st. mark lutheran church...
TRANSCRIPT
St. Mark Lutheran Church
CrossBeams A publication of St. Mark Lutheran Church, Mount Prospect, Illinois
October 2014 Volume 53 Issue 10
God’s Work, Our Hands St. Mark serves our community on Sunday, September 7, 2014
I want to let you know how much we appreciate you including us in your volunteer day at St. Mark. Gwen and Anne Marie were thrilled to get so much accomplished. You have been wonderful. Thank you.
Margaret Flanagan Lucille Resale Shop/ Holy Family Ministries
CrossBeams October 2014
Grace to you and peace…
Thinking back on the six years of CrossBeams articles I’ve written, I recall that most of them reflect what I’ve been thinking about—nature, the Church, our relationship
with God. But I don’t think I’ve ever written one about loss, and that’s what’s on my mind today.
Lanny and I have suffered the loss of three good friends to death this year: my
oldest friend, one of Lanny’s colleagues, and a man who came into our lives as a
hired workman and stayed on as a friend. Each in his or her own way opened a
window to the world for us that gave us new insights and a fuller, more generous
way of looking at the world. And, sadly, each died at too young an age, before their
time.
In having lost friends, we are not unique—most of you have suffered the loss of
someone near and dear to your heart. So perhaps you understand what I mean
when I say that our lives are poorer because these people are no longer part of our
daily landscape. In my grief I find myself asking, “God, why these three?” They
were outwardly healthy, eating right, exercising; they left families—children and
grandchildren—behind; they were nearing retirement and the earthly reward for their
lifetime of labor. But the answer to these penetrating questions is not given to me to
know. Instead, I take great comfort in knowing that in death, as in life, we are in
God’s hands—God, who knew the pain of loss. I take solace in reading the story of
Jesus’ tears shed at the death of his friend Lazarus. I take to heart Bible passages
that reassure me of God’s eternal care.
Such loss is a shock to both heart and soul. Much has been written about the
healing process that must occur before recovery from such a shock can. For some,
healing begins with a pivotal moment; but for most, recovery is gradual, not marked
by any one event but simply a matter of applying tincture of time. Let our grieving
be a sign of the deep love, respect and need we had for the one who died. Later we
will rejoice that God has welcomed our loved one, but now we welcome God as we
grieve for ourselves and for what we no longer have.
In our culture, we don’t ‘do grief’ very well. Like an emotional Instagram, we want
to hurry grief along. Yet lament has a central, necessary place in our faith life; God
is with us. Words of the Christian lyricist Marty Haugen remind me that whether we
live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s [Romans 14: 7-8].
Through endless nights of weeping, through weary days of grief,
my heart is in your keeping, my comfort, my relief.
Come share my tears and sadness, come, suffer in my pain,
oh, bring me home to gladness, restore my hope again.
See you in the pew,
Pr. Linnea
CrossBeams October 2014
Thoughts from the Loft
O God of Mercy, God of light, in love and mercy infinite,
teach us, as ever in your sight, to live our lives in you. (ELW #714 vs. 1)
Is music to you a matter of hearing or seeing? Olivier Messiaen, a 20th century French composer, said he saw colors when he heard music. He was also attuned
to the sounds of nature, especially bird songs. So, music can be a matter of both hearing and seeing. We hear of God’s Grace and that teaches us to see our lives
in the mercy and Joy of our heavenly Father. In this way, God orders our steps each day to hear his call and see his Grace. It is a song of Joy and Grace for all
people.
Peace, Tim
What’s Happening in
Youth & Family Ministry?
I’m excited it is Autumn. I love the cooler weather and the changing leaf colors. It
makes me happy.
Autumn also means Corn Maze! On Sunday, October 12th, FaithWalk and SHINE! youth and friends will be traveling
to Spring Grove to Richardson Farm for our annual adventure. It is great fun to
see what the new maze of the year is and to wander through the corn. We make sure to arrive while it is still light out and
then wander while it is getting darker and darker. The kids love it!! As we come out
of the corn maze, we gather by the fire to roast hot dogs and marshmallows and make some s’mores. I look forward to
this outing each year.
On October 19th, St. Mark will once again be participating in the Northwest
Community CROP Hunger Walk. This year
it is being hosted by the Lutheran Church of Martha and Mary on Golf Rd in Mt.
Prospect. It is the 25th anniversary of the walk here in the Northwest Suburbs. Come out and walk or help by
volunteering. St. Mark will be hosting a water station along the route and we need
volunteers to pass out water to the walkers. If you can spare about 2 hours, let me know.
WOW, FaithWalk and SHINE have begun
for the new program year. We have 14 children registered for WOW and 18 youth
participating in FaithWalk. These are both lively groups and excited about learning.
Soon we will be registering 8th graders through seniors in high school for the
ELCA Youth Gathering that will take place in July, 2015. Adult leaders are needed (especially male). If you are interested in
joining me on this adventure, let me know.
Peace be with you! Jill Galyon, Interim Youth Coordinator
CrossBeams October 2014
SSHHIINNEE!! && FFaaiitthhWWaallkk Are
Going to the
CORN MAZE
At Richardson Farm in Spring Grove, IL
When: Sunday, October 12, 2014
Time: 4:30 pm to about 10:30 pm
Cost: $15 per person
RSVP by signing up in the Narthex at church or
contacting Jill Galyon by Wednesday, October 8th
FRIENDS ARE WELCOME!!!
Calling all FaithWalk and 3rd- 5th grade WOW Students….
BIBLE BASH
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25
9 – 11 am
Learn how to use your Bible
through
Games and Activities
St. Mark Preschool is back in session!
Daycare started a few weeks ago and the preschool programs began last
week. We are excited to welcome 43
children to our daycare, preschool, and STEM kindergarten enrichment
program. With the help of so many church members, staff, and preschool
families, our numbers continue to grow and we are thriving! The school
year began with our four year olds learning all about families and our
threes cuddled up with teddy bears from home at a teddy bear picnic. Our
STEM program kicked off the year learning all about sound. The greatest
sounds we hear are children laughing, having fun with friends, and enjoying
learning at St. Mark.
Fundraiser This fall, St. Mark Preschool will be selling the freshest fruit you can get! Located in Vero Beach, Florida, in the heart of the world famous "INDIAN RIVER" district, The Florida Fruit Association has been producing delicious, high quality fruit for customers for 25 years. You will receive the very freshest fruit available...handpicked at peak flavor and rushed to you directly from the grove. Choose from our popular items like Navel Oranges, Ruby Red Grapefruit, multiple Combination Packs and more. Our fruit is USDA inspected and Florida Fruit Association approved. You won't find fruit any fresher, we promise! To
order, contact Danielle Freeman at [email protected] or [email protected]
SENIOR LUNCH BUNCH
(or anyone who would like to join us)
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Mina Restaurant
1724 W. Golf Rd.
Mt. Prospect
Meet at restaurant at 1:00 pm
RSVP to Marilyn by 10/20
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Thanksgiving Celebration Pot Luck
Lunch & Worship Service
Worship Service at 11:00 am followed
by Pot Luck Lunch in Fellowship Hall
At 12:30 pm.
RSVP to Marilyn by 11/20 to sign up
for a dish to pass. Turkey & dessert
will be provided.
(Offering to Mt. Prospect Food Pantry)
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Christmas Lunch
Des Plaines Elks Club
495 Lee St.
Des Plaines, IL
Meet at the Elks Club at
1:00 pm
RSVP to Marilyn by 12/15
Music by Tim
Referrals Rewarded St. Mark members who refer a student to the St.
Mark Preschool and Enrichment Center, who
remains for 30 days or longer, will receive a $25
gasoline gift card. Please notify the Preschool
office of the student you are referring at: 847-
253-0631 ext. 19
CrossBeams October 2014
BUNCO FOR BREAST CANCER A Benefit for the
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION
SUNDAY, October 5, 2014 Doors open at noon – Bunco begins at 1:00 pm
Event Location
St. Mark Lutheran Chuch Center
200 S. Wille St.
Mount Prospect, IL
$25 per Person Make checks payable to Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Tickets available in the Narthex on Sunday morning, at the door or
contact Jan Serafini at 847-394-5854
*****************************************************************************
Midweek Bible Study…
Resumes Wednesday, October 8, at 11:00 am in the
Great Room. Bring your study Bible (NRSV is the
translation most of us will use) and an open mind! We
will be working on each week’s appointed lessons, with a
focus on the Gospel according to Mark. If you need to purchase a
study Bible, Pastor Linnea will gladly discuss your options with you!
***********************************************************************************
“Water to Wine Tasting Event”
Saturday, October 18, 2014
7:00 – 10:00 pm
Please bring an appetizer or dessert to Share
Live! Laugh! Enjoy an Evening Of Fellowship!
CrossBeams October 2014
CALENDAR
Sunday, October 5, 1pm Bunco for Breast Cancer
St. Mark Center
Saturday, October 25, 8am Metro Chicago Synod Women’s
Convention Lombard, IL
Friday, November 7, 1pm Church Women United World
Community Day Bethel Lutheran Church, Palatine
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Thank You, Thank You!! …. to those who purchased kit supplies …. to those who donated funds …. to those who assembled the kits …. to those who sewed and tied quilts Because of all your generosity and efforts, we were able to assemble
72 school kits 65 health kits
and about 100 quilts! On Thankoffering Sunday they were blessed and packed up for delivery to the LWR collection site.
The work of your hands will touch the world!
Metro Chicago Synod Women's Convention
“Connecting Generations” Holy Trinity Lutheran Church,
Lombard Keynote speaker – Jennifer Michael
Immediate Past President Churchwide Women of the ELCA
Contact Gail Radtke, 847-255-2977, for details
Church Women United World Community Day
“Through God Our Hands Can Heal”
Friday, November 7, 1pm Bethel Lutheran Church in Palatine
Service followed by dessert Contact Gail Radtke, 847-255-2977
for more info
Looking Ahead: November 29, 9am
Advent Craft and Trim the Church December 6, 9:10am train
Holiday Outing to Woodstock Shopping – optional carriage rides - optional Opera House performance of “A Christmas Carol”
Fall Focus on “Friendship”
Each fall St. Mark has special programs designed to strengthen and deepen our faith journey as disciples of Jesus. It’s a good time to reconnect with our
congregational ministries through the activities of Rally Day, the dedication of our quilts ministry, the restarting of the PADS program, our confirmation ministry,
and the many other ways we engage our spirits in the work of our Lord.
The “Fall Focus” event this year will highlight the ministry of friendship through an every member contact program (sometimes called an “inreach” program in
contrast to “outreach” ministries) that will foster a deepening of relationships
with each other. By knowing each other better, we will accomplish our various ministries more effectively. But developing friendship within our congregation is
also a ministry in its own right. It addresses our most basic need as human beings – the need to give and receive love through relationships in which we feel
worthwhile.
Jesus called twelve people to be with him as special friends. Although he spent solitary time in prayer and meditation, the gospels call special attention to how
often he was involved in social events – meals, weddings, discussions of daily concerns, and interacting with groups of friends and followers. Many of our most
precious memories are of special people who loved us, cared for us and helped us become the people we are. Our lives are sustained and nourished by family and
friends who know and care about us. Although meaningful involvement in a congregation is about more than friendship, it is absolutely foundational to being
a disciple of Jesus.
Every member should have received a letter in late September explaining this
program outlining a process during which they will be contacted by other members who have volunteered to host small group discussions either in their
homes or at the church. These groups will focus on developing friendship through sharing our life stories with each other. There are no books to read or
Bible study expectations, and no other preparation than to be willing to share your faith journey and significant life events with other members. You may
already know some of them very well, but it’s a sure bet that you will discover some things you didn’t know before.
This is the gift we bring to each other. All of us are equipped for this ministry.
It’s the best offering we can give – ourselves. May all of us be blessed by the ministry of friendship to each other.
In the service of Jesus, our friend,
Carl Anderson
CROP HUNGER WALK
2014 marks the 25th anniversary for the Northwest Community
CROP Hunger Walk. This year the Lutheran Church of Martha
and Mary in Mount Prospect is the host. Come join in the
celebration on Sunday, October 19. Walker registration begins
at 12:15 pm with the walk stepping off at 1:00 pm. St. Mark will
be helping by hosting a water station along the route at the
corner of Lincoln & We-Go. Volunteers are needed to staff that
station from 1 pm to about 3 pm. Contact Jill Galyon if you are
interested in walking or volunteering.
CROP Hunger Walks Provide Solutions (article from Metro Chicago Synod E-Word)
It’s CROP Hunger Walk season. Get involved with your local CROP Hunger Walk at www.crophungerwalk.org.
Malnutrition leads to nearly half of all childhood deaths before age 5. During a child’s first 1,000 days, proper nutrition is vital. Without it, the risk is high for
life-long health issues.
So, what’s the solution? A community garden? Training on feeding infants healthy
food? The truth is, no single effort will eradicate hunger. In some areas, Church
World Service uses CROP funds toward agricultural solutions to help families grow healthier food. Yet in reality most of the world’s poor buy their food, which
prompts people of faith to look deeper at the root causes of hunger. Sometimes a clean water source will help. Other times discrimination blocks access to
employment, meaning a small business grant or loan in the short term can help a whole family eat for years.
CROP Hunger Walk funds provide all these solutions and more for people struggling in poverty. CROP Hunger Walk funds also enable local food pantries
and food banks to be with those in need.
CROP Hunger Walks are community-based events that bring people together to
raise funds and find solutions. Please be a part of one this fall.
To get information, register, or raise funds for your local CROP Hunger Walk
please visit www.crophungerwalk.org or call the Illinois regional office of CWS at
630-200-4572.
To the Congregation of St. Mark,
Thank you for your long time ongoing support for our LCC (Lutheran Church of the Cross) Food Pantry. Your food donations brought in on any given week, by Tom Uddenberg and Jerry Clauser, are greatly appreciated by our volunteers so we can help feed our local needy families.
The amount of families we are serving continues to be more than we were serving a year ago. In January through June of this year, the difference over the same months of last year is up 44%. Last year's weekly average was 81 families served per week. Last week we served 136 families, yesterday 111.
The community has kept us viable with their donations. For now, we are OK into December. But beyond that, serving the needy families of our community, we will need the support from those who are able to serve and donate. With God's help, we are reminded to share with and serve others of our local community that need help from their neighbors.
Again, Thank You,
Walker Reach
LCC Food Pantry
LOST & FOUND Concert at Messiah Lutheran, Wauconda All are invited to an Intergenerational Concert with LOST & FOUND at Messiah
Lutheran Church, 25225 W. Ivanhoe Rd., Wauconda, IL 60084, on Saturday,
October 25, 2014, at 6:15 p.m.
This is the farewell tour for this Lutheran duo that did their first national tour on bicycle over 25 years ago. Many youth have seen them perform at ELCA national
youth gatherings, and their music speaks to every generation.
Tickets will be available at Messiah on Sundays, October 12 and 19, 2014, or at the door. $5 per person/under 2 are free.
For more information visit www.messiah-wauconda.org or call 847-526-7161.
Guest Column You are invited to submit an article for the next
issue! [we may have to edit for space and/or content]
Bullying is not Authentic Human Behavior “Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly
causes another person injury or discomfort.” --American Psychological Association
Human behavior fascinates me, so psychology was the focus for my undergraduate degree. Yet, my least favorite course was “The Science of Psychology”. I simply could not “buy-into” psychology being a science. The human soul and the human psyche are
so entwined that we must proceed with caution when we try to subject that hallowed space to the scientific method. One pioneer in the Science of Psychology, B.F. Skinner,
tried to explain human behavior by observing rats and pigeons in boxes. He did not give credence to free will or humanity’s uniqueness in the animal kingdom. According to him,
one simply reinforces good behavior and punishes or ignores bad behavior to achieve the desired result. In my opinion, humans continue to evolve as we live out the words of The Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”
Depending on rewards and punishments will take us only so far. To shed primitive animal behavior (such as bullying), we must appeal to the spirit of love, and our
common humanity. In the Kingdom, bullying can not survive as authentic human behavior.
Our cat’s name is Leon. When he is in the house with us, he rubs against our legs, pats
our faces gently with his front paws, and is a gentle lap cat. But when he is outside, he is a bully! Mice, chipmunks, rabbits, and even birds are bullied to death by him. We can’t watch it so we save as many of his victims as we can. Ideally, we would not let him out,
but that would be against his feline nature. After all, he is just a cat! Bullying is predatory behavior. It is not authentic human behavior.
Human bullying first took physical form. Today it comes in the words that people use or
as cyber assaults on social media sites. Sadly, technology is progressing faster than ethical conversations about how to use these outlets appropriately. The American Justice
Department statistics show that one in four children will be bullied sometime during their adolescence, and much of this will occur online. Bullycide is a hybrid of the words bullying and suicide coined to explain when someone takes their life as a result of being
bullied. Because of bullycides, schools, communities, and others are providing education and resources designed to prevent bullying. This is critical during vulnerable childhood,
when bullying seems to be most prevalent. Our job is to mentor kindness, confidence and love to impressionable youngsters so that they grow into kind, confident, loving adults. Bullying is not a characteristic of authentic human behavior.
As we continue to evolve on our human journey, let us harness for God the energies of love so that bullying will be inconceivable in that new world…devoted to loving, authentic human behavior.
In God’s Love, Lanny Wilson
“The day will come when, after harnessing the ether, the winds, the tides, and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the
history of the world, man will have discovered fire.” --Teilhard de Chardin
2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 9 am Volleyball 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 4:30 pm WOW 5:30 pm Basketball 6 pm Children’s Choir 6:30 pm FaithWalk
2 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 6:30 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm Adult Vocal Choir
3 9 am Preschool
4
5 8 am Chapel Service 10 am Worship 12 pm BUNCO for Breast Cancer 5 pm Youth Gathering Meeting 5:30 pm SHINE!
6 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 6:30 pm PADS 7 pm Youth & Family 7 pm Foundation
7 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 6:30 pm St.Mark/St.Ray Ecumenical Group 7:30 pm Basketball
8 9 am Volleyball 9 am Preschool 11 am Bible Study 12:30 pm Preschool 4:30 pm WOW 5:30 pm Basketball 6 pm Children’s Choir 6:30 pm FaithWalk 7 pm Fall Focus Group-Elders
9 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschoo 6:30 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm Adult Vocal Choir
10 9 am Preschool 5:30 pm Basketball
11
12 8 am Chapel Service 10 am Worship 11:30 pm Blessing of Animal Worship 4:30 pm Corn Maze
13 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 1:00 pm Book Club 6:30 pm PADS 7:00 pm Mary Circle
14 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 12:30 pm Deborah Circle 7:30 pm Basketball
15 9 am Volleyball 9 am Preschool 9 am Quilting 11 am Bible Study 12:30 pm Preschool 4:30 pm WOW 5:30 pm Basketball 6 pm Children’s Choir 6:30 pm FaithWalk
16 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 6:30 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm Adult Vocal Choir
17 9 am Preschool 5:30 pm Basketball 7 pm Craft Connection
18 5 pm Private Event 7 pm Water to Wine Tasting
19 8 am Chapel Service 10 am Worship 12 pm CROP Walk
20 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 6:30 pm PADS
21 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 7:30 pm Basketball
22 9 am Volleyball 9 am Preschool 11 am Bible Study 12:30 pm Preschool 4:30 pm WOW 5:30 pm Basketball 6 pm Children’s Choir 6:30 pm FaithWalk
23 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 1 pm Senior Lunch Bunch 6:30 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm Adult Vocal Choir 7:30 pm Basketball
24 9 am Preschool 5:30 pm Basketball
25 8:30 am Basketball 9 am Bible Bash
26 8 am Chapel Service 10 am Worship 5:30 pm SHINE!
27 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Bridge Club 12:30 pm Preschool 6:30 pm PADS 7 pm Foundation
28 9 am Preschool 9 am Quilting 12:30 pm Preschool 7:30 pm Basketball
29 9 am Volleyball 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 4:30 pm WOW 5:30 pm Basketball 6 pm Children’s Choir 6:30 pm FaithWalk
30 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 6:30 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm Adult Vocal Choir 7:30 pm Basketball
31 9 am Preschool 12:30 pm Preschool 7:30 pm Basketball
St. Mark Lutheran Church 200 South Wille Street
Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056-3121
October 2014
St. Mark Lutheran Church
847/253-0631
Fax 847/253-5387 [email protected]
Staff
Pastor Linnea Wilson [email protected] Music Director Timothy Spelbring [email protected]
Parish Administrator Nancy Hundley [email protected] Office Administrator/ Interim Youth Coordinator Jill Galyon [email protected]
Preschool Director Barb Zediker [email protected]
Sunday Worship Chapel Service ~ 8 am Worship Service ~ 10 am
Fellowship Hour 9 am
Wednesday Youth Christian Education WOW (4 yrs through 5th grade) FaithWalk (Confirmation 6-8th grade)
4:30-6:00 pm 6:30-8:00 pm
Office Hours
Monday – Thursday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Friday 8:30 am – 12 pm noon
The mission statement of the people of St. Mark: To nourish God’s people in body, mind and Spirit.