Celebrating December 2015

Birthdays

12/3 Matthew Culp
12/3 Jacob Piper
12/6 Eli McNeely
12/7 Kaitlin Culp
12/7 Brian Hitch
12/10 Kimberly King
12/14 Johanna Kirchner
12/17 Pauline Hanner
12/17 Karson Lueck
12/19 Matthew Holland
12/20 Heidi Bliese
12/24 Devin Kemp-Golden
12/28 Tanner Hitch
12/30 Audrie King
12/31 Richard Olson

Baptismal Birthdays

12/1    Theron Noth
12/4    Caleb Evans
12/5    Curtis Kessler, Jr
12/12    Sierra Parker
12/18    Gordon Schroeder
12/20    Jeanette McNeely
12/23    Jacob Piper
12/25    John Campbell
12/27    Aaron Scott
12/28    Maria Kirchner
12/29    Heidi Bliese
12/29    Karson Lueck

Pastor’s Notes December 2015

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today on my schedule I had the task of writing this devotion for the newsletter. As I awoke and made my way to the bathroom to shower, my schedule changed. As I turned on the light I noticed a note on the mirror that read in part, “__________________ ran into the mailbox this morning.” As I showered I wondered how much damage had been done. Was the mailbox bent? Was it knocked over? Did I have work to do so that we could receive our mail that day?

After getting myself ready, I peered out the window and the mailbox was . . . completely on the ground. This newsletter article was going to have to wait. I spent most of that morning working to get it into some semblance of shape for the catalogs, bills, and junk to be delivered.

Ever have a day or numerous days like that where your plans are changed? Now think of the Virgin Mary and the day she had when the angel told her she would be the mother of Jesus. What were her plans that day? Had she just gotten up, stepped out of the bath, eaten her breakfast? For me, a few hours of my day were changed. For Mary, a lifetime was altered. Imagine what it was like to know that she would be carrying within her the King of kings and Lord of lords! She knew the Lord was with her and she could confidently say, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Your word.” (Luke1:38)

As we head into December we must be prepared for our plans to be changed or altered. It could be the weather. It could be sickness. It could be our job. It could be the mailbox knocked over. Whatever it is, be assured that you are not alone. That Child Mary was carrying was coming into the world to carry our burdens. Our Lord will sustain and comfort us. He will walk with us every step of the way. His death and resurrection are our entrance into the glory of heaven . . . where there will be no mailboxes on their sides or anything else to disturb our eternity.

In Christ,
Pastor

Bulletin Announcements – November 29, 2015

†  Bulletin Announcements  †

November 29, 2015

THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP:  Luke 19:31: “If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” Consider the faithfulness of that man who owned the donkey and colt. All he needed to hear was, “The Lord has need of it” – and he willingly gave. The Lord has given each of us various callings in life (in our homes, in the Church, and in the communities we live in). In each calling we have good work to do which comes from the Lord’s hand. The Lord has need of us in each calling. How is He calling you to generous giving in each of your vocations?

THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS, led by Pastor Lueck and meeting in the church basement at 9:15 a.m. is studying “Lutheran Doctrine and Practice Today”.

TODAY’S SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON: “The Bronze Serpent,” is one of the more challenging stories in the Old Testament. Just as the bronze serpent was lifted up to heal and save the Israelites, Christ was lifted up on the cross to heal and save us from sin, death, and the devil. Ask students, “How did God rescue people bitten by the serpent? How does God rescue you?”

TODAY: The Evangelism/Stewardship Board will host a church decorating gathering today. As we prepare the church for Advent/Christmas we will meet after the 10:30 worship service for this Fellowship Event. A lunch of pizza and drink will be provided.

MIDWEEK ADVENT WORSHIP SERVICES: Our Advent Worship Services begin this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. We will also have worship on Wednesday, December 9th and the choir’s Service of Lessons and Carols on Wednesday, December 16th. Before we worship we will once again have meals served beginning at 5:30 p.m. There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex to help prepare and serve the meal each week. This week’s free-will Offering will go to the Hilbert family and their work with Lutheran Bible Translators.

ADVENT DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS are available on the table in the narthex. Pick up your free copy today. The title is “Fear Not!”, the angel’s triumphant announcement to the shepherds. Also on the table are some Children’s Booklets. Help yourself to as many as you can use. Don’t forget to visit the tower rack in the narthex for other timely topics for your reading and to pass along.

VOTER’S DIRECTIVES: Following the directives of the voters following the recent meeting we have a sheet with Fund Balances available for pick-up on the table in the narthex. Please note the Organ Fund money will be used once the scheduled work is completed in early 2016. Also, there are Financial Statements in the church office for those interested.

LUTHERAN ANNUAL: It’s time again to order copies of “The Lutheran Annual”. The cost is $28.00. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, please contact Janet or Sandy in the church office by phone (309) 662-8905 or by email: goodshepherdblm@frontier.com, or even in person!

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: If you would like a copy of your 2015 Financial Statement please see or call Joyce Schneider at (309) 454-7865. 

CHOIR PRACTICE: Choir is meeting every Wednesday from 7-8:00 p.m. and we always need more voices. If you would like to learn more about choir, contact Steve Parry at drparry68@outlook.com or (309) 533-5200. Come make a joyful noise until the Lord!

FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: The sign-up for help with coffee/doughnuts is posted on the wall by the north stairwell. We need an individual/family to sign-up each week to pick up the donuts and make the coffee. If no one is signed up by Friday of each week, the order will be cancelled. We thank everybody who continues to help with this part of our church fellowship.

POSITION AVAILABLE: Christ Lutheran Church at 311 N. Hershey Road in Normal is seeking to hire an Office Manager. The list of Qualifications is posted on the bulletin board. You may submit a letter of interest and resume to Christ Lutheran Church, Attention: Employment Committee; or email to: clcms@frontier.com. For additional details see http://christlutherannormal.org.

THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “The Voice” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Luke 3:1-20. The voice of John the Baptist calls us to repent and trust in the Savior Who walked in our shoes. The speaker will be Reverend Gregory Seltz. Hear this Sunday’s 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.

 PRAYER CHAIN: 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 home # is (309) 661-6522; her cell phone# is (309) 532-2582. The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.

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Bulletin Announcements – November 22, 2015

†  Bulletin Announcements  †

November 22, 2015

THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP:  Isaiah 51:6: “For the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment.” The things of this earth that hold our attention, that cause us worry, that tempt us away from the Lord: they are all passing away. They will vanish like a garment. They are not for us to worry over, but rather to use for the Lord’s purposes. The things of this world are not ends in and of themselves, but only means to be used wisely by the children of the Kingdom that has no end.

THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS, led by Pastor Lueck and meeting in the church basement at 9:15 a.m. is studying “Lutheran Doctrine and Practice Today”.

TODAY IN SUNDAY SCHOOL students will study “Worship in the Tabernacle.” In the tabernacle, God dwelled with His people, cleansing them and making them holy through the blood of sacrifices. In Christ, God now dwells among us, cleansing us and making us holy through His blood, sacrificed for us on the cross. Ask students, “Why did God direct the people to build the tabernacle? Where do we worship God today?”

TODAY is the deadline for items to be submitted for the DECEMBER NEWSLETTER. Mandy Kluender is our Editor for the church newsletter and any announcements you want to be published in the Newsletter should be submitted to her at mgkluender@hotmail.com or you may call her at (309) 838-9868.

OUR THANKSGIVING EVE WORSHIP SERVICE with Holy Communion will be held this coming Wednesday, November 25th at 7:00 p.m. The message that evening: “Appreciate Your Blessings”.

ADVENT DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS are available on the table in the narthex. Pick up your free copy today. The title is “Fear Not!”, the angel’s triumphant announcement to the shepherds. Also on the table are some Children’s Booklets. Help yourself to as many as you can use. Don’t forget to visit the tower rack in the narthex for other timely topics for your reading and to pass along.

“DECK THE HALLS”: Next Sunday, November 29th, the Evangelism/Stewardship Board will be hosting a church decorating gathering. As we prepare the church for Advent/Christmas we will meet after the 10:30 worship service for this Fellowship Event. A lunch of pizza and drink will be provided.

VOTER’S DIRECTIVES: Following the directives of the voters following last Sunday’s meeting we have a sheet with Fund Balances available for pick-up on the table in the narthex. Please note the Organ Fund money will be used once the scheduled work is completed in early 2016. Also, there are Financial Statements in the church office for those interested.

LUTHERAN ANNUAL: It’s time again to order copies of “The Lutheran Annual”. The cost is $28.00. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, please contact Janet or Sandy in the church office by phone (309) 662-8905 or by email: goodshepherdblm@frontier.com, or even in person!

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: If you would like a copy of your 2015 Financial Statement please see or call Joyce Schneider at (309) 454-7865.

CHOIR PRACTICE: Choir is meeting every Wednesday from 7-8:00 p.m. and we always need more voices. If you would like to learn more about choir, contact Steve Parry at drparry68@outlook.com or (309) 533-5200. Come make a joyful noise until the Lord!

FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: The sign-up for help with coffee/doughnuts is posted on the wall by the north stairwell. We need an individual/family to sign-up each week to pick up the donuts and make the coffee. If no one is signed up by Friday of each week, the order will be cancelled. We thank everybody who continues to help with this part of our church fellowship.

POSITION AVAILABLE: Christ Lutheran Church at 311 N. Hershey Road in Normal is seeking to hire an Office Manager. The list of Qualifications is posted on the bulletin board. You may submit a letter of interest and resume to Christ Lutheran Church, Attention: Employment Committee; or email to: clcms@frontier.com. For additional details see http://christlutherannormal.org.

THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “Are You Ready?” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Luke 21:34-36. Advent looks forward to Christmas and that final day when Christ will return. Are you ready? The speaker will be Reverend Ken Klaus. Hear this Sunday’s 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.

PRAYER CHAIN: 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 home # is (309) 661-6522; her cell phone# is (309) 532-2582. The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.

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Sermon, 11/15/2015

 

Nov. 15, 2015 – Stewardship Sunday Text: Colossians 3:23-24

Dear Friends in Christ,

Last year in March 2014 the Lutheran Witness focused their issue on the topic of vocation. It was filled with many wonderful articles on the subject. Today’s sermon is going to be built around some of their words and the words of our Lord from the Book of Colossians. Vocation is a topic we hear more and more about. It is perfect for Stewardship Sunday.
“GOD HIDES HIMSELF IN YOUR VOCATION”
Edie Wadsworth is a recent convert to the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. I love her quote from the article, “Leveling The Field.” She writes, “I grew up in the wilderness of American evangelicalism. I did all the things young evangelicals do. I joined Young Life and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, got saved eight times…and even trained at the Tammy Faye Baker Institute for Heavily –Applied Eye Makeup. Like every good evangelical overachiever, I wanted to be a missionary and have six kids. And not just any country would do. The real Jesus followers go to Africa. Obviously.
“Fast forward 25 years, and none of those pious dreams came true. I didn’t go to Africa. I birthed a measly four kids (wimp), and I went to medical school instead of Bible College…And I’m wild about Lutheranism – actually down right annoyingly so. I’m so Lutheran that most Lutherans don’t get me. I read the Confessions, own most of Luther’s sermons…I became Lutheran seven years ago, which for me, was the spiritual equivalent of finding a large oasis in the desert. Of all the things I love about finding the historic Church, nothing puts spring in my step like the cool, clear water of the teaching on vocation.”
Like I have always said some of the best Lutherans are those who didn’t grow up in the church. They appreciate what we have instead of taking for granted what we have been given. How do you feel about vocation? Are you as excited as Mrs. Wadsworth? Do you even think about it? And what do we mean by vocation?
Ever since the Reformation Lutherans have emphasized the sanctity of marriage and family and the life of a citizen, worker or employer as being just as important as anyone who is a church worker. In the Large Catechism Luther even said changing a dirty diaper is holier than a monk joining a monastery. We are to engage in providing loving service to our neighbor, not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of our neighbor and out of our faith in Christ.
When we talk vocation we usually think of our job. That place where we toil for our wages. But just as important are the ordinary offices of husband, wife, father, mother, child, and citizen. We all have a vocation from the youngest to the oldest.
God’s will for you is to be saved. We have been blessed with everything that we need through Jesus life, death, and resurrection. We don’t do these things to please God. He is already pleased with Jesus sacrifice on our behalf, which means he sees us as those redeemed by Christ the crucified. Our vocation is a workshop of the Holy Spirit who is calling us to repentance and faith. Instead of becoming entangled in our self-righteous selves we look to the selfless Christ. His sacrifice on the cross has loosened this entanglement and given us freedom from sin to share His love and mercy with those around us.
How might this look? God has given you certain skills, abilities, blessings which allow you to serve your fellow man. God hides Himself in your vocation, so that the service you are giving to your neighbor is sacred, because it is really God at work through you.
Your everyday work is sacred in the eyes of our Lord. That toilet you cleaned yesterday for your family. Part of your vocation for Christ. That meal you helped to prepare and serve at the mission. You were the hands and feet and face of Christ in that place. You don’t need your name on a hospital or university building to be important. That note you sent to your son or daughter at college means more to them than sitting in Abercrombie Hall. That hug you gave your child was wrapped with more love than a building.
Our text spells it out beautifully, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Throw your soul into your vocation as if your one employer were the Lord.
May the Lord’s will for your life be to live out your various callings with love toward your neighbor. The Lord has already met all your needs through Christ your Savior. Serve the Lord brother and sister, serve the Lord!
Amen.

Sermon, 11/08/2015

 

November 8, 2015 Text: Hebrews 9:24-28

Dear Friends in Christ,

Are you a confident person? When you were younger would you raise your hand because you knew you had the right answer? When confronted with problems do you face them head-on or hang your head? Do you have quiet confidence in the face of adversity?
Many people want to have more confidence. Amazon sells over 23,000 books on the topic of building confidence in oneself. There are over 143 million websites that deal with the subject of overcoming doubt and increasing confidence. Blogs, magazine articles and newspaper columns are written on the subject. Wouldn’t it be nice to have more confidence?
Our text from Hebrews is going to help us this morning as God’s Word always does.
“LIVING CONFIDENTLY…WAITING FOR CHRIST”
Do you wish you could live confidently? Don’t we often make promises to ourselves that we won’t get angry at the insults of others, or that we’ll keep our cool when our ideas are challenged or dismissed? Yet when things don’t go our way or our ideas get rejected, we have our confidence shaken. We might react with anger or self-doubt. It might have happened when we raised our hand in class and we gave the wrong answer and the teasing that then went on in the playground. Our ideas might be dismissed at work, on the ball field, in our homes, among our peers.
There are many things at work that tear at our confidence. Maybe those who build themselves up by tearing you down have shattered you. Maybe you don’t feel you are being heard in our frantic world. Maybe your idea of “perfectionism” makes it impossible for you to live up to your own standards. Maybe you have lost a job or a promotion, or you didn’t make a team or win a competition. A loved one has died that shakes your confidence. I have experienced that with my mom dying. She was my biggest supporter and I miss the conversations we used to have. That void has not been filled. Finally, we all are plagued by our inability to live up to God’s Law. Like Paul we are doing the things we don’t want to do and not doing the things we should. Our sin convicts and it hurts our self-confidence.
Yet our text talks about those who are confident, those who are eagerly waiting for Christ. There is a source of confidence in the face of any self-doubt or challenge in life. That source of ultimate confidence is rooted in the person and work of Jesus Christ. We can confidently live our lives in eager expectation in Christ.
You see Christ has dealt with the root cause of our lack of confidence. The writer to the Hebrews compares a sacrifice carried out by a human with the perfect sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. He didn’t enter a temple made by humans, like the Old Testament priests, but heaven itself, where he appears before God on our behalf. Jesus is God himself, so only one sacrifice, rather than repeated sacrifices, was needed.
The forgiveness, life, and salvation Jesus accomplished were done for all people. Jesus died for all. No sin of yours or mine is too heinous that it hasn’t been covered by the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus has “put away” our sin by sacrificing himself. It has been dealt with. It is no longer a factor as God looks at us. That should give us real confidence not the false bravado of the world, but the reality that all of our sins that rip at our heart and gut, have been put away.
What great confidence we have because Christ has dealt with it all. Christ has promised to give us all things, so we need not doubt ourselves. Please know this: it is not about us, it is about Jesus. That is how the widow in today’s Gospel could give her last pennies. That’s how the widow at Zarephath could trust the instructions of Elijah in the Old Testament. They knew the Lord and it made all the difference.
What is your source of self-confidence? There are certainly psychological and sociological explanations for why some people seem to lack confidence and others have confidence in abundance. But the message from our Epistle lesson today is that we can all live in confidence. We can confidently live our lives in eager expectation, because in Christ we can be confident of God’s love and forgiveness. Live confidently…Christ has done it all for you.
Amen.