Birthdays
Carin Henson Jan 1
Nicholas Hitch Jan 2
Pat Orr Jan 3
Bud Kessler Jan 4
Mary McEleney Jan 6
Cathy Cloyd Jan 9
Bob Hanner Jan 9
Nancy Thomas Jan 19
Greg McNeely Jan 20
Beth Mosier Jan 20
Cooper Mosier Jan 27
Linda Dirks Jan 28
Jill Holland Jan 31
Baptismal Birthdays
Bud Barnett Jan 1
Charles Nottingham Jan 1
Shirley Potter Jan 1
Chloe Hitch Jan 2
Jackie Kwasny Jan 11
Jessica Isaac Jan 12
Bud Kessler Jan 21
CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT WORSHIP: Tonight will be our Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship with Holy Communion. The Service begins at 6:00 p.m. We continue with our theme of: “The Word Becomes Flesh”. Tonight’s message: “We Have Seen His Glory”.
CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP: Tomorrow morning will be our Christmas Day Worship Service with Holy Communion beginning at 9:00 a.m. The message: “The Word Dwelt Among Us”.
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: 2 Samuel 7:4 – “But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan …” Nathan thought David’s idea was great, so he blessed it with the Lord’s name. But later that night, the Word of the Lord set him straight. The Word of the Lord must be the basis for what we think, say, and do in God’s Kingdom: not our own desires or whims.
NEED A RIDE? If you are unable to drive to church, we have an option that is available. Please speak with Pastor who has the details. Thank you.
THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND SUNDAY SCHOOL will be from 10:15 – 11:00 a.m. this morning. The adults meet in the basement and the Sunday School in our Choir Room on the upper level.
PASTOR’S SCHEDULE: Pastor, Toni, Karson and Holden will be in Wisconsin on Tuesday and Wednesday surviving another family Christmas. Pastor will be in the office on Thursday. A Blessed Christmas!
DINNER FOLLOWING NEW YEAR’S EVE WORSHIP SERVICE: We will be going to dinner at the Ozark House on New Year’s Eve following the 7:00 Worship Service. Anyone interested going to dinner please see or contact Linda Lange (309) 339-9930. Thank you.
2018 OFFERING ENVELOPES: Please pick up your 2018 Offering Envelopes today. They are located on the table in the narthex.
WE NEED YOUR IDEAS for our new church sign. Sheets are available on the table in the narthex. We will take submissions until Sunday, February 11, 2018. You may drop them in the box in the narthex. Thank you!
FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: In order to get more people involved in our Coffee/Donut Fellowship for 2018 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 is by the door by the north stairwell.
CAN YOU HELP: John and Paula Hardy are planning their annual trip to Ft Wayne, IN on Friday, January 12th. Please bring your items to church by Sunday, January 7th. The Seminary needs clean usable clothes for men, women, and children. They also accept shoes, coats, and kitchen supplies. 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!
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “Children Of Promise” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Galatians 4:4-7. Our identity as God’s children encourages us to live in His grace, to embrace the freedom Jesus won and to resist the ways of the world that strive to keep us captive. Reverend Dr. Anthony Cook is the speaker. 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 cell phone# is (309) 532-2582. The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.
TODAY in our 10:30 worship we publicly acknowledge the Baptism of Hope Grace Kirchner. Hope was baptized by Pastor Lueck at Children’s Hospital in Peoria, IL on October 30, 2017. Hope’s sponsor is Holden LUECK.
NEED A RIDE? If you are unable to drive to church, we have an option that is available. Please speak with Pastor who has the details. Thank you.
OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL meets at 9:15 a.m. in the Choir Room which is located on the 2nd level (the west side).
THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS meets in the basement at 9:15 a.m. As we celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation we continue studies on that time period. We are studying “A Man Named Martin”, a video-based study on the reformer Martin Luther.
MIDWEEK ADVENT WORSHIP: The third our three Advent Services is this Wednesday, December 20th at 7:00 p.m. This year’s theme is: “The Word Becomes Flesh”, based on John 1:1-18. This week’s message is: “Chosen Children” Meals are served at 5:30 p.m. in the basement. The food sign-up is in the narthex and this week’s free-will Offering will go to our Seminary Student.
2018 OFFERING ENVELOPES: Please pick up your 2018 Offering Envelopes today. They are located on the table in the narthex.
POINSETTIAS FOR THE ALTAR: We have a sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex for poinsettias on the altar for Christmas. They are $8.00 each and you may sign up until Wednesday, December 20th. They will be available to be taken home after Epiphany on Sunday, January 7th. There will be an envelope with the sign-up sheet for your check or cash. Please make checks payable to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and list “Poinsettia” on memo line. If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Kwasny at (309) 662-4995 or Luanne Huth at (309) 829-6897.
THIS WEEK: The Ladies Morning Bible Study will have their Christmas Gathering this coming Tuesday, December 19th at 9:30 a.m. We are meeting at the Club House, south of the church.
WE NEED YOUR IDEAS for our new church sign. Sheets are available on the table in the narthex. We will take submissions until Sunday, February 11, 2018. You may drop them in the box in the narthex. Thank you!
FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: In order to get more people involved in our Coffee/Donut Fellowship for 2018 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 is by the door by the north stairwell.
FROM THE OFFICE: We received a Christmas letter from Pastor Jacob Hercamp and family. Jacob was the Seminary Student we supported last year. It is on the bulletin board outside the church office.
CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING: The Elders at their November meeting made a worship change for Christmas Eve morning. We will have one Worship Service at 9:00 a.m. with Sunday School and Adult Bible Class from 10:15 – 11:00 a.m. The Christmas Eve Candlelight Evening Worship will be at 6:00 p.m.
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-January. The Seminary needs clean usable clothes for men, women, and children. They also accept shoes, coats, and kitchen supplies. Please bring them to 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!
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “The Greatest Story Ever Told” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Luke 1:30-32a. What is your favorite story? This Christmas Day, the speaker talks about God’s greatest story. Reverend Dr. Ken Klaus is the speaker. 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 cell phone# is (309) 532-2582. The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.
Dec. 10, 2017 Text: 2 Peter 3:8-14
Dear Friends in Christ,
A man came to the Lord and asked, “Is it true for you a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day?” The Lord said, “Yes.” The man continued, “And is it true that to you a penny is like a million dollars and a million dollars are a like a penny?” “Yes,” said the Lord. The man said, “May I have a penny?” The Lord responded, “Yes. Tomorrow.”
Oh, how impatient we are. The first video game that my family had was Pong and it had 28 bytes. The newest I-phone has over 4 billion bytes. And it is still not fastest enough for some. We wait through Advent days while the world around us is already acting as though “It’s Christmas!” Where are you on the Patience/Impatience scale? And what about when it comes to the Lord? This 2nd Sunday in Advent . . . Here it comes…wait, wait, wait . . .
“GOD’S PATIENCE IN OUR IM(PATIENCE)”
We may be impatient with God’s patience. Some in Peter’s day were becoming impatient with God’s patience. As they faced scoffers and persecutors, it seemed as if the Lord was never coming back.
Do we ever accuse God of slowness? Why can’t I get better as I lay here in bed? Lord, I sure wish you would get my child heading in the right direction. Why won’t my spouse come to church when I’ve been praying all these years? Will my retirement community ever address my problems? Where is God? Why won’t He use His power to end my problems?!
The fact is God is not slow but wishes that no one would perish. God’s patience is for a gracious and glorious purpose. If Christ returned at our convenience – think of the souls that could be lost. Christ died for them too.
The Day of the Lord is going to come and creation as we know it will pass away. Buildings and monuments and structures we have grown to love will be no more. The event will be stunning and spectacular. Creation will pass away but God’s Word will not pass away.
Knowing this, what sort of people ought we to be? People who scoff and doubt? No, we ought to be people who live in holiness and godliness. People who trust in God to get us out of the sick bed. People who know the Lord will lead our children in the right direction. People who watch the spouse, led by the Holy Spirit, coming to worship. People in the retirement community who have hope in the Lord their needs will be met. This is what we ought to be, often not what we are.
Yet, for us, the Son left the splendor of paradise to live in this sinful and awful world. For us, the Son humbled himself as a Servant. For us, the Son went to the cross and grave. For us, the Son will return in glory and gather His Church.
His promise is a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. Unlike our “creations” which are temporal and artificial, His promise is for something far greater. “In which righteousness dwells.” Where all is holy and godly, where we suffer no more sadness and doubt and pain, even from our own sin.
During Advent we look back to remember how surely God keeps promises, leading to the manger. We look forward to this promise yet to be kept, knowing God is faithful.
Therefore, we shall be at peace. We will be found in Him. We are reconciled with God by Jesus’ atoning death. That is, we have peace from Christ and through Christ and in Christ. As God’s servants we are messengers of peace; as God is patient, desiring repentance, so Advent, awaiting Christ’s return, is time to prepare others.
Medicines have them. Batteries have them. Coupons have them. Warranties have them. Even sour cream has an expiration date! So does the world. And so does every person living in this world. But the date isn’t posted or printed for us to see.
The Advent reality is that the world’s days are numbered. Its expiration is part of the salvation story. Is the Lord’s return something you are impatient about? Sit down, relax. The return of Christ is both promised and certain.
God’s patience in your im(patience). Stop fretting. We wait in holiness and godliness and have the promise – peace in Christ. Even in our impatience with all the things wrong in the world, our patient Lord is there for you. It’s coming…I feel it…the Pastor is slowing down a little bit…The trumpet blast and….
Amen.