On April 12th, we as a church will be given a tour of Thomson Penitentiary beginning at 1:15pm. There is a sign-up sheet at church. This is an opportunity for us to become familiar with the prison before inmates arrive. Why? So that when they do arrive, we can be more ready and better able to minister to them. Rev. Russell Helbig has mentioned before that we as a church are able to teach Bible classes, share what our life is like with them so they can see a better path and be a positive influence in the lives of those who are hurting. I hope you will join us Sunday, April 12th for this opportunity. In the mean time, if you happen to come in contact with those who will be working there, Pastor Helbig has passed along some talking points to help you out:

How to Speak with Prison Staff and Invite them to St. Peters Lutheran Church

“We’re excited to have you in our community!   St. Peter’s is very eager to support the mission at Thomson.  Can I help you find anything in the community?  Are there any business or services which have been hard to locate?”

“We’re glad that Thomson is bringing economic value to our community.  We want to give you something of value in return:  God's love in Jesus Christ.  I would like to invite you hear that Word on Sunday as my guest.  I'll introduce you to people who might be able to help you settle into the community."

"Have you found a church home?  I would be excited if you would visit my church on Sunday.  Our church is eager to support the mission of Thomson any way we can.  Is there a way we can help your family?"

“I’ve been told that the Bureau of Prisons has a saying:  'Always follow policy.'   You know, the church I attend does the same thing.  We seek to follow the written Word.  That leads to safety and security forever.  May I give you a copy of the Small Catechism?  It's like policy:  it explains in simple language what we believe and teach from the Bible." 

"I would be glad to give you a phonebook.  Local businesses are going online, but the phonebook can be a real help in the meantime.  May I share a Small Catechism with you also?  It's like a mini directory of the Bible; its teachings are easy to look up by subject, just like the Yellow Pages."

"Our pastor, Mark, uses sign language often as he leads worship.  It’s really easy to learn basic signs just by watching him.  You know, if you learned a few basic signs while you worship, you might be able use them with deaf inmates.  That could be a real help.  I think you would enjoy seeing Pastor Mark do this; I would like you join us for worship on Sunday." 

“I’ve heard that the prison puts a lot of emphasis on training and mentoring.  That's important.  You have to develop new leaders to promote as others retire.  At our church, that’s the way we look at Bible study.  We train one another in God’s Word so we can bring God's love to others as we move into positions of leadership at home and in the community.  I would be honored if you would visit and observe our Bible classes.  St. Peter’s is a really welcoming church.”

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

                                         -Psalm 16:11

My dear friends in Christ,

      As we move into the next quarter of the year, here at St. Peters we will shift our focus from “Life” to “Education.” As part of our mission work, we support Lutheran education in many and various ways:

· In our church with Sunday School, Confirmation classes, distributing Bibles and Catechisms to our children, offering multiple Bible studies throughout the week;

· In our community through Christ Lutheran School where 4 of our own children go (registration now open for 2015/16) and 2 members are part of the board. We support them in our prayers and with our offerings as part of our mission budget;

· In our nation as we send mission offering on to our District and Synod which support our Concordia University system, including Concordia University Chicago (CUC) in which we currently have 1 member attending.

· In our world as we support missionaries who spend their lives teaching those who have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ, including our CUC member Liz Dornbush who is going on a mission trip. See the newsletter and (soon) the Narthex, for more info on ways we can reach out through her to support education in Guatemala.

                 I hope you see what an impact we are able to make and how much we are able to do as a church! Yet, I also hope you notice a place missing...a very important, in fact it is the most important, place: IN OUR HOMES. We as a church can only equip our families to teach and train the coming generation. I pray that you use the Bibles, Catechisms and Sunday School material at home. It is one of the  most difficult things to do, setting aside a time for devotion, but it’s impact is eternal.

                In the coming months we will discuss the importance of Lutheran education in church and ways we can be active in supporting this mission. I hope you will join us in using the abundant blessings God has given us in order to reach out and teach the coming generation about “the path of life ...the fullness of joy ...pleasures forevermore.”

This past Sunday, October 26th, I preached on a topic which we have rarely discussed. Due to this fact I believe many were left confused, simply because they had never heard of this before. The topic was our worshipping with angels, archangels and all the company of heaven.

Nearly every Sunday, we say that sentence in the Proper Preface at the beginning of the Service of the Sacrament, "...with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven we laud and magnify your glorious name evermore praising you and saying:" Yet, we never truly talk about what this means. I felt that it was time to dive into the topic because it gives such a sense of awe and wonder, opening our faith eyes to the glory that is the Divine Service (worship).

Therefore, I want to state this very simply and matter-of-fact: When we gather together in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we are joined by God's Angels and by those who have died in the faith. We worship God with them. We blend our voices together in singing praise and thanksgiving to Him. There's a reason I struggled to contain tears as I considered this during my sermon.

Consider now the joy, peace, comfort and awe that this can and should bring about every Sunday! Angels flying in. Loved ones who have gone before us into the glory of heaven sitting with us once more. Guardians surrounding us. And Jesus sitting on the throne before us, taking His rightful place on the altar to give us forgiveness life and salvation, receiving all glory.

Next time we gather together I truly hope you will join us for this momentous occasion! As I said in my sermon, "how could you NOT want to join us?!" May your spiritual eyes witness this glorious event next Sunday which is All Saints Day.

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” -1 John 5:13

            Do you live each day with this knowledge of salvation, that eternal life is in your possession? It can give you an entirely different outlook, one which is filled with joy, strengthened by the knowledge that nothing can separate you from Christ. Meet each day with prayer and devotion; this will help orient your outlook so that your focus is eternal. Then, go live incarnate; meaning, live your life knowing Christ dwells within you and He has already overcome the devil with all his attacks and lies.

            Also, have you passed this sure knowledge of eternal life on to your family? How about your friends and neighbors? We are each called to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching. This begins in our household and extends outward. Often, we assume people know their salvation is secure, but when asked, most people will give a response of hope based upon works rather than certainty because of Christ.

           I cannot stress this enough, it is of utmost importance that we daily ask ourselves and then our children and others: “Will you go to heaven.” If the answer is anything other than “YES” make sure you pass on the surety we have because of Christ Jesus. Point to Jesus, not to works, for He did it all for us and gave us the gift of salvation for free through His Word and Sacrament. Ask this question daily until there is no doubt left, chase Satan away with the knowledge of Christ and go live with that laser-like focus. When we know our beginning and are sure of our end, then the middle becomes a joyful journey no matter what the obstacle.

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Romans 8:5

We know this world offers us many pains and struggles as we journey on towards heaven, and yet we often find ourselves looking for peace and joy from the very things which would hinder and take it away. We strive to find contentment, ending up always back in the same place saying, “if I just ____.” We seek to find meaning and purpose in all that we do. Many give up hope and simply trudge through life looking forward to that next bright spot in the midst of dreariness. We fail to see the importance of every word, every action, every thought that we hold captive.

The only way to change this is to place God first in all that we do. No one ever admits that God is only important on Sunday morning, yet we end up living exactly that way. I tell you the truth, how we view God and His role in our lives will determine how we handle the cards dealt to us. We can strive to make this world comfortable and peaceful for us and strive to give our children all the advantages this world has to offer, we can strive to motivate them and to make the most of all our opportunities and resources; but unless we prioritize and nurture our spiritual lives, we will miss out on the meaning, purpose and joy of life.

To bring this into your life, wholly live according the Spirit, setting your mind on the things of the Spirit. See how God has formed you and placed you in a unique place at a unique time in order to serve Him in all you say and do. This world wants you to make yourself better by remembering your past errors and trying to improve upon them. God says bury your past, your sins, your problems and indiscretions, bury them with Christ and rise a new person. Begin each day as a new person in Christ, not as a servant to sin, but as a servant to Christ. Not compelled by the Law but driven by the Gospel.

How? Remember your baptism when you wake up each morning. God made you His child, transferred you from the reign of sin and darkness into His kingdom of life and light. You are no longer a slave to sin, but now you are a child of God, called to serve Him by loving your neighbor; be it a spouse, parent, worker or neighbor, serving all in love. Not reluctantly, but joyfully for God has called you, and only you, to do just that. Seeing God serving others through your hands and voice brings meaning and purpose and joy to all we do. Could others do the work which you are doing? Possibly. But they weren’t called by God to do it, you were. May your faith enliven every act and every word bringing glory to the one and only true God, in whose name you were baptized: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. 

What is it that makes you a Christian? Must you pray diligently? Proclaim Christ repeatedly? Read Scripture daily? Attend worship regularly? What is it that makes you a child of God?


I hope this is an easy answer, and yet I hope that this also causes you to consider your identity as a child of God. We know that St. Paul says, “neither circumcision counts for anything, nor un-circumcision, but a new creation.” When we are baptized, God makes us a new creation giving us a new identity as a child of God.

Yet, there are results which stem from God’s work within us. To make an analogy, consider a marriage: When God unites 2 into 1, they are married. Flowing out of that, their actions, thinking, viewing of the world, all change. If not, the marriage would suffer. Can you imagine a healthy marriage where the couple rarely talks, spends no time together and shows no love toward one another? We would say they are married, but we would worry about the marriage lasting.

All analogies eventually break down, but my point is that the resulting actions do not make a couple married, just as our resulting Christian actions (i.e. prayer, reading, worshipping, proclamation) do not make us Christians. Rather the actions flow out of that new life God has placed within us. Christians, united with our groom, Jesus Christ, gather together, pray, listen to Him, receive His gifts of love and praise Him…in short, we worship. 

These are actions which flow out of the life in us. Do they save us? No. God promises to never let us go, He has made us His children. Yet, if I ignore my wife, never speak with her, never kiss her, never hear how much she loves me...will MY love for HER die? Even as she remains faithful to me, I will gradually pull away from her and be enticed by others whom I open my heart up to. My actions towards her will not change her love for me, but they will change my love for her.

God wants to be first in our lives not because He needs our love, worship, praise, etc... but because we need Him. The closer we draw to Him, the more our adoration, love, faith, hope, comfort, peace grows. 

In the apostle Thomas, we see what can happen when a person withdraws from the congregation. For a whole week Thomas carried with him the hopelessness and despair, having missed the appearance of Jesus; he missed the glory, the peace, the comfort that filled the other disciples’ hearts.  It was not until Thomas was gathered together with the others again and Jesus appeared that his faith was renewed and hope restored. Each Sunday you and I have the opportunity to gather together and meet Jesus - in His word and in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. There Jesus appears for us, to forgive, strengthen and comfort us in this world full of tribulation.

When Pastor Mike and I preach and speak about being in worship, it is because we desire to see you filled with the peace of Christ like Thomas. Like a spouse returning home to a smothering embrace, multitudes of kisses and a warm meal, so also we are filled with God’s love in worship. We desire to see your lives filled with this Good News and the peace, hope and comfort which God grants therein. We desire to see you strengthened and prepared for battle, not lost in despair and hopelessness. We know that Satan is like a prowling lion seeking to devour us. As your shepherds we don't want to see anyone in his grip and worship helps us avoid that.

Thus, worship is not necessary for salvation just as kissing my wife is not necessary for marriage...but you'd better believe that it makes it a whole lot better! Also that she desires it (well, most of the time!) just as God desires our worship (all the time!)

So also, as we gather together and see you on Sunday mornings, we are all uplifted and encouraged in our own journey, knowing we are not alone. Thank you for being a member with us here at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Morrison, IL.

Our members will notice in the upcoming newsletter that I, Pastor Mark, will be attending Grace Place June 9-13 with my wife Beka. This is a retreat which the Board brought up and graciously agreed to send us to. I thought I would include a link to the website so you would know what this retreat is. You will see that it is focused on the spiritual, vocational, relational, intellectual, emotional & fiscal wellbeing of pastors and their wives. There is an agenda for each day surrounded by prayer and worship. I am greatly looking forward to this and pray that God will increase my love and zeal to serve you here at St. Peters through this retreat.

Here is the link: Grace Place Wellness

I have already received several questions pertaining to my sermon Sunday, May 18th, in regards to what exactly I meant by not being volunteers but rather stewards. So, I am attaching an article that discusses this topic more in-depth than I was able to in my sermon. Basically though, we are all stewards of God's creation...not by choice or to feel good, but because we are called to rule over the earth. Stewardship recognizes that everything belongs to God. Volunteering says that our time/talent/treasures belong to us and we choose to give some away.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  Acts 2:42

      What is “church” to you? Is it a building we go to? Is it a group of people we gather together with on Sunday mornings? Or is it something deeper and more meaningful? Following the Easter resurrection, we often dive into the beginning of the church as found in the book of Acts. Here in 2:42 Luke has written a very simple yet profound sentence which sums up “church.” It is a time when we fellowship around the teaching of God’s Word while sharing in the Sacrament of the Altar and lifting one another up in prayer.

       A seemingly simple activity, yet it’s the most definitive thing in which we engage here on Earth for that is the way in which God has promised to come to us and give us forgiveness, life and salvation. Through His Word rightly proclaimed and His Sacraments rightly administered God meets us poor miserable sinners with all of His grace, love and mercy. He strengthens the weak, encourages the faint, humbles the proud, forgives all us sinners and unites us in the one body of His Son Jesus Christ in order to send us into the world, lights shining in the darkness bringing hope and peace to all. Through the fellowship of believers we are emboldened to stand in the face of any adversity knowing we are not alone. Together we lift our voices and call upon God for all our needs, lifting each other up in prayer which bonds us together.

     When we have a proper understanding of church and recognize the multitude of wonderful gifts God has prepared for us, then there is nothing that will cause us to give up gathering together. Thus this is Satan’s greatest attack, lulling us to sleep with worldly concerns, causing us to fail to realize all that God has for us when we gather together. This is not new to our generation for even the writer of Hebrews said, “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

    Our own church constitution states that members are baptized, instructed, confessing individuals who lead Christian lives partaking of the Lord’s Supper with due frequency and help bear the burdens of the congregation. Members are not those who simply have their names recorded in our books, for that is not church. We encourage everyone to seek the Lord where He may be found. To call upon His name for the forgiveness of sins, receive the gifts of God through teaching and the breaking of bread and joining with us in offering up prayers and encouraging each other as we bear one another’s burdens, together awaiting that great and glorious Day of the Lord. I hope to see you this Sunday and every Sunday as we gather together!

Why is it that we must take time to train our kids to worship? Simply put, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" as Paul writes in Romans 3. "All" includes our children, and it doesn't take long to realize the truth that children are sinners just like adults. They have selfish desires, they are rebellious and disobedient. Therefore, our children must be taught to confess their sins to God for God promises forgiveness. Peter, preaching on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, answers the peoples' question "What shall we do?" with this: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children"

This gift is for you and your children! Take a moment during our time of confession to remind them of their sinful ways the past week, invite them to confess just as you and I confess before the holy and almighty God. Then, teach them to make the sign of the cross as they hear the words of absolution spoken by the pastor. Remind them of their baptism which clothes them with Christ and assure them they are forgiven before the throne in heaven. This gift is for them just as it is for you.

I hope our taking time to go through the Confession/Absolution part of our service has helped you emphasize this to your children. Our worship service is built around God's gifts and is designed to deliver those gifts to us in a decent and orderly manner so that when we go home, we go home knowing we have received Christ and have the full assurance of heaven. This all begins with our confessing our sins and receiving God's gracious forgiveness.