each involves someone daring to ask the questions, to seek the answers, to delve into who God is and what God is up to. We will spend time in the wilderness with Jesus as he faces the question: who am I and what am I willing to give up to be who I am? We will join Nicodemus as he comes under the cover of darkness to ask his questions of Jesus. We will sit with Jesus in the heat of the day and ask along with the woman at the well: What is this living water? We will dig into the question of whether or not sin is connected to illness through the healing of the man born blind. After their brother Lazarus has died we will ask Jesus with Mary and Martha: Where have you been? There are many ways you can join us in living the questions this Lent. On Wednesday mornings we will gather for prayer and then, after a simple soup lunch, we will bring all of our questions to the text for the upcoming Sunday. On Wednesday evenings, after a simple soup supper, we will live our questions in worship and interactive prayer stations (see Deacon David s column for more info on this opportunity). On Sunday mornings we will delve into the rich stories of our gospel texts and name the questions within these narratives that haunt the characters within them and us as well. And, in our daily devotionals, we will ask the age old question of Martin Luther s Small Catechism: What does this mean? (Pick up your copy of Free Indeed in the Narthex!) I hope that you will dare greatly with us and live your questions this Lent. And know this if your questions ever feel too big a burden, I would be glad to live them with you through conversation and prayer. Perhaps together we can live our way into the answers. Pastor Christie 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday am Communion Ministry instruction 8:30-11:30 am Tastefully Simple Tasting Party pm Youth & Family 1 pm Book Club 7 pm Mary Circle 12:30 pm Bridge Club am Private Event :30 pm Deborah Circle 9:00 am Quilting 7 pm Church Council 9 am Quilting ASH WEDNESDAY 11 am Worship 6 pm Basketball 6 pm Family Worship 7 pm Worship 6 pm Basketball am Quilting 22 8 pm Basketball 29 8 pm Basketball pm Senior Lunch Bunch pm 30-hr Famine Retreat begins 17 7 pm Craft Connection am Basketball 9:30 am Preschool Dad s Day 11 6 pm 30-hr Famine Retreat Ends 18 8 am COC Workshop 25

3 Page 10 Page 3 Holy Week 2017 Palm Sunday April 9 Worship 8am & 10am February 15, 2017 I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing of the gospel from the first day until now. Phil. 1:3-5 Dear Partners in Ministry, I am writing to offer a word of personal gratitude for the generosity shown by our congregations in closing out fiscal year Although we did not quite make our projected offering income of $2.9 million, we were able to recover to the level of 97% of predicted income. Given the continuing environment of financial challenge in many of our congregations, this is worth celebrating. Because of this effort on the part of so many congregations, our synod ministries and our mission partnerships will remain strong as we enter I continue to pray for abundance and joy in your congregational mission and hope that this pattern of generous sharing will grow still more in the year ahead. In Christ, Wayne N. Miller ** St. Mark gave $22,126 to the Metropolitan Chicago Synod in % of our total benevolence goes to the synod. The rest is dispersed to various ministries. Stay tuned in upcoming CrossBeams for information on those ministries. Wednesday Mornings March 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5 11:00 Worship 11:30 Soup Lunch 12:00 Bible Study Wednesday Evenings Maundy Thursday April 13 Worship 7pm Good Friday March 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5 6:00 Soup Supper 6:45 Worship with Prayer Stations 7:15 Faithwalk Classtime April 14 Worship 7pm Daily Devotional: Free Indeed April 15 Worship 7pm This beautiful, full-color devotional takes you through Lent with daily readings from Martin Luther s Small Catechism. Each reading is accompanied by a photo, a quote to ponder, reflection, and prayer. Centered around the question What does this mean? Free Indeed invites you to reflect on Martin Luther s guide to the basics of Christian faith during Lent. Pick up your free copy in the narthex! Easter Vigil Easter Egg Hunt 6pm Donut party to follow worship Easter Sunday April 16 Worship 8am, 10am Easter Breakfast starts at 8:30am

4 Page 4 What s Happening in Youth & Family Ministry? By: Deacon David Webb/ Jill Galyon Calling all High School Youth!!! Come to the 30-hour Famine Retreat March 10-11, pm-6pm at St. Mark Learn about hunger and what to do about it! Bring your friends and experience what hunger is all about. Contact Deacon Dave or Mrs. G. to sign-up by Wednesday, March 8. Stewardship and Discipleship We continue to develop our understanding of stewardship as discipleship following the lead of Jesus in how we live every day. It includes sharing our money but is not limited to that. We are reminded that we can give money like the Pharisee who bragged to God that he tithed and fasted, but Jesus commended the tax collector who had a humble heart. (Luke 18: 9-14) The attitude of the heart is the key. Page 9 How does this help deepen our stewardship living? It may be helpful to realize that in our daily interactions with people, whatever we do is our response to God s generosity and love for us. If we show disrespect or an uncaring or superior attitude, our common life is diminished. But when we do something that is needful for society, when we do our tasks well so our community functions for the good of all, we re giving back to God who created us to live in service to others. In doing our daily tasks with love and respect for the neighbor, we know that God blesses our work and that makes life meaningful and good for all. A generous heart is the foundation of true discipleship. This spring we will have a new pew card that can be used to indicate that you are giving your money electronically. It will also include a place for anyone to write a note that indicates what you did this week/month that was a non-monetary giving of yourself. This stewardship report is a reminder that my generous interactions with others is an important part of my offering to God. We hope the action of placing this card in the offering plate will be a meaningful reminder of what we give back to God for the good of all. Pr. Carl Anderson for the Stewardship Team SKI/SNOWBOARD RETREAT at Lutherdale On Feb , seven middle school & high school youth, along with Deacon Dave and Jill Galyon, went up to Lutherdale Bible Camp for a retreat weekend. We went skiing/snowboarding at Alpine Valley on Saturday and participated in games and worship at Lutherdale. A fun time was had by all! Senior Lunch Bunch Thursday, March 16, :00 pm Giacomo s Restaurant 740 N. Wolf Rd., Des Plaines RSVP to Marilyn by Monday, March 13 PRESCHOOL OPEN REGISTRATION Openings in our 3 s and kindergarten enrichment classes. Early bird registration fee is $70 if you register your child by March 15. After that the fee will be $95. Call with questions or to tour the school.

5 Page 8 Daylight Saving Time Begins March 12. Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed on the 11th. Communion for the Homebound LUCILLE RESALE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED through March Contact Margaret Flanagan at x7 or mflanagan@hfm.org Visiting the homebound members and giving them communion is really gratifying. When my husband Bruce was so sick for some time, Dick Dalbke would visit and give him communion. Bruce and Dick would visit a while talking about many things. Many times it was about their time spent in the army. I saw how much Bruce enjoyed these visits. Short Term Volunteers - Individuals and Small groups Now through March Can you give a few hours? Lucille needs help preparing new spring items for the sales floor. Regular Saturday & Sunday Volunteers 3 hrs / wk, flexible 2-3month commitment. Sales, sorting, cashiering, merchandising, fun 1101 E. Rand Road, Arlington Heights Proceeds support Holy Family s Pre-K to 8th grade school and youth programs. Hours: M&W 12-6, T&Th 10-7, F&Sa 10-5:30, Su When Bruce died, I had some time and asked Pastor Wilson what I would have to do to get started visiting and bringing communion to folks. She told me that should would instruct me. It didn t take long to get started. I ve been doing this for about 3 years now. I didn t know some of the St. Mark people too well, but over time, I got to know them. I ve gone to the hospitals to visit and give communion to those folks there. I ve even taken other St. Markers with me on my visits. I know that God had his hand in getting me started. All I can say is this is a good calling that s easy to do. Cynthia Pershing Interested in joining our communion ministry? We would love your help bringing communion to homebound members! We will gather at 9am on March 12 for instruction and practice. Interested but not able to make it that day? Let Pastor Christie know and we can find another time to meet. The Work of the People By Deacon David Webb When we pray with the acolytes before church on Sunday we always give thanks for all the people that make our Sunday service possible. Of course we pray for our awesome acolytes, lectors, musicians and communion helpers, but we also try to communicate that everyone has a job to do at church. Sitting in the pews we don t think about ourselves having a job within the service. We follow along. We respond. We listen. At most we think about having a very passive role in the service. Our presence, prayers, meditations (that includes deep thoughts and staring at the windows), and engagement is much more than that. Sitting in the pews we create a space and an environment for worship to happen in. The age old question is important here: If a pastor preaches in the woods and there is no one to hear it, does the sermon still get preached? Preaching and singing and the reading of God s word need people to hear them as well as proclaim them. Our prayers, ideas, and songs of praise must have some place to vibrate! During Lent this year we are highlighting many different ways we can sit in the pews and do very important work to create the worship environment. There will be several prayer stations, reflection questions, and experiences that will help us explore our theme of Living the Questions. Morning prayer at 11AM will be filled with traditional elements from our worship service as well as an engaging question to reflect on and spark our conversation in worship as well as during lunch. We will sing Spirit-filled music and gather around the words of scripture. Evening worship at 6:45PM will include many familiar elements from Holden Evening Prayer, but we are going to experiment with the shape of the service. In the middle of the service, there will be a variety of ways that we can experience the Gospel message and respond by doing the work of the church. This may be a great opportunity for all of you who always wanted to come to Children s Church, but felt like the kids might look at you funny if you joined them for the craft. Here is a quick survey of the ways in which we will experience the proclamation of the Gospel during Lenten Worship. Page 5 Prayers in the Pew: You will be invited to sit quietly in your seat and reflect on the scripture that has been read. Prayer shawls and other prayer aides will be available to offer you a prayer experience. Journaling: The worship book will include a thought provoking question and a space to write down or draw your thoughts or reflections from your day. Music: If listening to music helps you draw nearer to God, there will be a chance to listen to a beautiful and meditative piece of music offered by our Director of Music, Tim Spellbring. Coloring: There will be a chance to put your thoughts and prayers into color with a coloring sheet, crayons, and colored pencils. Iconography: Each week there will be an icon available for you to gaze upon. Icons are meant as windows into heaven and offer us a chance to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Candles: There will be a collection of votive candles and tapers available to practice one of the most age old and simple prayers of kindling a small fire to symbolize our hope and faith in the Light of World. It is a chance to make the invisible prayers of our heart visible in warmth and light. Justice Projects: Throughout Lent there will be small projects or experiences that will enable participants to engage in justice work. We will make trail mix packets for PADs guests, learn about ELCA World Hunger, plant seeds for our community garden, and take part in a Water Walk, an interactive opportunity to learn about the importance of clean accessible water. Reverence the Cross: A cross will be set aside in the sanctuary to help provoke your Lenten meditation on Jesus passion and love poured out on the cross. It will be available to touch, kiss, or pray near. Graffiti Space: A large sheet of paper will be set up with markers available for participants to reflect on the gospel message and reflection question for the day. Gospel Group Art Project or Experiential Moment: Each week there will be a prayer station set up that speaks directly to the lesson that s at the center of our reflection.

6 Page 6 Thoughts from the Loft Jesus, refuge of the weary, Blest redeemer, whom we love, Fountain in life s desert dreary, Savior from the world above: Often have your eyes, offended, Gazed upon the sinner s fall; Yet upon the cross extended, You have borne the pain of all. (LBW #93, vs. 1) This text is from a hymn in the LBW (Green Hymnal) that is not in ELW. It is considered a Lenten hymn. As I write this I am actually playing it for a service in River Forest in a few days. While practicing, it struck me that we find refuge in God in a very special way during Lent, perhaps more so than usual. Our Lenten hymns and songs even reflect this, as they tend to be more reflective in nature. Jesus came that we might find refuge in Him, in the best and most challenging of days. Believe me, my own Song isn t always the most joyful! Yet, Christ s arms extend to welcome us to the foot of the cross, where we find redemption and a beautifully joyful song. That song is found in the depths of our hearts. In peace, Tim Friday, March 17 7 pm in the Great Room Easter Card Extravaganza Join us as Jeanne Kueter shows us how to stamp Easter Cards. Cost =$2 per card with a maximum of 5 cards per person. RSVP to the church office by Monday, March 13 with your name and the number of cards you would like to make. (stmarkmp@stmarkmp.org) Honoring St. Patrick s day, bring a festive appetizer or dessert to share! Come join the FUN! (Recommended for 6th grade through adult) Friday, March 3 9:30 am World Day of Prayer Breakfast First United Methodist Church, Palatine Wed. & Tues. March 15 & 28 9:00 am Lutheran World Relief quilting 2 nd floor, Education wing Saturday, March 25 9:30 am Lutheran/Catholic Morning of Dialogue and Prayer St. Giles Catholic Church, Oak Park Thursday thru Sunday, July Women of the ELCA Triennial Gathering Minneapolis, MN World Day of Prayer Breakfast Friday, March 3 This year s WPD service, entitled Am I Being Unfair to You?, was written by the Christian women of the Philippines. The celebration will be held at First United Methodist Church, 123 N. Plum Grove Rd., Palatine, beginning with a deluxe continental breakfast at 9:30 am on Friday, March 3. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Cerna Castro Rand, a native of the Philippines. The offering will benefit the World Day of Prayer USA Committee and help meet the needs of families in the Philippines and around the world. Reservations are strongly requested; the cost is just $5, payable at the door. Contact Gail Radtke ( ) TODAY if you are interested. Page 7 Monthly Quilting Looking for a creative outlet? Join the ladies who make those beautiful Lutheran World Relief quilts you see in church on Thankoffering Sunday. In March they will meet in the quilt room on the second floor of the education wing at 9:00 am on Wednesday, the 15 th, and Thursday, the 28 th. 28 th Annual Lutheran/ Catholic Women s Morning of Dialogue and Prayer Lift High the Cross Saturday, March 25, 9:30 am 1 pm ( coffee and available at 8:30) St. Giles Catholic Church 1045 Columbus Ave., Oak Park Keynote Speaker, Jan Irwin Creator of The Best of You workshop series. Homilist, the Rev. Kathy Nolte Pastor of Good Shepherd Luth. Ch., Oak Park Cost: $20, includes lunch Reservations required Contact Gail Radtke by March th Triennial Gathering All Anew Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis, Minnesota July Besides meeting fellow W/ELCA sisters from all over the country you can hear inspiring speakers, participate in worship, attend workshops, view films, shop the exhibit hall, attend special events and engage in servant opportunities. Much too much to list here! Check out welcatg.org. While you re there, download an All Anew coloring sheet!