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From the Pastor’s DeskNEWSLETTER

Volume 2010, Issue 23December 8, 2010

ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH

A group of first-graders got together and decided to write their own version of the nativity. It was more modern than the traditional drama. Oh, there were the familiar cast members: Joseph, the shepherds, the three wise men, the star and an angel propped up in the background. But Mary was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, some loud moans and groans could be heard behind the bales of hay. Evidently, Mary was in labor. Soon the doctor arrived, dressed in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck. Joseph, with a look of relief on his face, took the doctor straight to Mary and then started pacing back and forth. After a few moments, the “doctor” emerged with a big smile on his face. “Congratulations, Joseph,” he said.

“It’s a God.”

Christmas shatters our expectations and pushes us outside the box — including the beautifully decorated holiday box.

It blows away our understandings of what

usually happens

when two women gather to support one another. It helps us see things differently — to see a hug between Mary and Elizabeth as a meeting between Jesus and John, a kick in the belly as a fist-bump of recognition, a song of praise as a celebration of God’s ability to turn the world upside down. Christmas turns us into iconoclasts. Yes, iconoclasts. “Image-breakers.” That’s what the word means, literally. To be an iconoclast is to be a person who attacks traditional images, ideas, or institutions. We celebrate an Iconoclastic Christmas when we accept that God “has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1: 51-53). But image-breakers aren’t devoted to destruction, as violent as the word iconoclast might sound. In fact, the work they do is usually quite creative and constructive. According to the magazine Fast Company Iconoclasts do what tradition-minded people say cannot be done, and they do it by seeing things differently. Consider Pierre M. Omidyar, who started eBay in 1995. Or Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Or Craig Newmark, who was working as a financial analyst for Charles Schwab when he started Craigslist. Then there’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who began a service in the mid-1990s called BackRub.com. They changed the name to Google, which is a play on the word googol, a term used to describe a number 1 with 100 zeros behind it, or, in other words, Google, which according to the vision of Page and Brin, is a Web tool that can organize an infinite amount of information. These are all iconoclasts — image-breakers. They see things differently, shatter traditions, and make contributions that are creative and constructive. God, in the birth of Jesus, was an “image breaker.” Just imagine this: the Savior of the world, the Promised Messiah, the Longed-For One, the Hope of All, the Light

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The Eagle NEWSLETTER December 8, 2010

of the world, the Anointed One, the Christ – born in an out-building in a two-bit town in a land known more for violence than peace. God breaks the image that we have of how and what God should do and be. And thanks be to God for that! Come these Advent days – come and rejoice in The Wonder of It All as we receive the marvelous gift of God’s love and the promise of his never-failing goodness. And then come and rejoice in the fullness of God’s love in the Birth of our Savior!

Poinsettias or Story Book Project GiftsContributions for poinsettia plants to decorate our facility or gifts to the Story Book Project of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois are being received. The majority of plants will be white.

Donor name[s] and names of person[s] being honored or memorialized will be printed in the Christmas Eve/Day bulletins. Final date for accepting orders is December 19.

Poinsettia I/We will furnish ______ poinsettia plant[s] at $15 each.

Given by: ____________________________________

In honor/memory of: __________________________

Gift to Story Book Project of Lutheran Social Services

Given by: ____________________________________

In honor/memory of: __________________________

Please complete this form, attach check payable to St. John’s and place in the box located on the counter in Reception Area or table in PLC following worship.

Poinsettias are to be picked up following Christmas Day worship or not later than noon, December 31.

The Planning For Our Mission And Ministry Continues With gratitude we rejoice in the members of St. John’s who have returned their Financial Commitment and their Time, Talent & Touch Forms for 2011. At this time we anticipate receiving those commitments from members who have not yet returned them. The budget planning for 2011 is however not able to be completed until we know the anticipated income and participation level of our congregation.

If you have not returned your Financial Commitment or your Time, Talent & Touch Form for 2011 your early submission would be greatly appreciated. Reminder notes are being sent out to those who have not yet responded. If these cross in the mail please know that your submission of your commitment is appreciated. If you have not returned either commitment, please do so in order that our planning for St. John’s mission and ministry for 2011 can be completed. Thank you! Flower Delivery Assistance Needed The flowers that grace our worship areas often are designated to be shared with homebound or shut-in members by our donor families. In order for those floral arrangements to bring some joy into the lives of our homebound or shut-in members, we are in need of persons who are willing to deliver the floral arrangements when they are so designated. The pastors keep a list of those who have received them and make the weekly assignment of those who would be receiving the flowers.

The time is not substantial to deliver the flowers. You can either pick them up after worship is completed or the next day as your schedule permits. Taking them from the church to the setting of the homebound or shut-in is all that is required. Contact Ann Lisenbee at 698.9567 if you are willing to assist. Ann coordinates the schedule for the flower delivery.

Pictorial Directory Available Copies of the recently published Pictorial Directory are available. Those who had their picture taken will receive their copy free. If you did not have your picture taken the cost is $10 per copy. Copies are available during the week in the Church Office.

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UCP GiftsSt. John’s is partnering with United Cerebral Palsy to make Christmas a little brighter for 51 adults with developmental disabilities. You will find a star on the tables located in the Narthex and the PLC Lobby with a photo of an individual, along with some gift ideas on the back of the star. Please select a star and sign your name and phone number on the list on the table. The gifts should be around a $20-25 value. Please return the gift wrapped and tagged to the church by Sunday, December 19th, so they can be distributed by Christmas morning. Thank you for your assistance in this outreach ministry. If you have any questions, you may contact Janet Moulton at 971-9535.

Christmas CantataThe Chancel Choir will present “A Great and Mighty Wonder” at all sanctuary services on December 11 (5 p.m.) and December 12 (8 and 10:30 a.m.). Come and experience the journey to the manger through song and scripture. The cantata features soloists from the Chancel Choir and St. John’s orchestra will lead us in worship.

We Say “Goodbye”Michael Jones, Chancel Choir Director, and Linda Fairchild, Chancel Choir Accompanist, will both be leaving St. John’s at the end of the year. A reception will be held in their honor immediately after worship services on Sunday, December 19. You are invited to this reception to share a memory and bid them a fond farewell.

Soup & SongOur Soup & Song Wednesdays continue – on December 8, we welcome Evans and Marilyn Brittin who will share their talents with us. December 15 – Riverboat Two will be here and you will hear piano/banjo music. On December 22, we welcome the Jane Hartman Trio. The soups, salad and desserts are delicious and add to the warmth of the event. If you have any questions about the Soup & Song lunches, please contact the church office.

Salvation Army Ringing – More than One BellIf you are out and about on Saturday, December 18, members from St. John’s Bells of Glory and other local

churches will be ringing bells for the Salvation Army kettles at the Schnucks Store in Montvale Plaza. We will ring from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We will be playing Christmas carols during this time. So, if you need to run out to the store for that one item you forgot while baking Christmas cookies, come by Schnucks and enjoy some handbell music.

Sunday School Christmas Program Sunday, December 19 marks the debut of “Joy Story,” this year’s Sunday School Christmas Program that you won’t want to miss! Written by St. John’s own Schlosser family, “Joy Story” is a delightful tale that incorporates familiar characters from a children’s movie while sharing the traditional Christmas story of Jesus in the manger. All of the Sunday School classes are involved, so make plans now to support their efforts while celebrating this very special time of year! Prelude music shared by student musicians will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the PLC, followed by the play at 9:15 a.m. A cookie reception will follow in the PLC Lobby.

Christmas VacationsBoth the Women’s Bible Study and the Men’s Bible Study will meet at 9:00 a.m. on December 14, but will be taking a break for Christmas on December 21 and December 28. Both groups will resume at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 4.

There will be no Sunday School and no Adult Forum on Sunday, December 26. Both will resume on Sunday, January 2 at 9:15 a.m.

Sprout!Our winter session of Sprout! begins Wednesday, Jan.

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12 and continues through Wednesday, March 2. Class options coming soon….

ChristCare Groups at St. John’s:

T.I.P.S. About Our Giving and Tips for Our Giving!The custom started with a small China cup on the counter of a butcher shop in England – way back in the 1500’s. The letters T.I.P.S. are the abbreviation for the words “To Insure Prompt Service.” If you wanted to be waited on before others in line, you put a contribution in the cup to insure prompt service. Over the years tips have come to mean something else going from 5% to 10% to 15% and now 20%. Most of the time now in many places the gratuity is already calculated on the bill! We regularly compute, down to the penny, the expected tip to leave on a table for a waiter or waitress who spends only a few minutes writing our orders, serving our food, filling our water glasses or coffee cups, and bringing our checks. We would feel ashamed of ourselves if we did not tip at least 15% for a total stranger. Yet we often wince at the painful thought of contributing the same percentage of our income to our God who gives it all to us in the first place! Based on the average family income for the Springfield area in all the zip

code areas where the majority of our congregational members live, the members of St. John’s contribute @2.6% of their income in their offerings. Nationwide, members of the ELCA contribute @2.8% of their income in their offerings. Contrast that giving with the offerings received in many of the more fundamental congregations and their giving is normally an average of 8% to 15%. Fortunately our God doesn’t give in percentages. God doesn’t give 20% of his sunshine, 30% of the air we breathe, 40% of our daily bread, or 50% of his love. God never stops giving in extravagant generosity. Giving is God’s way of loving. As we come to the end of this year our strong, faithful giving to maintain the mission and ministry of St. John’s is essential. If you have been faithful and consistent during the year in your financial support of St. John’s – thank you! If you find that there is a difference in your intention and in your actual giving, the end of the year support is so essential for our congregation to continue its strong witness. Our culture has three myths about our giving: 1. Give if it benefits you – get a free umbrella or a tax

break; 2. Give if there is anything left over – pay all your bills

and then give; 3. Give out of a sense of duty – give because you have

to.

The Biblical principles about giving are much different: 1. Give in response to God’s goodness – realizing that

“every good and perfect gift is from above.” [James 1:17];

2. Give to focus on God as our source of security – in order to have peace about our money we need to realize that everything we have is a gift from God and God [not money] is our source of security [Matthew 6:33].

3. Give to help achieve economic justice in the world – we give for our sake and for the sake of our neighbor which goes against the prevalent idea of: “I’ve got mine. You get yours.” [II Corinthians 8:13-14]

4. Give to bless others and to be blessed – we are blessed not so we can raise our standard of living

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but to raise our standard of giving [Genesis 12:2-3]. 5. Give to break the hold that money can have on us.

When you get in the practice of giving away the first 10% or 2% or whatever % of your money, money loses its hold on you. Your trust is in God. [Genesis 1:26-27]

Thank you for your faithful witness in and through your giving thus far in 2010. Your faithfulness in continuing that strong witness is so important! A Birthday Thank You!Thank you to all who helped Lorene Osborn celebrate her 100th birthday, as well as to our GPA ChristCare Group for planning and organizing Lorene’s birthday festivities. Her party was complete with balloons, cake, photos, friends, and even a tiara for her to wear in honor of the special occasion. Thank you for being a blessing in Lorene’s life!

Thank YouA big thank you to all the knitters and crocheters! We donated 65 dish cloths, 6 tea towels, 33 round pot holders, and 26 hats to the Mini O’Beirne Holiday Christmas Shop!

The Mitten TreeThe Mitten trees are set up in the narthex and the PLC lobby. The mittens and scarves collected this year will go to Contact Ministries, Harvard Park Elementary, and Washington Street Mission. This year under the trees will be some boxes wrapped in Christmas paper. We encourage you to bring socks of any size – especially those that will fit children which will be for the students at Harvard Park that come to school with wet socks or no socks at all. As always, we thank the Lord for your generosity in helping St. John’s to reach out into the community and be His hands and heart there. Chili and FootballFood, fun, and fellowship! Take a break from Christmas preparations and come watch the battle between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 2200 S. Meadowbrook, on Monday, December 20th at around 7 p.m. Game time is 7:30. Chili is available for purchase. Snacks and desserts are provided. Questions? Contact Janice 793-

1783.

Senior High (Blaze) and Junior High (Fire) Youth GroupSunday, December 12th - UCP Shopping and Wrapping Join us from 6-8 as we shop for UCP gifts, wrap them, and enjoy a time of Christmas festivities together. Sunday, December 19th - Youth Group Christmas PartyFood, fun, and Christmas-themed games from 6-8 p.m.Sunday, December 26th No Youth Group due to the Christmas holiday.

3rd-5th Grade (Flame) and K-2nd Grade (Spark) Youth GroupStay tuned for upcoming info on our January and February Spark/ Flame events. We are planning lots of exciting things! Christie can be contacted at [email protected], or by calling 217-793-3933.

Change always carries with it a measure of worry since we do not ever know for certain what the outcome will be. In fact, the end result may be radically different from what we envisioned when we

started. Change carries with it questions such as:• What will life be like when the change is made?• Will it be better?• Or worse?• What are the costs, both visible and hidden?

A mature faith learns to trust that God works through all the changes of our lives for our ultimate good, and it leaves outcome in God’s hands.

Prayer...Change is part of life, people say. I know that Lord, but change troubles me still. I feel as if I am in a high-wire act at the circus. I have let go of one trapeze and am flying in midair, reaching for the next one. I worry about outcomes. I wonder what will become of me. I fear what might happen in this interval between here and there. Catch me, gentle Savior. Let me trust your larger purpose for my life. Strengthen my resolve to follow where you lead. And assure me that when I have

A Word from the Stephen Ministers of St. John’sWhen Going Through Change

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reached the destination, you will be there just as you have promised.

—John Gugel, In Cries of Faith, Songs of Hope:

Prayers for the Times of Our Life.

The Stephen Ministers of St. John’s are available to listen, to talk, and to help you. If you want to learn more about how a Stephen Minister can be there for you contact Pastor Olson, Pastor Busboom, or George Lambert

Messiah at St. Agnes Catholic ChurchThe Christmas portion of Georg Friderich Handel’s Messiah will be performed by the Springfield Handel Society on Sunday, December 12 at 4:00 p.m. at St. Agnes Catholic Church, 245 North Amos, Springfield. The performance will feature soloists, organ, instruments, and over 55 singers of the Springfield Handel Choir and will be conducted by Janet Cobb. The performance is free, but freewill donations will be gratefully accepted.

Christmas ConcertFaith Lutheran Church, 2313 S. Whittier, will sponsor a special Christmas Concert on December 16th at 7:00 pm as a benefit for Grace Food Pantry. An offering will be taken for the food pantry and everyone is also asked to bring canned food for the pantry.

The concert will feature Cory Brown on piano. Many of his talented young friends will join him for this concert.Faith’s own ‘Pocket Full of Faith’ band and singers will also be performing. Invite your friends and neighbors to join us for an inspirational evening of Christmas music. For more information call 522-7331.

Shoe Box MinistryWe will be collecting items for the Shoe Box Ministry-boxes for our soldiers in foreign lands. There will be a display with a box to collect needed items starting in November. Recommendations for Operation Shoebox:• Face wipes & zip-lock bags• Gold Bond powder• Individual toilet rolls• Breath freshener• Mints, gum, hard candy

• Coffee/coffee filters• Popcorn• Snack bars (granola-type)• Small boxes of cookies • Pringles• Powdered drink mixes like Crystal Light• Small games, puzzles, books• Batteries• New or used DVDs/CDs

If you have a name for this ministry, please contact the Church Office or Patti Kelley at 585-0986. We will be collecting until Thanksgiving and then ship boxes for holidays. Thanks, Patti Kelley.

Thanks for the Cookies!

The Cookie Walk was a success! Most of the cookies were sold out by 10:30 – two hours after opening the doors! Thanks to all who donated!

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THE DAILYWORDSunday, December 12Isaiah 35:1-10Psalm 146:5-10Matthew 11:2-11

Monday, December 13Isaiah 29:17-24Psalm 42Acts 5:12-16

Tuesday, December 14Ezekiel 47:1-12Psalm 42Jude 17-25

Wednesday, December 15Zechariah 8:1-17Psalm 42Matthew 8:14-17, 28-34

Thursday, December 162 Samuel 7:1-17Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19Galatians 3:23-29

Friday, December 172 Samuel 7:18-22

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19Galatians 4:1-7

Saturday, December 182 Samuel 7:23-29Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19John 3:31-36

Sunday, December 19Isaiah 7:10-16Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19Matthew 1:18-25

Monday, December 20Genesis 17:15-221 Samuel 2:1-10Galatians 4:8-20

Tuesday, December 21Genesis 21:1-211 Samuel 2:1-10Galatians 4:21-5:1

Wednesday, December 22Isaiah 33:17-22Luke 1:46b-55Revelation 22:6-7, 18-20

Thursday, December 232 Samuel 7:18, 23-29Luke 1:46b-55Galatians 3:6-14

Friday, December 24Isaiah 9:2-7Psalm 96Luke 2:1-20

Saturday, December 25Isaiah 52:7-10Psalm 98John 1:1-14

Growing Deep Daily DevotionsIs your faith life needing a boost? Pick up a copy of the daily devotions Growing Deep written by our very own St. John’s staff. Each daily devotion includes a thoughtful reflection on a Bible verse for the day and a brief prayer. Print copies are available each weekend in the wall racks located in the narthex and the PLC Lobby. Or, subscribe on-line and receive the devotions each day via e-mail. Simply send an e-mail with “devotion request” in the subject line to [email protected] These daily devotions are also a great way to share your faith with a friend! Get yours today!

NEWSLETTERThe EagleSt. John’s Lutheran Church 2477 West Washington Springfield, IL 62702

Phone: 217-793-3933 Fax: 217-793-4564 www.stjohns-springfield.org

This newsletter was brought to the post office onDecember 8, 2010

Mission StatementTo be and make disciples for Christ in response to God’s grace.

Vision StatementBy God’s grace, we serve the Father, proclaim the Son, and are alive with the Spirit.

Address Service Requested

SCHEDULEWorshipSaturday - 5 p.m.

Sunday - 8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Sunday - 10:30 a.m. Contemporary Service in Parish Life Center

NEXT DEADLINE FOR THE EAGLE IS 12-17-2010

St. John’s Lutheran Church Staff

Director of Administration Tauna WatsonClerical Assistant/Receptionist Nell VanSiceGraphic Designer William MosherDirector of Christian Education and Faith Nurture Stacey DuncanDirector of Youth and Family Ministry Christie LazaridesDirector of Music/Organist/Handbell Choir Jean WelchChancel Choir Director Michael JonesChancel Choir Accompanist Linda FairchildChildren’s Choir Director Jean WelchChildren’s Choir Accompanist Mackenzie SteenDirector of Contemporary Worship Christie LazaridesKeyboardist-Contemporary Worship Valerie HunterFacility Manager Audrey HorrighsCustodian Ken BarnesPreschool Administrative Staff Terri Harms , Anne Van Berkom,

Courtney PetersNursery Attendants Lori Spear & Karen MannLead Pastor Pastor Paul J. OlsonPastor of Outreach & Discipleship Pastor Greg BusboomVisitation Pastor Pastor Lee Uden

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