From the Pastor

October 2008

From the Pastor

In the book of Acts we see that the early church gathered together in three different groupings. Luke lists them in order of large to small:

All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.   Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts…  Acts 2:44-46 TNIV

The same should be true for us.  We meet together in our small groups, often in our homes.  Here is the place where we grow closer to one another in true fellowship and serve together.  Each weekend we gather for worship at Faith (temple courts).  Here we worship and adore God.  Because we offer three different opportunities for worship, it is more rare that we all worship together or fellowship together.  And so Faith leaders believe that it is also important that we structure times when we are all together for worship, fellowship and just plain fun.

One of those times will be October 26 at 4:00 pm.  We will gather for worship utilizing aspects from all three of our worship experiences.  It will be a celebration of our common faith and commitment to Jesus and his church. As part of our worship we will have a few short faith stories shared.

Following worship we will gather downstairs for a pot luck meal and entertainment.

We will also serve and reach out to our community that day through a collection of socks for District 186 children who do not have any.  Start gathering socks now each time you go shopping so that we can once again have a great collection.  Perhaps you can invite your friends, small group members, co-workers to join us in this community effort of making sure kids have dry and warm feet at school.

Mark your calendar.  Invite your small group, neighbors and friends to be with us that day.

Pastor Glen VanderKloot


 

From the Pastor

Central/Southern Illinois Synod Bishop Warren Freiheit recently wrote to me…

I am convinced our adversary continues to try to thwart the efforts of God’s children. And I am convinced that prayer continues to couch us in God’s grace in spite of our adversary’s attempts.

What a powerful reminder of Satan’s attacks. Satan is alive and well. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us that…

Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. CEV

He may attack, but Satan does not need to win. Paul wrote in Colossians 2:14-15…

God canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. NLT

On Good Friday/Easter Jesus won the victory. Our sins were nailed to the cross in the hands and feet of Jesus. Our debt has been paid in full. On Easter morning Jesus showed Satan and the world that he was the victor. And the good news is that Jesus shares that victory with us. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:57…

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. TNIV

Christ’s victory is our victory!

But the devil pretends that the resurrection never happened. In desperation he attacks the Body of Christ. In the midst of events like at NIU, sickness, pain, unemployment and death, it is essential that we remember that Christ won the victory and has shared his victory with us. Even when we are hurting, God is still good – all the time. Prayer connects us with God and enables us to live daily in the victory of Christ. Daily call on God in prayer. Connect with him. Talk to him. Listen to him. Live with him.

Pastor Glen VanderKloot

FROM THE PASTOR

“Do you have the time?”

“Sure. It is 8:15.”

“Do you have the time to …”

A very different question. This question deals with time management. This question deals with the urgent. This question deals with importance. This question deals with priorities. Often this is a spiritual question!

Often people will say that their priorities are family, God, work - in that order. (Are we forgetting the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.”?)

Aside from that does the way we spend our time really match up with what we say are our priorities – or are we just fooling (or trying to fool) ourselves? Have we considered what God’s priorities for our lives might be?

What happens when work demands collide with family needs?
What happens when regularly work demands collide with family needs?

What happens when sleeping in collides with worship?

What happens when sporting events collide with prayer time?

What happens when TV collides with the needs of our neighbor?

We need work. We need sleep. We need recreation. But does our use of time match up with God’s priorities for our life?

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us…

Everything on earth has its own time and its own season.
CEV

Are we keeping things in their time? And in their season?

Let me encourage to look back at the last week, how you spent your time. Does it match up the things that are most important? If so, congratulations. Keep up the good work. If it doesn’t, then start thinking about changes you can make so your use God’s gift of time wisely.

Your partner in prayer and mission,
Pastor Glen VanderKloot

****

No one knows.

I am sure that in 2007 there will be things that we love and things that we hate.

There will be good moments and bad moments.

There will be joy and there will be sadness.

We can face the year with cynicism or with hope.

The choice is ours. Which will you choose?

Often what we expect is what we will get, or at least what we see.

Can we view life through eyes of faith?

Can we view life with hope?

Can we view life with grateful hearts?

Can we view life trusting that God is good – all the time?

I was at a nursing home and the person I was visiting was complaining and complaining.

So I took her to physical therapy. When she told me that it was not her day for therapy I told her…

That’s okay. We are just going to sit and watch.

After about twenty minutes, she said…

We can go back to my room now. I get it.

Others are in much worse shape than I.

I should be thankful I have the mobility that I have.

As we begin a new year what is your perspective on life?

Will you respond to life with faith and hope or cynicism and despair?

One witnesses to our faith. One does not. What kind of message are you going to communicate in 2007?

I hope we all choose hope and faith – it will make a difference!

Pastor Glen VanderKloot

****

Are You Ready?

Are you ready? How many times do we ask that question of one another? When it is time to go, when it is time to eat, when we are going to take a test, give a speech, or teach a lesson we often ask that of one another.

Advent, the four weeks preceding Christmas (December 3 through December 24 this year) asks us the same question: Are you ready?
Advent is not about getting ready for Christmas by shopping, wrapping, sending cards, baking and cooking. Instead it is about getting ready to meet Jesus.

Are you ready for Jesus to come as the babe of Bethlehem? Are you ready?

We can get ready by doing some specific things:

Slow down and take a deep breath
Read the Christmas story in Matthew 1:18 -2:23 and Luke 1:1 – 2:40
Make a list of God’s blessings and thank God for them
Reflect on how your life is different because of Jesus.
Share that with family or friends.
Invite someone to worship with you on Christmas Eve
Do something for those less fortunate:

Serve a meal at St. John’s Breadline, Helping Hands, Sojourn House,

or Ronald McDonald House

Donate food to the Christmas Food Baskets and/or Grace Food Pantry

Donate to the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign

Sponsor a child through Compassion International or World Vision

John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Jesus, to help the world get ready for him. God said concerning John…

"I am sending my messenger ahead of you to get things ready for you."

Matthew 11:10 CEV

What are we doing to help others get ready for Christmas?

Think about it and then be a John the Baptist for someone you know.

Your pastor, Glen VanderKloot

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kelly Fryer in her new book “Reclaiming the ‘C’ Word” says that one our tasks is to recognize, identify and name ‘God stuff’ that happens everyday in our world. She says that just pointing out what God is doing can be a strong witness to our Lord and our faith.

At the synod Prayer Workshop closing worship, each participant was asked to share with a partner how God had touched them during the day. My partner shared…

“I live alone. For the most part I am lonely.

Most of my days Are not meaningful—BUT today was meaningful because I was with God and his people.”

That was a God moment. Obviously some ‘God stuff’ happened that day.

Are we looking at life with eyes of faith? In the ordinary activities of life do we see God at work? Why or why not?

The other day the suns rays were shinning through the clouds. It was a beautiful sight. A young girl said…

“Look! God is kissing the earth.”

She saw something beautiful and named it ‘God stuff’.

Look at life with eyes of faith intentionally looking for God at work and name it as the work of God. Then thank God for it. Let every day be a day of thanksgiving as we acknowledge all that God is, does for us and gives to us.

Your pastor,

Glen VanderKloot

*****************

Go make disciples! (Matthew 28:19)

That’s one our guiding Scriptures at Faith. Evangelism. Yet many of us shutter at the thought.

BUT WE NEED NOT!

Evangelism is not a program – it is a lifestyle. Relationships are the key. When those who know us well see how we live, it sets the stage for faith sharing. When someone asks…

Why?
Why do you go to church?
Why do you have hope in the midst of death?
Why does ‘stuff’ happen?

This gives us the opportunity to share our faith – to tell how God is working in our life. We can’t wait until we are comfortable. When God gives us divine appointments, we need to recognize and seize those appointments and opportunities.

At one of our sister churches, there was a woman sitting on the outside steps crying. One of the members invited her in and fixed her a plate of food. It turned out that she had just gotten out of the hospital after being beaten by her husband and she was going to a friend’s house to get her children to get out of town. They fixed some food for her kids. As she left, she said…

God is here.

They saw a person in need. They invited her in. They discovered her needs and then met them. That is needs based evangelism. It involves dialogue and action.

People do not want a theological dissertation from us. They want us to listen to them. They want us to respond. They want to hear our story. They want to hear how God is working in our life. They want us to reach out and help as we are able. They want to be invited to come and see.

We have experience that ‘Life goes better with Jesus.’ Don’t we want our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to have the same experience?

Your pastor

Glen VanderKloot

**********

No Summer Slump at Faith!

Faith Lutheran Church is alive and well. Thanks be to God!

I am so proud of our church.

Many churches slow down during the summer months. We did NOT!

We began the summer with a terrific Fine Arts Camp positively touching for Jesus the lives of 100 youth! In the name of Christ we welcome the youth and their families to worship and a free picnic. Years from now I believe that some of them will say: “I remember the summer I went to Fine Arts Camp.” Fine Arts Camp is only possible because of all the volunteers who step forward and help, some visible and some behind the scenes. Thank you to each of you. A special thanks to the planning team and Gloria Henkle the camp director. Job well done!

Faith sent 18 members and friends on an intergeneration mission trip to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Some worked on building projects. Some distributed food and personal hygiene items. Some met with individuals to determine their needs. Some helped get the distribution center organized. Some filed the paper work that had mounted up for six months. Together they made a profound impact. Lives will be better because of the week Faith people spent helping. Thank you to each of you who sent supplies with them to be distributed. Thank you to those who gave of their time and themselves and went and worked. You are an example to us. Job well done!

The mission trip birthed “Linens for Love”. Most families who came to the distribution center at Christus Victor Lutheran Church for help needed linens: sheets, blankets, pillows, towels and washcloths. There were none to give out. Out of this experience Megan Rapier birthed the plan for us act. We are stepping forward in faith and starting to collect linens for the victims of Katrina in the greater Ocean Springs, Mississippi area. This will be ongoing project. Already people have started to respond with donations and some supplies were sent off today (August 23). Sarah Henkle is delivering them on her way to school in New Orleans. Thanks to those who donated and to those who are helping sort and organize. Thanks especially to Megan and Sarah. Job well done!

On August 20 we celebrated with Pastor Wellington and Marilyn Witkop their 50th wedding anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Pastor Witkop’s ordination. It was a great day. Following the service of celebration, we hosted a reception for them. Thanks to all who contributed to the worship service and who arranged and helped with the reception. Job well done!

On August 21st, Faith was recognized by District 186 School Board for our donations of supplies to Blackhawk School. Thanks to all who donated and to Lenore Johnson and Henry and Pat Stuckey for delivering them. Job well done!

Last school year volunteers from Faith reopened and staffed each week the library at Blackhawk School. It had been closed since the referendum lost. Shortly before school began this fall volunteers from Faith have relocated the library as the room it was in was needed as classroom space. It was a big job! Job well done!

Five major accomplishments during the summer. I am impressed! It shows what we can accomplish when we set our minds to it and work together doing God’s will.

Now is not the time to sit back. Let us all continue to serve the Lord faithfully through our church. God bless you all.

Glen VanderKloot