From the Pastor

 February 2012

In Rumors of God  Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson write...

              The United States is a spiritually dangerous place to live.

              We live in a society where we are assaulted by messages

              that urge us to consume and accumulate.  These often

              compete for our affection and loyalty. p. 42

Perhaps the greatest spiritual threat to Americans is greed. 

Jesus warns us...

Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.

Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.

Luke 12:15 NIV

We joke about 'He/she who dies with the most toys wins', yet that does

seems to be the standard operating attitude in our country. We think

that the more and more we have, the more 'toys' we accumulate

the happier we will be.  We keep forgetting that...

Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.

USA Today reported a survey of the happiness and contentment level of gold, silver and bronze Olympic medal winners. The happiest were the gold medal winners. That was expected. The rest of the results were a surprise.  The bronze medal winners were more content and happy than the silver medal winners.

The silver medalists thought...

I came so close to winning gold. I almost made it.

In contrast the bronze medalists thought...

I almost didn't get a medal. I'm grateful to be on the podium.

One reflects on what they have, the other reflects on what they don't have.

Who are you more like: the silver or the bronze medalists?  Do you reflect on what you have or what you don't have?

We hear a lot these days about the top 1% of Americans who take home 24% of the nation's income and own 40% of the nation's wealth.  Are they happy?

              Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.

Are we envious of the top 1% or are we content?

Do you own a car?  If so, you are among the 8% of the world.  92% of the world would be envious of you!

Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.

Do you have clean drinking water?  Over one billion people do not have access to clean drinking water.

Do you have enough to eat? Severe hunger affects 840 million people.

It is estimated that to totally solve world hunger would take approximately 30 billion dollars a year. That is about what Americans spend on pizza!

We are the ones living the dream!

Can we say with St. Paul?

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

1 Timothy 6:8 TNIV

How do we break the stranglehold of the desire and compulsion for more and more?

1.  Don't put your hope in wealth or possessions.

2.  Recognize that all that you have is a gift from God.

3.  Generously share the gifts God has given you with others.

     Not out of guilt, but out of gratitude and love.

4.  Give anonymously.

By the power of the Holy Spirit we can be different. Look for needs. Listen for and act on the prompting of the Holy Spirit to share.

Your pastor,  Glen VanderKloot

December 2011/January 2012

First of all, I want to thank you for the generous gift of $450 given to the ELCA malaria project for mosquito nets in honor of Pastor Appreciation Month. This gift warmed my heart. It also modeled for all of us who have enough stuff how we can honor and gift others. Thank you.

Second, I want to thank you for all your prayers, concerns, emails and cards while I am battling Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Your love and concerns are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

We are most thankful to our Gracious God. We have felt the hand of God at work through out this ordeal as things have fallen into place both here in Springfield and in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I will be having a second surgery. We believe that God is at work bringing healing to me. Thank God.

When we are out to eat, we often say to the food server...

We're going to pray in a moment. 

Is there something we can pray for you?

Almost always they name something for themselves or someone else and thank us for asking and praying.  Occasionally they will even stay and pray with us.

While in Ann Arbor, the food server turned us down. She said...

No. Things are pretty steady for me right now.

Of course, we prayed for her anyway. But we had to wonder why on the day before Thanksgiving, she was not ready to say thanks that 'things were steady' in her life or even that she had the next day off from work and was going to be joined by friends for a Thanksgiving meal. 

Have we become a society so self centered that on Thanksgiving all we can think about is being off work, eating turkey, watching football and getting ready for the stores to open at midnight?

Does that same attitude carry over to Christmas?  For many it surely does.  That is the point of our Advent sermon series:  "Christmas is Not Your Birthday."  

Far too often our actions convey that Christmas is about us, rather than the birth of our Savior.

Let's intentionally this holy season make sure that our Christmas  celebration centers around Jesus, rather than us. I love the figurine that has Santa kneeling at the manger. May each of us spend some time this Advent and Christmas season kneeling at the manger celebrating and thanking God for the birth of our Savior.

May you and your family have a blessed Christmas and a Joyous New Year.

November 2011

O give thanks to the Lord,

for He is Good and his mercy endures forever!

This is the second year in a row that as we approach Thanksgiving, I have been facing a serious health issue.

Last year it was my heart, this year: Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Both times I received excellent medical care and once again I am on my way to better health. I am extremely grateful to our God who has been with us every step of the way, giving us peace and healing. I am grateful to our medical community who aggressively responded to my health issues and were instruments in God's healing.

My cardiac issue required both immediate attention with the placement of two stents and follow up with diet changes and cardiac rehab.  My surgery to remove the cancer also requires a follow up: radiation treatments.  Hopefully these will be completed by Christmas.

Both of these health incidents have caused us pause and reflect on our lives, our priorities, our blessings.

We can be thankful that we have such a fine medical community. Last year I was in St. John's and this year in Memorial. In both cases I received excellent care.

I pray with thanksgiving for our medical community: St. John's, Memorial. SIU, Springfield Clinic, HSHS and all others.

Have you recently prayed prayers of thanksgiving for our medical community?

I pray for my doctors (the list is growing) each day.

Have you prayed for your doctor recently?

We have a new bishop: Rev. Dr. S. John Roth.  Pray for Bishop Roth and his family: for strength, health, wisdom, inspiration, courage, and safety.

Our economy still is sputtering along.  Pray for a robust economy where there are jobs for everyone who wants and needs to work.

There seems to be a general disdain for elected officials at all levels.  Pray for functional government who work for the good of our country, state and city.

Pray for the ELCA.  Like all organizations and denominations, the ELCA has its problems.  At the same time the ELCA provides food,  housing, hope and spiritual guidance to millions around the world. Pray for renewal of our church and revival in the community.

This Thanksgiving let me encourage you to spend time in reflection and thanksgiving for your blessings large (salvation, family, friends, health, church, jobs and so much more) and small (telephones, TV, email and so much more). After reflection...

Give thanks to the Lord,

for He is Good and his mercy endures forever!

October 2011

I want to share with you a few notes about Holy Communion at Faith.

Over the last year some have commented that the distribution of Communion seems to take a little longer than it did in the past. They are right. A significant change, really an addition, has been made.

As each person receives the bread, I say a short but very specific silent prayer for that individual.  Because of my long tenure with you,

I know most of you and your life situation very well. That enables me to tailor a prayer just for you.

At times God reveals what I should pray. It usually is individualized, but sometimes it is a verse of Scripture for everyone.  Recently it was from Psalm 51....

Create in me a clean heart O God

And renew a right spirit within me. 

At Communion we received the Body and Blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.  We are given peace, hope, strength and the assurance of life eternal.  While that is happening you are also having prayer said just for you.

You may have also noticed that rarely, if ever, will I use your name when serving you communion in church.  There are two reasons for this. The first is a matter of Eucharistic hospitality. Everyone is welcome at the Lord's Table.  If we have guests worshipping with us, they should be treated exactly the same as members and friends we know well.  The second reason is more of a practical one. It is easy for the mind to suddenly go blank and not remember someone's name, even someone you know well. (I saw a speaker once forget his wife's name!)  If that occurs at the Communion table, it could be a source of embarrassment and distraction.

The last weekend of October is Reformation Weekend when we remember the start of the Reformation of the church on October 31, 1517 as Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. One of the reforms Luther instituted was returning the reception by the entire church of both the bread and wine in communion.  We are thankful for Luther and all reformers of the church and society, past, present and future.  As we celebrate the Reformation, please wear red on Saturday October 29/Sunday October 30 to remind all of us of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and church.

September 2011

It was a wet spring where it seemed like everyone was constantly asking...

              'Is it ever going to stop raining?'

Since then it has been a very hot and dry summer. The grass went from needing to be cut multiple times a week to hardly needing cutting at all as it has turned brown and dormant.  Garden and crop yields have fallen and the question has become...

'Is it ever going to rain again?'

We complained when it was too wet and we complain when it is too dry. If you step back and listen to conversations you will notice that we complain a lot.

It's too wet.  It's too dry.

It's too cold.  It's too hot.

We're too busy.  We are bored.

The phone never stops ringing.  No one ever calls.

I've got to much to do.  There's nothing to do.

How different was Paul's attitude...

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Philippians 4:11 TNIV

Are we ever satisfied?  Are we every content?  Why not?

Most of us have not learned to be content.  Maybe that is part of the American spirit and drive - always trying to improve ourselves and our situation in life.  Without discontentment would we have the drive to try to change and improve our situation?

Paul continues...

I know what it is to be in need,

and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,

whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Philippians 4:12 TNIV

What will it take for us to learn 'the secret of being content in any and every situation'?

I believe the answer is found in trusting that God will provide all that we need.

The answer is found in learning to distinguish between our needs and our wants.

The answer is found in recognizing how blessed we are and

learning to share generously with those who have so much less.

The answer is found is realizing that our happiness and contentment do not come from 'things' but rather from living in healthy relationship with God and with others.

The answer is found in discovering what is really important in life.

My prayer is that we can all learn to be content and thankful rather than

constantly complaining about something.  Let's take to heart the words of Jesus...

"Stop complaining to each other."     John 6:43 NCV

Instead of complaining...

'Let us be thankful, and so worship God

acceptably with reverence and awe...'    Hebrews 12:28 TNIV

August 2011

 Dear family and friends of Faith Lutheran Church,

While we were on vacation my phone stopped working.  The battery did not just need to be charged.  The phone would not work.  I called the 800 service center number, but after a number of attempts to fix the problem, it still would not work. I took the phone into the phone store and after a couple of hours, they determined that it could not be fixed.  As I write this I am still waiting for a replacement phone to arrive.

I quickly realized how much I depend on my phone: not only for calls and texts, but also for the time, my calendar, and connection to the web. It has been difficult without these available to me.

American have this strong independent spirit.  I remember a friend reacting very negatively when Hilary Clinton's book 'It Takes A Village' came out. 

He said...

It doesn't take a village!

No one else helped us to raise our children.

I challenged him...

Really?  Did you really raise your children in a vacuum?

What about the influence of grandparents?

What about the influence of Pastors Witkop and Mall?

What about  the influence of school teachers, Sunday school teachers,

scout leaders, coaches and music leaders?

What about employers/bosses when they were teens?

He was not nearly as independent as he liked to think.

God created us to be interdependent - to mutually rely on one another for support, encouragement, and assistance.  Not one of us can do everything, at least not well. We have different gifts and abilities.  We need to rely on each other.  We also need to be available for others to lean on us.

We also need to rely on God. We can trust God.  We can rely on God.  We can lean on God. God is trustworthy and dependable.  God provides us with all that we need to sustain us in this life and for eternity.

Everything we have is a gift from God.

Everything we can do is a gift from God.

Every advantage we enjoy as Americans are gifts from God.

At our recent synod assembly it was said...

Not only does it take a village to raise a child,

it takes a congregation to grow a pastor, and

it takes a synod to grow a bishop.

Thank God for the people in your life you can depend on. 

Thank God you can always lean on him.

Look for ways you can be available for others.  After all, it takes a congregation.

Your pastor,

Glen VanderKloot

June/July 2011

It's too hot.  It's too cold.  I got caught in traffic.

I've got nothing to wear.  Meat loaf again?

Have you complained today?  This week?  This month?

Why do we complain?

People complain for lots of reasons: unhappiness, disappointment, a way to deal with anger, unfulfillment, unmet needs or desires, habit.  Some complain to avoid taking personal responsibility for their lives.  Some complain because they like to complain and feel better when they complain.

A Person who calls herself "Zen Woman" blogged an important reminder for us...

Most of us here in the U.S. have little reason to complain (of course, there are exceptions.) But, a nation who is suffering (actually dying) from eating too much, rather than starving, should not be complaining.

The underlying reason for many of our complaints is that we fail to recognize the blessings we have received from the hand of God. Very few of us have to worry about where our next meal will come from.  God has blessed us with so much.  The trouble is we like to compare ourselves and our lives to others.  But instead of comparing ourselves to the majority of the world's population who live on less than three dollars a day (Population Reference Bureau), we compare ourselves to the super rich.

Paul writes to Timothy...

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

1 Timothy 6:8 TNIV

This summer let's practice being content because our Lord has blessed us with more than just food and clothing.

Balaam prophesized to the King of Moab...

              It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!'

              Numbers 23:23

Each day let us look at life and 'see what God has done' and respond with

gratitude and thanks.

May 2011

Before Easter, I preached two of the most important sermons of my ministry at Faith:  'It's A New Day' and 'It is Time.'  Included as part of the first message was a vision of what Faith can become... 

A  church with a sanctuary full of people

praying and singing with

attitudes of radical joy, excitement, and

the desire to be part of the Faith worshipping community.

This sermon also included a call to really believe Jesus' promise...

I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18 ESV

For too long, Lutheranism has been a low commitment church. It is time for that to change.  It's time for us to raise the bar.   Following the second sermon I called on you to renew your commitment to Christ and his church here at Faith as most of us prayed together... 

God, forgive me.  I'm sorry for making you just one

more thing in my life, for turning my back on you,

and for stepping sideways instead of following you

with all my heart, soul and mind. I'm sorry for making

excuses.  I am not going to sit on the sidelines

anymore. That all changes today. Today I'm in.

Today I surrender my life and I surrender our church

to you. Today I reaffirm my baptismal faith. Everyday,

Lord, empower me with your Spirit to daily make this

life choice. Help me be generous. Help me be gracious. 

Lord, come rock our world. We are ready! Amen

Now comes the hard part.  It is time to do the doing.  For the next several months we will be discerning some of the specifics that God is calling to.

In the mean time, it is time for each of us to pray and time to invite.

If you are inspired by our worship, invite others to come

and worship with us.

If you are growing in your faith here, invite others to come and grow.

If you have found a church family here, invite others to come be part of the family.

If you meet Jesus here, invite others to come and see Jesus.

If your life is enriched and your spirit lifted through Faith, invite others to the same experience.

Christ wants to rebuild Faith through us.  Let us join in the building!

April 2011

The Scriptures tell us..

              Let anyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit

              is speaking to the churches.

              Revelation 2:7

God has not stopped speaking to his people!  Have you been listening?

Have you been testing the whispers as part of the discernment process?

This is essential as not every thought, every idea, every voice is from God.

Do you remember the questions to ask?

God is this really from you?

Is it consistent with the Scriptures?

Does is glorify God?

Does it exalt Jesus as Lord?

Is it wise?

What do spiritually mature Christians that I trust say about it?

Is it inconvenient for me?

What has God been whispering to you?

Have you heard whispers of action?

Have you heard a whispers of admonition?

Have you heard a whispers of assurance?

We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:11...

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.

We can encourage one another as we share the whispers of God with them.

Are you willing to share what God has whispered to you?

If so, please send an email or a note to me of whispers of God that you have heard during this emphasis: 'The Power of A Whisper'.  We are asking for some to briefly share these whispers as part of our blended celebration worship on Sunday April 10th at 10:30.

Don't miss this service on April 10th or either our services on April 16/17 unless your are sick or must be out of town!  My messages these two weeks will be among the most significant that I have preached at Faith. Don't stay home. Don't let the format keep you from being present with the Body of Christ. 

It is way to important for us to let style get in the way!

The themes and theme Scriptures are...

April 10  A New Day 

With the loving mercy of our God,

a new day from heaven will dawn upon us.

Luke 1:78  NCV

April 16/17  It is Time!

It is time to wake up. Romans 13:11 CEV

It is time to seek the Lord. Hosea 10:12 TNIV

It is time to build the temple. Haggai 1:1  NCV

I believe that it is a new day and it is time!

Come celebrate.  Come recommit your life to Christ and his church.

Come be a part of a new day.

March 2011

How do handle disappointment?

What do you do when you get discouraged?

How can you get past feelings of pessimism?

Everyone of us will experience those feelings at times. 

Life does not always go smoothly.  Careers can get sidetracked.  Relationships with family and friends can be rocky.  Finances can go down the tubes. Health deteriorates.

What can we do in these difficult down times?

First of all, we can pray.  Justin Bieber on his November single "Pray," sings...

I close my eyes and pray

I close my eyes and I can see a better day.

He understands that when we pray we can see through the darkness.  When we pray we can see good that comes out of bad situations. When we pray we can see a better day.

Second we can be still.  God tells us in Psalm 46:10...

Be still and know that I am God.  TNIV

We have too many voices in our lives clamoring for our attention.  We need some silence.

Third we can listen in the silence for the still small voice of God.  When Elijah was down and out and ready to give up, God told him to leave cave and watch for God to pass by.  I Kings 19 tells us what happened next...

And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the

mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹²And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.  ESV

God was not in the wind. God was not in the earthquake. God was not in the fire. But God was in the whisper, a low quiet whisper. Together as a congregation we will soon be studying the "The Power of a Whisper". In this study Pastor Bill Hybels will challenge us to do two things:

             Listen for God.

             Have the guts to respond.

Pastor/author Wayne Cordiero says...

When it comes to being heard by his children, our Father does not compete, nor does he content for our undivided attention.  Often he delivers nothing more than a nudge - easy to dismiss if you do not recognize the Source. 

He whispers, soft undertones that invite us to bend an ear - or an entire life... 

'The Power of a  Whisper'  pg. 11-12

The music video by Justin Bieber ends with the written message...

God speaks in the silence of the heart.

Listening is the beginning of prayer.

This Lenten season let us make an intentional effort to pray, be still and listen for the whispers of God.

February 2011

During February there seems to be 'hearts' everywhere.  On the side of the Central Illinois Community blood Center van there is a sign...

              Give what's in your heart.

The blood bank almost always need more people to donate blood.  If you are in good health, let me encourage you to donate some blood.  Donating blood can make a life or death difference for someone else.

But I think there is a deeper meaning to...

Give what's in your heart.

What's in our heart and what difference will it make to give it?

If we have compassion in our hearts and we give our compassion away, people's burdens will be lifted.

If we have understanding in our hearts and we give our understanding away, people's lives will be enlightened.

If we have love in our hearts and we give our love away, people's lives will be enriched.

If we have Jesus in our hearts and we give Jesus away, people may experience the love, forgiveness and salvation Jesus brings.

When we give these away, our hearts and lives are not diminished.  Instead the very thing we give away grows deeper and more extensive within us.  Everyone benefits.

However, when our hearts are filled with envy, hatred, turmoil, judgment or despair and we dump them on others, we diminish their lives and those negative feelings and attitudes continue to grow and expand in our own hearts and lives.  Everyone suffers.

Instead we can give those negative feelings and attitudes to Jesus in prayer and confession.  We can ask Jesus to take them totally away and replace them with peace.  We can pray along with King David....

              Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

              Psalm 51:10

...and God will set us free.

What remains in our hearts is up to us.  We give what is in our hearts away, good or bad, and benefit or diminish the lives of others and ourselves.  The good news is that we can give our negative thoughts, feelings and attitudes to Jesus

replacing them with all of the good things Jesus offers and everyone benefits.  The choice is yours.

Your pastor, Glen VanderKloot

 January 2011

God is good all the time - all the time God is good!

Happy New Year!

Or should it be Blessed New Year?

There are many for whom it is not a Happy New Year: the sick, the lonely, those who are grieving, the unemployed and the under-employed, those facing foreclosure and bankruptcy, the abused, students who failed the first semester, those facing or recovering from divorce, substance abuse, even serious accidents, and those who are waiting for a diagnosis.

Yet for others it is indeed a Happy New Year: those getting married, those who have recovered, those in remission, those looking forward to a June graduation, those expecting a child, those who are adopting, and those who experienced reconciliation over this last Christmas season.

What do these two groups have in common? 

Where do they find common ground?

They find common ground at the foot of the cross. What they have in common is the encounter with God at the font and at the table. 

At the font each one received the gift of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sins, and the hope and promise of eternal life with God.  At the font each one was given the gift of faith. In the water they have encountered the living God. That is what they have in common.

At the table each receives again the gift of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sins, and the hope and promise of eternal life with God. At the table each one has their faith renewed and strengthened.  In the bread and wine they have encountered the living God. That is what they have in common.