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March 27th, 2023


“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples”

John 13:35


Proclaim the Gospel

Grow in Love

Serve One Another


St. Johns’ Mission Statement

 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

 

Well, I think it finally hit me.  The craziness of March 16-19 finally caught up to me.  On Wednesday night, my wife asked me if I was okay.  She told me I looked terrible.  When you have been married over thirty-eight years, I guess one can be honest with each other.  I was so tired.  That night, I slept for ten hours.  I think I could have slept more. 

 

I had the opportunity to join some members of our church at the Laundromat this Saturday.  I wish I could explain the thankfulness and joy that some of the patrons displayed when their laundry was paid for.  And to hear the stories that they were willing to share.  It was amazing.  It is one of those ministries that I am not sure who is affected more – them or us.  I want to share one story that I shared at church.  A woman received a text at around 9:30 a.m. The text was a picture of her niece’s hand with a ring on it.  Apparently, she got engaged sometime earlier.  It is news that you have to share and so she did.  She shared the picture with us.  A stranger connecting with a stranger.  We shared joy together.

 

Our Blood Drive was cancelled.  Apparently, the bus got stuck in Iowa due to the snow they received.  Not sure if it will be rescheduled for a later time.  We will let you know when we find out. Sorry if it caused an inconvenience with anyone.

 

Our pancake breakfast is on Sunday, April 16th.  It goes from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.  Tickets are 5.00 dollars for adults and 2.00 dollars for children.  A new addition to this breakfast is Eric Miller; he will be doing an omelet bar.  A great price for a great meal.  A reminder that there are still items on the board to collect and donate to the cause.

 

In the past, we have had some visitors for our Council meetings.  You are all welcome.  I want to make sure you know we have changed location.  We have switched from the Fellowship Hall to Pastor Sue’s room at the end of the Sunday School wing.

 

Next Sunday starts our journey into Holy Week.  I would like to explain next weekend and then explain the rest of Holy Week in my next letter.  Next weekend is called Palm/Passion Weekend.  We will be doing both, the triumphant entry as well tell the passion story according to Matthew.  The reason we are doing both is really due to the lack of attendance on Good Friday.  The National Church wants all of us to hear the Passion story which is usually read on Good Friday.  But, since a lot of people don’t attend Good Friday services, they combined this weekend.  I agree with this decision.  The Passion story is one that we all need to hear!

 

This service really makes me expand my boundaries.  We will start the service in the Narthex where Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem will be read.  Each of us will have palms and we will enter saying Hosanna which means “God saves us.”  This is not in my comfort level, for sure, but I will be shouting it anyway.  Sometimes it is a good idea to be uncomfortable for a little while.  After that, we will take our seats and move into the Passion story.  Just giving you a heads up.  If you are uncomfortable shouting Hosanna, know that your pastor is also.

 

Holy Week Schedule

Maundy Thursday, April 6th, at 6:30 p.m.

Good Friday, April 7th, at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday Vigil, April 8th, at 5:30 p.m.

Easter Sunday, April 9th, at 10:15 a.m.

           

Cross-marked, Spirits-sealed, Forever!

 

Pastor Tom

630-334-1771

pandtredig@gmail.com

 

Readings for the weekend of April 1st & 2nd  - Palm/Passion Sunday

Isaiah 50:4-9a              Psalm 31:9-16             Philippians 2:5-11                   Matthew 26:14-27:11-54



March 20th, 2023


“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples”

John 13:35

Proclaim the Gospel

Grow in Love

Serve One Another


St. Johns’ Mission Statement

 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

 

Thank you Paul Baker for preaching for me this weekend.  Most of you know I attended the Living Waters last weekend.  St. John’s was well represented.  It was a long and tiring weekend.  Definitely a great deal of discernment will occur to process everything.  Thank you to the staff for helping me attend.  I will probably talk more about this weekend in later letters but it was exactly what I needed.

 

We were told not to bring our phone.  That was probably the worst part of the weekend was not talking to my wife.  The one of many take-aways was I missed her a great deal.  It wasn’t like she was pining away in Peru.  She was coaching at the YMCA State Championships in Indiana (Yes, you read that right).  Illinois doesn’t have a pool available to host this championship event.  But both of us are able to talk swimming and I was interested to know how they were doing.  No way to find out until Sunday night.  They did very well.

 

Reality hit home when I found my phone.  24 emails, 11 missed phone calls, 20 texts and 1 YMCA notification.  There is a new Body Pump class offered at the Y if anyone is interested.  I am not.

 

I love it when church happens without the pastor.  A number of members went out and spent your money at the laundromat last Saturday in LaSalle.  Here are the totals for the day:  39 washer loads; 39 dryer loads; 19 families having their laundry done.  How cool is that?  But the good news is, because of your generosity, we will be going out next Saturday, March 25th at the laundromat in Peru on 13th & Peoria Street.  Can you spend some time helping us out at this event?  Again, the goal is to do a one-hour shift, starting at 9:00 a.m. and going to 12:00 p.m.  We need your help!

 

Don’t forget to attend the Blood Drive on the same day, Saturday, the 25th.  Donate a pint and then help with some laundry.  What a perfect morning.  Call Eloide to reserve your time. 

 

Holy Week is fast approaching.  The schedule is below.  The Living Last Supper is coming back to St. John’s on Maundy Thursday.  Please mark your calendars for this special event.  You will see many familiar faces including three women. As on the first Last Supper, this year we are incorporating three women who probably played a large part two thousand years ago. 

 

Holy Week Schedule

Maundy Thursday, April 6th, at 6:30 p.m.

Good Friday, April 7th, at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday Vigil, April 8th, at 5:30 p.m.

Easter Sunday, April 9th, at 10:15 a.m.

           

Cross-marked, Spirits-sealed, Forever!

 

Pastor Tom

630-334-1771

pandtredig@gmail.com

 

Readings for the weekend of Mar 25th & 26th     - 5th    Weekend of Lent

Ezekiel 37:1-14                       Psalm 130                   Romans 8:6-11                       John 11:1-45



March 13th, 2023


“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples”

John 13:35


Proclaim the Gospel

Grow in Love

Serve One Another


St. Johns’ Mission Statement

 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

 

I want to thank Paul Baker ahead of time for leading worship next weekend.  I will be heading to the Living Water Via de Cristo program in Tiskilwa, IL.  I am very much looking forward to this trip.  I think my faith journey not only needs this but I also feel I am being called to participate.  This was our theme last weekend:  Being Called by God.  Just like all of us, I am trying to not only discern what the Holy Spirit is speaking to me, but also to obey what the Holy Spirit is directing me to do.  Do you find that this takes work?  That it takes prayer? There are so many other voices competing for your attention.  I pray that we all are able to listen to the one true voice – the voice of God. 

 

We are off to the Laundromat Saturday, March 18th. Members of the church will be there from 9:00-12:00.  Even if you didn’t sign up, come in and join in on this ministry.  Because of your generosity, we collected over five hundred dollars for this ministry.  I can’t believe after one month of collecting, the females and males ended up with a tie…or so we thought.  Kay Raineri who counted the money (along with others) added a quarter at the end.  So technically, the women won.  Thank you to all who supported this event.

 

This Monday at 7:00 p.m. we will be starting our book study by Amanda Ripley called High Conflict.  All are welcome to join us in our discussion.  Please let me know so I can send you the Zoom link.  Also, I will send you the guidelines in which we will try to follow.  We will try to cover the Introduction and Chapter 1.  We will try.

 

Don’t forget we have a Blood Drive at our church, Saturday, March 25th.  The whole community is welcome.  Give Eloide a call at the office to sign up for times.  What a great way to love our neighbor.

 

We had our first Living Last Supper event on Sunday in New Bedford. It went very well.  It was the first-time women were added.  They played the roles of Leah, the owner of the home where the Last Supper took place, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus.   Linda Parsons and Stacy Newall played two of those parts from our church.  We will be performing this event a total of four times.  We will be doing this at our church on Maundy Thursday during the worship service.  Please mark your calendars for that event. 

 

Pretty busy week this week.  Besides the book study we will be working on the constitution on Monday.  Tuesday, I will meet with other pastors in the Southern Conference.  We also have Music and Worship that night.  Wednesday, we have our dinner worship and Evangelism.  I also can’t forget it is my wife’s birthday.  Thursday, I have worship services at Hawthorne Inn and Manor Court.  The third week of every month is always busy. 

 

If you haven’t come to the Dinner Worship on Wednesday, please feel free to do so.  Each worship service stands alone so if you have not attended one but would like to, come and join us.  All are welcome.

           

Cross-marked, Spirits-sealed, Forever!

 

Pastor Tom

630-334-1771

pandtredig@gmail.com

 

Readings for the weekend of Mar 18th & 19th    - 4th   Weekend of Lent

1 Samuel 16:1-13                    Psalm 23                     Ephesians 5:8-14                     John 9:1-41



March 6th, 2023


“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples”

John 13:35

Proclaim the Gospel

Grow in Love

Serve One Another


St. Johns’ Mission Statement

 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

 

I hope you are finding your Lenten journey meaningful this year.  I am not sure if I have mentioned it in a letter but we are joining many churches in our Synod during Lent following a series that they have put together called Unfinished – Discovering God’s Call in the Not Yet.  I am not sure what I was more excited about; sharing this series with you or walking with other churches in our Synod during this time.  Two weeks ago, we talked about values.  Last weekend we talked about openness.  How open are we to something new?  Nicodemus was thrown for a loop when he came during the night to seek Jesus.  I wonder what I would have done?  Would I have walked away shaking my head holding onto tightly to what I knew?  Or like Nicodemus, would I keep coming back seeking more, staying curious?  It definitely has been a growing edge for me during my time here at St. John’s.  I try to remain curious especially to those who don’t think like me.  Being curious does not mean you have to agree with them. It means that you listen and try to understand why they believe the way they do.  It is not easy sometimes.

 

We had our first Wednesday, Lenten supper on March 1st.  The one thing nice about these services is they are new every week.  If you did not attend the first one, please consider attending this Wednesday the 8th.  Remember, it starts at 5:30 p.m.  Dinner will be served.

 

Last Saturday, I attended the Congregational Resource Event (CRE).  Over 240 people gathered from our Synod. It included not only pastors, but many lay members of different churches.  There were many workshops that you were able to pick and choose from.  I went to a constitution workshop and a diakonia workshop.  The event also included worship which was amazing with that many people.  I hope next year, some of you will come with me.

 

We have two more weeks for Quarter Wars.  As of Thursday, March 2, the males were winning by approximately nine dollars.  But rumors are flying that one female put roughly twenty dollars of quarters in their jug. It might be time for the males to step up again.  Let’s remember the big picture – this is all good. We will be loving our neighbor in the laundromat.  But, it will be fun having bragging rights.  We still need volunteers for Saturday, March 18th.  Can you and your spouse/family/friend do an hour shift?  If you can, please sign up in the Narthex.

 

Sorry about the short notice.  Rabbit Trail will be doing a book study, starting Monday, March 13th at 7:00.  It will be on Zoom.  All are welcome. The book is titled, Higher Conflict by Amanda Ripley. The book explores the difference between good conflict and bad (high) conflict and ways we can avoid or negotiate ourselves out of bad (high) conflicts. You do not have to be part of the Rabbit Trail group or even a member of St. John’s.  When we say all are welcome, we mean ALL are welcome. 

 

Important Dates:

            March 11th  - Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward at night.

            March 13th – Book Study begins on Rabbit Trail (Zoom).

            March 18th - 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. laundromat 1900-1936 St. Vincent St in LaSalle

            March 25th – Blood Drive from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the parking lot.

 

We also have our usual meetings throughout the month. You can find them in the church calendar sent to you through the Messenger.

           

Cross-marked, Spirits-sealed, Forever!

 

Pastor Tom

630-334-1771

pandtredig@gmail.com

 

Readings for the weekend of Mar 4th & 5th   - 2nd  Weekend of Lent

Exodus 17:1-7             Psalm. 95                    Romans 5:1-11                        John 4:5-42