Bulletin Announcements December 15, 2019

THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP:  Isaiah 35:4 – “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ ”  The return of our Lord at the Last Day is a cause of joy and anticipation for us believers.  We know our Lord and His love, and we look forward to His Second Advent.  Indeed, how we live our lives here and now flows from our certain hope of resurrection and eternal life.

FAITH IN ACTION OF BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL:   One ride, one visit, one Senior at a time.  Need a ride?  Want to volunteer?  Need more information?  Call (309) 827-7780; or email: office@bnfia.org or contact Barry Hamlin at (309) 750-9424.

THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS meets in the basement at 9:15 a.m. and is studying a DVD-based Study entitled: “Joseph: Carpenter of Steel!”  Come learn about this important person in the Christmas Story.

OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL meets at 9:15 a.m. in the Choir Room which is located on the 2nd level (the west side).

THIRD WEEK ADVENT SERVICES:  Our 3rd and final Advent Worship will be this Wednesday, December 18th at 7:00 p.m.  The theme this week: “Advent Calendars: ‘Living’”.  A cornucopia of appetite relievers will be available at 5:30 p.m. in the basement of the church.  The sign-up to bring food is in the narthex.  This week’s free-will Offering will help the ministry of “Lutherans For Life”.

OFFERING ENVELOPES:  The 2020 Offering Envelopes are now available for you to pick-up.  They are located in the narthex with your name on them.  If you are not sure of your name, please check with the church office.  Thank you.

THE ADVENT DEVOTIONS titled “Call His Name Jesus” are available on the table in the narthex.  Pick up your free copy today.

POINSETTIAS SIGN-UP:  There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex for poinsettias that will be on the altar for Christmas.  The cost is $10.00 each and you will need to sign-up by THIS COMING WEDNESDAY, December 18th.   There is an envelope on the table in the narthex for your check or cash.  Please make your check payable to: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and write “Poinsettia” on the memo line.  If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Kwasny at (309) 662-4995 or Luanne Huth at (309) 829-6897.

CAN YOU HELP: John and Paula Hardy are planning their annual trip to Ft Wayne, IN.  It will be sometime after the holidays, hopefully mid-February. The Seminary needs clothes for men, women, and children. They also accept shoes, coats, and kitchen supplies.  Please be sure all donated items are clean and in good repair.  Please bring your donations to the church.  There is a closet located in the hall upstairs where items are collected, and packed for our trip.  If you need help finding it just contact John (309) 310-7917.  Thank you!

FELLOWSHIP HOSTS:  In order to get more people involved in our Coffee/Donut Fellowship for 2019 we have two separate sign-ups: Donut Pick-up and Coffee Set-up.  We would like to encourage you to sign-up for one or the other.  You may also sign-up for both if you wish.  The sign-up sheet is by the door by the north stairwell.

WELCOMING NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:  You can make a big impact on the lives of International Students and they will make a big impact on your life.  We are looking for Christian individuals and families to welcome newly arriving International Students.  Most will be arriving between January 3rd and 5th.  New student orientation will begin on January 6th.  You could help in any of the following ways: 1) Hosting a student in your home for a few days; 2) Providing transportation from the bus, plane or train; 3) Hosting a student for a meal or taking them to the store.  If you are interested and would like more information, please contact John and Linda Berger, serving with International Students, Inc., at 309.664.0377 or jwberger@ilstu.edu.  Training is required for 1st time participants.  Training and resource information will be provided on several different dates (you only need attend one).

THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “Here To Stay” is the topic for next Sunday.  The sermon text will be from Matthew 1:18-25.  So long as there is time, God won’t leave us alone—even if we say that’s what we want.  The message of Christmas is that God has come to be with us and He’s here to stay.  How do we know?  God has given us both direct and indirect signs that point us toward this truth.  The speaker will be, Dr. Michael Zeigler.  Hear his message on The Lutheran Hour on WGN (720) at 6:00 a.m.; WJWR (104.7 FM) and WJWR (90.3 FM) both on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.  Also, if you can receive Lincoln, IL radio station WLLM (1370 AM) the program is broadcast two times on Sunday at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.  Tune in!  You can also listen to The Lutheran Hour on your personal computer at RealAudio, www.lhm.org.

FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE:  If you miss church, please be reminded that copies of the previous week’s sermon are available on the table in the narthex.  Also, the sermon will be available on our web site at www.goodshepherdblm.org.  Thank you.

INFORMATION REQUESTED:  Please notify the church office if someone in the congregation or any family or friends are ill or hospitalized.

PRAYER CIRCLE:  If you have a prayer request please submit them by email to Mary Anne Kirchner at makirchner@yahoo.com or you may phone a Prayer Request to Mary Anne; her cell phone# is (309) 532-2582.  The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.

Sermon Text 12.8.2019 — The Improbable is Possible

December 8, 2019                                                                           Text:  Isaiah 11:1-10

Dear Friends in Christ,

            When you are a fan of the University of Illinois football you expect defeat rather than victory.  Coming into this season you just wanted see some competitive gridiron action.  Earlier in the season they stood at 2 wins and 3 losses but I told Karson I felt good about their chances against Michigan because they usually play Michigan well even if they don’t win.  Well, they lost.  The next game on the schedule was Wisconsin.  They were undefeated and ranked #6 in the nation.  In their history Illinois is not competitive with Wisconsin.  That week I told Karson this, “Illinois has zero chance of winning this Saturday.  None.”  For most of the three hours on that Saturday it looked like my prediction would ring true.  Then plays start happening that you can’t explain.  I still have the game on DVR if you want to come over and see.  On the last play of the game Illinois kicked a field goal and beat the cheeseheads from the north.  The improbable, no the impossible happened.  They went on to win three more games and today will find out what bowl they will go to.

            Friends, I have witnessed the impossible – remember I am a lifelong Cubs fan.  One night in Cleveland changed lives and a franchise.  The improbable, no the impossible happened.  It is improbable this sermon will go past ten minutes, but remember it’s not impossible.  I wonder how long I would have to preach before one of you would stand up and shout, “He’s either sick or out of his mind!”  Mmm . . . I wonder if I should try it someday.  Improbable, but not impossible.

            Come on along as together we see that . . .

“THE IMPROBABLE IS POSSIBLE”

            In our text from Isaiah a most improbable kingdom is described.  Wolves and lambs live together?  A child plays over the hole of a cobra?  A calf and lion together and a little child is leading them?  Improbable, impossible we say, but is it?

            What if provision were made for the improbable to happen?  God provided for the improbable and made it possible.  A shoot comes out of a seemingly dead stump.  It seemed improbable but God brought David’s kingly line out of exile and back to Jerusalem.  This kingly line found its full growth in the birth of Jesus.  He was a physical descendant of Jesse and David, the “shoot from the stump of Jesse.”  The child born in Bethlehem was improbable but God made it come to pass in history.

            In Jesus God makes provision for the most improbable act of all, making saints of sinners.  Isn’t it improbable to consider us candidates for inclusion in heaven?  We are self-righteous filthy rags.  We think that just being a confirmed Lutheran gives us a free pass to the perfection of the eternal.  John the Baptist calls us out “you brood of vipers” – we are snakes.  When will we strike with a coarse word here or a cold shoulder there?

            It may seem improbable for sinners to become saints, but it has actually happened because a loving God has made provision for the improbable.  God counts us righteous and holy through faith in Jesus.  His sacrifice on the cross changed our filthy rags to white robes of righteousness. 

            In Jesus God makes provision for his improbable kingdom to be previewed in the church.  In the Christian church God draws us together as a unified people through our Baptism into Christ.  In the church we are safe because the cross heals and mends all our wounds.  In the church God leads people of all kinds to live in harmony.  Wolf and lamb, calf and lion, cow and bear and dare I say it – cardinal and cub.  Our harmony is imperfect, we must admit, but in our unity around the cross of Christ we make a powerful witness to the world of the transforming power of the Gospel.

            The improbable promise of a future perfect kingdom gives us hope in our present troubled times.  A kingdom is coming when all will be set right.  The wicked will not prosper, the loudest voices will not rule, the misguided will not be listened to.  Until then, we hold up the Gospel for all to see.  We take the improbable body and blood of Christ, another provision of God, to live in a remarkable way – as forgiven sinners who know the path of salvation.  Is it improbable for us to live as God’s saints?  Not with God on our side – the improbable is possible.

            Well, the impossible is not going to happen today.  This sermon is going to end at its usual appointed time.  But always keep this in the back of your mind as you sit in that pew week after week – the improbable is possible.  You saw it today – thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord.

                                                                                    Amen.   

Bulletin Announcements December 8, 2019

THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP:  Matthew 3:1-2 – “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ”  John prepared the way for Jesus by preaching repentance. Then, when Jesus’ ministry was complete and He was raised from the dead, He sent out His disciples to preach “repentance and the forgiveness of sins.”  We never outgrow the need for repentance – examining our lives, turning away from our sins, and turning toward Jesus in faith to receive  His forgiveness and strength for a renewed life of godliness.

FAITH IN ACTION OF BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL:   One ride, one visit, one Senior at a time.  Need a ride?  Want to volunteer?  Need more information?  Call (309) 827-7780; or email: office@bnfia.org or contact Barry Hamlin at (309) 750-9424.

THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS meets in the basement at 9:15 a.m.; is studying a DVD-based Study entitled: “Joseph: Carpenter of Steel!”  Come learn about this important person in the Christmas Story.

OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL meets at 9:15 a.m. in the Choir Room which is located on the 2nd level (the west side).

MIDWEEK ADVENT SERVICES:  Our 2nd Midweek Advent Service will commence at 7:00 p.m. this Wednesday, December 11th.  Our Scripture messages for Advent center around the theme: “Advent Calendars”.  This week you will hear: “Advent Calendars: ‘Theme’”  A meal of fellowship and frivolity will begin in the basement of the church at 5:30 p.m.  To sign-up to bring your delicious creations you may do so in the narthex.  The free-will Offering this week will go to our Seminary Student, Aaron Wendorff.  Today is also our door Offering for Aaron and his family.

 OFFERING ENVELOPES:  The 2020 Offering Envelopes are now available for you to pick-up.  They are located in the narthex with your name on them.  If you are not sure of your name, please check with the church office.  Thank you.

THE ADVENT DEVOTIONS titled “Call His Name Jesus” are available on the table in the narthex.  Pick up your free copy today.

POINSETTIAS SIGN-UP:  There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex for poinsettias that will be on the altar for Christmas.  The cost is $10.00 each and you will need to sign-up by Wednesday, December 18th.   There is an envelope on the table in the narthex for your check or cash.  Please make your check payable to: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and write “Poinsettia” on the memo line.  If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Kwasny at (309) 662-4995 ot Luanne Huth at (309) 829-6897.

FELLOWSHIP HOSTS:  In order to get more people involved in our Coffee/Donut Fellowship for 2019 we have two separate sign-ups: Donut Pick-up and Coffee Set-up.  We would like to encourage you to sign-up for one or the other.  You may also sign-up for both if you wish.  The sign-up sheet is by the door by the north stairwell.

YOU ARE INVITED to “Journey To The Manger” at Christ Lutheran Church, 311 N. Hershey Rd. in Normal today from 5-7:00 p.m.  Free “Tours” include: Live drama and animals; singing and music; indoor and outdoor scenes and hot chocolate and cookies.  Meals are available for purchases from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.  If you have any questions please call the church at (309) 452-5609.

THE LUTHERAN HOUR:  “Love Is Enough” is the topic for next Sunday.  The sermon text will be from Matthew 22:35-40.  Loved and Sent Series – God shows us a different kind of love.  It’s love for the world that is not of this world.  Love that is focused outward, love that gives without requiring anything in return.  The speaker will be, Dr. Michael Zeigler.  Hear his message on The Lutheran Hour on WGN (720) at 6:00 a.m.; WJWR (104.7 FM) and WJWR (90.3 FM) both on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.  Also, if you can receive Lincoln, IL radio station WLLM (1370 AM) the program is broadcast two times on Sunday at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.  Tune in!  You can also listen to The Lutheran Hour on your personal computer at RealAudio, www.lhm.org.

FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE:  If you miss church, please be reminded that copies of the previous week’s sermon are available on the table in the narthex.  Also, the sermon will be available on our web site at www.goodshepherdblm.org.  Thank you.

INFORMATION REQUESTED:  Please notify the church office if someone in the congregation or any family or friends are ill or hospitalized.

PRAYER CIRCLE:  If you have a prayer request please submit them by email to Mary Anne Kirchner at makirchner@yahoo.com or you may phone a Prayer Request to Mary Anne; her cell phone# is (309) 532-2582.  The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.

Sermon Text 12.1.2019 — Time For A Beating

December 1, 2019                                                                                Text:  Isaiah 2:1-5

Dear Friends in Christ,

            We have all been on guided tours.  Where do you like to position yourself when on these tours?  Toni, Karson, and I just toured a Frank Lloyd Wright designed house in Kankakee.  There were only five of us so positioning wasn’t so important but if in a large group your position is vital to your view.

            Since we are a cross-section of human beings in this church, there are some who like to be at the front of the tour.  You can hear better, preferably see better and you like to be the lead dog.  Others of you take the middle.  You don’t want to crowd to the front but you need to be close to hear and you like that human contact.  Then some of you are like me.  You like the back of the tour.  Gives you time to linger, gives a non-crowded view and there is no jostling.  Yea, this is the view I like!

            Go ahead and position your minds where you want to be.  We are going to take a tour this morning and we can see that it’s . . .

“TIME FOR A BEATING”

            We as Christians have the best view today because we are on the Mountain of the Lord.  God promises that this mountain on the last day will be a place of supremacy.  This isn’t a spot of real estate; Isaiah is speaking of God’s dwelling with His people, the church.  On this mountain we will have a perfect view of God’s loving face that assures us of life and peace.  On this mountain will be no war or strife.  On this holy mountain will be believers from every nation who are unified around their Lord and Savior.  Yea, this is the view I like!

            Why can we be so sure that we will like the view?  Because Jesus has given sin and death a beating.  When the spear pierced Jesus’s side, it looked like Jesus was beaten.  In fact, it was Jesus who gave the beating.  He beat that spear into a pruning hook by his death on the cross, a death that pruned away all our sin.

            On Easter morning Jesus demonstrated that he had given sin, death, and Satan a beating.  Through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus we gain forgiveness and acceptance into the family of God.  Through Baptism into Jesus’ victory we have been called to our place on God’s holy mountain.

            Through faith in Jesus we now have an unobstructed view of salvation.  No sin, guilt, present hurt, or scheme of Satan will be able to block our view of God’s shining face because Jesus has given every such obstacle a beating, sharing his triumphs with all who believe in Him.

            “Let us walk in the light of the Lord.”  That is Isaiah’s admonition to us in verse 5.  That can be hard when we know the offerings on Netflix better than the Scriptures.  It can be hard when the darkness of our troubles and challenges overshadow us.  It can be hard when pain and sorrow obstruct our view of the light.  Put aside your deeds of darkness in order to walk in the light.

            Time for a beating.  What better way to walk in the light than to give people on earth a glimpse of what life will be like on God’s holy mountain.  Start now to beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks.

            What are some of the “swords and spears” we sometimes wield?  The sword of a grudge over another person.  Especially prevalent over the holidays with family we don’t see on a regular basis.  The spear of our words that cut like sharpened steel.  The weapon of deafening silence and callous indifference to those who might need our help and understanding.

            We have wielded these weapons with skill, but our skill hardly fits our status as saints.  Those of us who have seen the shining face of Jesus wish to walk on the path of his instruction.

            Thus, Advent reminds us that it’s time for a beating.  It is not time for God to beat us for our sins, oh no.  Jesus took the beating for us on Calvary.  He beat sin and death once and all for us.

            Advent instead reminds us to give a beating to our old ways of sin.  We do that by repenting of them and knowing Christ will forgive them.  With the Holy Spirit’s guidance we beat that grudge-sword into the plowshare of forgiveness.  Those spears of hurtful words turn into pruning hooks of words that build up.  Our silence and indifference show themselves in love and mercy.

            Yes, it’s time for a beating.  The beating of sin that comes by the Gospel of Jesus.  Receive that Gospel message yourself in faith.  Then put the love of Jesus to work in your life.  By the power of the cross beat down your sinful habits.  Your new tools of peace and love will give witness to the kingdom of God.  In doing so, you will call all those around you to come to God’s holy mountain, to walk in the light of the Lord, and to behold the best view of all:  Jesus and his love.  It’s time, isn’t it?  Time for a beating.

                        Amen.