Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Have you seen the pictures of our annual Trick or Treat event on our Facebook page? One thing you will see are smiles everywhere. And those smiles are not only from the children and parents who came to the event, but they were also found on many of the volunteers who helped make the event very enjoyable for everyone. Thank you to all of you that helped at the event as well as providing candy for the trick and treaters. Next year, why not plan on coming and joining us. Come sponsor a table. Mostly what you do is to hand out candy to the children. Everyone is welcome.
Our confirmands just finished a two-part lesson on the Church Calendar Year. It reminded me that our church year is coming to a close. We turn the calendar on a new year when we start Advent. The confirmation class will tell you that we begin year C and the gospel writer is Luke. We will have to get used to a different writer. Luke is probably the opposite of Mark in terms of writing style and format. However, they have in common the love of the Lord and sharing the Gospel. Sounds like the church. One more day until the elections. I hope you get out to vote. The two candidates for president are as opposite as you can get. But remember, we do not put our trust in a candidate. Our trust is in the Lord. Always.
All Saint’s Day is a tricky one. It is a great way to pause in our busy schedule and remember our loved ones that have passed away. It is also a great way to share our grief together. Even though it may feel that you grieve alone, I hope you always have someone journeying with you. Don’t forget you always have God alongside you. It is okay to be mad at him. God can take it. He wants your honesty so if you don’t feel like holding back, don’t.
But don’t forget we are people of faith. We believe that when our journey ends here on earth, it will only begin in heaven. That has to bring a little smile to your face. Tim Keller, an author and pastor said “I can’t wait to see Jesus.” He didn’t say, “I hope I see Jesus?” He had no doubt where he was going to be when he finally passed away from cancer. It wasn’t because he was a pastor, or an extremely religious man. It was because he was a child of God. Through our baptism, we too are children of God. You need to know that as children of God, we too will have a place in heaven.
A couple of things:
- If you are a veteran, please turn in a picture of yourself to the office early this week. We would like to honor you and thank you for your service.
- I saw the Holiday Schedule in the Messenger (I think). Make sure you put the important dates on the calendar. We will no longer have Advent Wednesday services. The reason was the extremely low attendance.
- What we hope to do is to send an Advent Daily Devotion to all of you. We will send it to you via email and make a few copies for those who do not have internet service. I should say, that is our plan.
- Last thing: We have three church council members cycling out this year. Is it your turn to step up and join this ministry that governs the workings of our church? Why don’t you prayerfully consider joining us. It is a three-year commitment. We meet on the third Tuesday of the month. If interested, let a council member know.
What God mostly does is love you. (excerpt from Mostly What God Does by Savannah Guthrie)
Pastor Tom
815-223-1144
Readings for 25 Weekend of Pentecost – November 9 & 10
1 Kings 17:8-16 Psalm 146 Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44
Reading the Bible in a Year- Monday, November 4 to Sunday, November 10
Day Leviticus Psalms Proverbs Mark
Monday Ch 11 & 12 30:1-7 Ch 12:13-27
Tuesday Ch 13 6:20-29 Ch 12:28-44
Wednesday Ch 14 30:8-12 Ch 13:1-31
Thursday Ch 15 & 16 31:1-8 Ch 13:32-14:16
Friday Ch 17 & 18 31:9-18 Ch 14:17-42
Saturday Ch 19 & 20 6:30-35 Ch 14:43-72
Sunday Ch 21 & 22 31:19-24 Ch 15:1-32
Leviticus – It is so tough to read. I want to skim most of it, but I am trying not to. Actually, if you think about it, all these laws make perfect sense. One, since God is holy, we need to be holy. Two, so much of their living was in close proximity to one another. You know how the common cold can spread quickly. It was the same with diseases. This was for the group’s protection. One thing that caught my interest was why put oil on the right ear lobe, the right thumb and the right big toe? I had to look this up. Ear – represents listening to the Word. Thumb-represents doing what Yahweh wills; Toe – represents going where Yahweh sends us. The right side was considered to be the clean side.
Psalms – Two psalms based on trusting God. Each one of them have the psalmist stating their case why God should not abandon them. However, the reasons given between the two psalms are different.
Proverb – It is a case of having a wandering heart, especially an eye for someone’s wife. I find verses 20-23 words to live by.
Mark- It is a mixture of all types of things. We continue to have testing of Jesus by the religious leaders. Jesus also finds time to teach his disciples. Mark 13 discusses end-times. We also have the scene of Passover. Here we have Jesus instituting communion. Finally, his journey to the cross and the resurrection begins.