Grace Notes, March 30, 2010

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.
Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put
to shame.
But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the
people.
All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
"Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver —
let him rescue the one in whom he delights!"
Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother's breast.
On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been
my God.
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
(Psalm 22: 1-11)

I confess that too many Holy Weeks these words have simply washed over me
--- and I haven't really paused to live in them. In our Lutheran
tradition, these words are often read as the altar is being stripped of
paraments and candles, altar cloths and offering plates. For 22 years I
have been one of those handing items off to the altar guild to be put away
until the congregation's worship space is decked out in all its finery for
Easter Worship. The stripping of the altar of all of its symbols of
Christ is meant to represent the utter abandonment of Christ by his
disciples. The words of Psalm 22 were among those spoken by Christ on the
cross. And so they come alive for us in a very real way in Holy Week.

Only, of course, Jesus didn't say them first. They were part of the
ancient prayer book of the people of Israel. They were not written first
for God's own Son who on a Friday would die a shameful death on a cross.
They were first spoken, most likely, by one suffering a serious illness.
And that rings true, doesn't it?

Regardless of the depth of one's faith, anyone who has loved this life and
sees it coming to an end can surely resonate with the words of the
suffering one here. The cry to God of despair. The groaning. The wish to
sleep when sleep will not come. The bones that are out of joint, the
fever, the loss of strength. Again and again, the one who is ill may well
cry out in frustration and hurt and anger to God.

However, if you read the whole Psalm, you will discover that it moves back
and forth from despair to hope to despair to hope again. In the part
reprinted above, we hear that after crying out in his abandonment, the
writer is soon comparing God to a loving Father… the one who first placed
him as an infant on his mother's breast.

Not sick, but suffering still, these are the words that exploded from
Jesus' lips on the cross. Not mortally ill, but soon to die anyway, Jesus
spoke these words of despair as he breathed his last. It is only those
first words that are recorded. And yet, we are to understand that while
apparently only the first lines were spoken --- that even if the beginning
was all that could be uttered, the entire psalm was what was resonating in
Jesus' heart. And it is what others would have heard as they filled in
where he left off: Words of despair and abandonment, to be sure. But also
words of hope and praise.

To be sure, these words were part of Jesus' repertoire: engraved on his
heart in better times, but coming to mind, oh so true, on this day of
days. As Jesus cries these words, he is united with all those who have so
suffered. All who have questioned the presence and the care of God. All
those who have been derided by others. And all those whose whole beings
also yearn to simply praise God again. All of us.

There are many reasons to stand still in the events of Holy Week. To hear
Jesus' command to love one another and witness the foot washing on Maundy
Thursday. To watch the stripping of the altar. To gather again on Good
Friday and listen and watch and sing as the church slowly darkens with
each passing scripture detailing Jesus' suffering and death. There are
many reasons to stand still in the events of Holy Week. But perhaps the
one that makes it all such a gift is that in and through it, we experience
Jesus' humanity and his unity with all of us: especially in times of hurt
and suffering. Especially then.

May this Holy Week be a blessing to you. And may the joy of the
Resurrection be yours in a powerful way as the week comes to an end.

Pastor Janet

Coming Up this Week at Salem:

We gather for worship this week:

Thursday, April 1st at 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service with Representative
Footwashing

Friday, April 2nd at 7 p.m. Good Friday Tenebrae Service

Saturday, April 3rd 5 p.m. Easter Vigil Worship

Sunday, April 4th:
6:30 a.m. Easter Sunrise Service at Elmwood Cemetery in Sycamore (Bring
your lawn chair!)
7 a.m. Coffee at Phil and Jenny Ruff's
8 a.m. Easter Festival Worship at Salem
9:15 a.m. Easter Breakfast at Salem
10:30 a.m. Easter Festival Worship at Salem

Salem Youth have collected almost 1800 pair of shoes to date for Share
Your Soles! They will be dedicated at Maundy Thursday 7 p.m. worship so
you still have a few days to contribute gently used shoes of any kind and
size.

In honor of our 140th anniversary we are compiling 140 health kits to be
shared around the world through Lutheran Disaster and World Relief. Still
needed are dark colored hand towels, nail clippers, large-tooth combs, and
toothbrushes? Your gift would be so appreciated and can be brought in
through Easter. The Health Kits will be dedicated Sunday, April 11th.

We're preparing for a large crowd on Easter, particularly at 10:30
worship. Please be on the lookout for guests and greet them with a smile!
(If you see someone looking for a place to sit, consider giving up your
space and moving to the back or to the balcony.)

Grace Notes, March 24, 2010

Palm/Passion Sunday

My growing up years didn't include Palm Sunday….I have very little if any
recollection of it. My family attended worship mostly for the "Big
Events" – Christmas and Easter – with a sprinkle of worship in between and
Bible School in the summer. I do remember new clothes, white shoes, and a
hat for Easter worship as a little girl and the songs "Easter Parade" and
"Here Comes Peter Cottontail". We would color eggs, buy an Easter lily,
take pictures in our new clothes, and get ready to hide our Easter basket
in hopes for some chocolate eggs and special treats from the Easter bunny.
Easter was simply fun and the entrance of Spring. It was my mother's
holiday to host for her side of the family.

As a teen I began attending a Baptist church and didn't hear much about
Palm Sunday there either. In fact they just skipped right to Easter at
the appropriate date. It was Salem that taught me about Palm Sunday and
Holy Week.

Somewhere in the last 30 plus years we began calling it Passion Sunday as
well as Palm Sunday…indicating there was more going on than a grand
procession as Jesus rode the streets of Jerusalem. We began to use the
full Passion Narrative, the gospel stories of Jesus in the garden, Jesus
being arrested and beaten, Jesus before Pilate, Jesus on the cross. We
began to move from the hoopla of a parade into the despair of betrayal and
death before the service was over.

Maybe this came partly from practicality; many people find Maundy Thursday
and Good Friday worship too depressing – they want to skip right to the
Good News of Easter – maybe we thought we needed to remind them Jesus had
to die before he could rise. But maybe we're just being more truthful
these days. Our salvation came at a great price. This really did happen.
One died for all….a bitter death; a gruesome death.

And you know what? Moving through Holy Week to me now feels like an
annual revival. I love it. I embrace it. I wouldn't miss it. Walking
with Jesus through his last few days on this earth helps me remember how
much he loves me and every other human ever to be born. Fully God and
fully human, Jesus experienced the depth of the human condition. On that
cross was pinned every sin of the world. We have nothing new to repent
from; Jesus knew it all. He felt it all. And with that I can have
confidence that He walks with me in my life too.

Easter is glorious indeed, but I encourage you to participate fully in
Holy Week. Join us for the Palm Sunday procession but move with us into
Christ's passion on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. I think your Easter
celebration will mean so much more.

Thank you for teaching me the full story of the Good News.

Carla Vanatta, Associate in Ministry
Salem Lutheran Church, Sycamore, IL

Salem reminders:

Salem Anniversary Choir adds choral music to the Passion Narrative at 5:00
Sat. and 10:30 a.m. Palm Sunday Worship; the Children's Choirs will share
at 8:00.

Salem's 140th anniversary as a congregation is almost here - April 4,
1870-April 4, 2010! Individuals who have been Salem members for 50-81
years will be honored at the 9:15 a.m. hospitality hour and again at 10:30
a.m. worship this Sunday, March 28th. Be sure to thank them for their
faithfulness. Membership is counted from the date of their confirmation
or when they joined the congregation.

Salem Youth have collected almost 1500 pair of shoes to date for Share
Your Soles! They will be dedicated at Maundy Thursday 7 p.m. worship so
you still have a few days to contribute gently used shoes of any kind and
size.

In honor of our 140th anniversary we are compiling 140 health kits to be
shared around the world through Lutheran Disaster and World Relief. Have
you contributed any soap, nail clippers, large-tooth combs, toothbrushes,
or dark-colored hand towels? Your gift would be so appreciated and can be
brought in through Easter. The Health Kits will be dedicated Sunday,
April 11th.

We're preparing for a large crowd on Easter, particularly at 10:30
worship. Your gift of hospitality as an extra greeter would be such a
help. We'd like to station people at each door on both levels. Please
sign up at the table in the narthex. Thank you!

Grace Notes, March 17, 2010

"At that very time there were some present who told him about the
Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked
them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but
unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who
were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them — do you think that
they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I
tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."
(Luke 13:1-5, from the Gospel reading for March 6-7, 2010)

We heard some of this kind of talk in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti:
supposed people of faith trying to explain why such calamity had befallen
so many such seemingly innocent people. We want so badly to understand why
such things happen that we will grasp at anything to try to explain it.
It gives us something to lean on, something we can count on other than
saying that it's all chance: chance as to where you were born, whether you
happen to be standing in a structure that will withstand an earthquake, or
whether the building your in is right on top of a fault line. We don't
want it to be about chance. We want to be able to explain why and so we
grasp at reasons: trying to understand, maybe even trying to protect
ourselves from such a calamity.

Only it doesn't work that way, does it? One is no worse than another
much of the time… In fact, sometimes people who have seemed to do it all
right? They wind up as sick or hurt or suffering or maybe even more so
than someone else.

I watched my own family try to sort this out a few years ago, when my
cousin Marty died of lung cancer. We all were quick to say he never
smoked. He wasn't around second hand smoke. He never worked in a place
where he would have been exposed to environmental factors which could
have caused this. Oh we don't believe in a God who would strike down a
dear one like that: deserved or not. But we wanted an explanation
nonetheless. I've stood with countless families who have wondered the
same. Why me? Why us? Why now? They search their minds, their hearts,
their histories, trying to understand, struggling to come up with a line
of reasoning that will begin to make sense of that which makes no sense.
But even when we think we have somehow begun to connect the dots? Our
explanations aren't all that helpful in terms of easing the pain.

Why do terrible things happen? We don't know, we can't say … and even
Jesus doesn't seem to want to bother to enter into the debate. Instead
he lifts the conversation to a place where those listening in can
actually do something with it. Reminding them that life is short and
suffering is all too likely and so in the meantime, what are you going to
do with it?

Perhaps that is as good a question as any for us during this Lenten
Season. What will we do with what we've been given? How will we live
the lives we've been offered? We can't know how they will end or what
will meet us on the way and we often won't be able to explain why, but
this we have. What is before us is God's own gift to use and to enjoy
and to share. So how shall we live in this time? Shall we do so in
humility and gratitude and hope? Shall we do so trusting God holds it
all in this life and in the next? Shall we do so knowing that as long as
we are turned towards God (which is finally what repentance is) that all
shall be well?

Many blessings to you as you walk in humility and hope, gratitude and joy
through this season of Lent.

Pastor Janet

Coming up at Salem:

We continue to gather on Wednesdays for midweek services at 2 p.m.
(followed by pie) and at 7 p.m. (preceded by soup):
The theme for Wednesday, March 17 is "Give us this day our daily bread."
The theme for Wednesday, March 24 is "Forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us."

Mark your calendar now for the special events of Holy Week......

Saturday/Sunday March 27-28: Palm Passion Sunday with the Reading of the
Passion
Services at 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 and 10:30 on Sunday

Sunday March 28: 9:15 Coffee Hour and 10:30 Worship:
Celebration of 50 plus year members of Salem and Salem's 140th Anniversary

Thursday, April 1st 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday Worship

Friday, April 2nd 7 p.m. Good Friday Tenebrae Worship

Saturday, April 3rd 5 p.m. Easter Vigil Worship

Sunday, April 4th 6:30 a.m. Easter Proclamation at Elmwood Cemetery in
Sycamore

8 a.m. Easter Festival Worship

9:15-10:15 a.m. Easter Breakfast in Fellowship Hall

10:30 a.m. Easter Festival Worship

Grace Notes, March 10, 2010

Grace Notes March 9, 2010

I drove past my childhood home a few days ago. You have most likely been
past it. If you go east of DeKalb on I-88 you will cross the farm where I
grew up. Just past Dauberman Road and before Main Street Road, a 10-acre
section of the land my grandfather and father farmed became part of the
tollway. A large sign now marks the place as Dunteman Sod Farm. Just
beside the interstate is the lane where I rode my bike to reach the
creek…a wonderful way to spend a summer afternoon.

Only a mile across the fields you will see the town of Kaneville. Don't
blink…you might miss it. The view from the interstate is mostly a cluster
of trees; a few of the homes can be seen. But one landmark is always
visible, no matter the season – the steeple of Kaneville United Methodist
Church. That steeple has been the tallest structure in the small town
since it was first built in the late 1800's.

Have you ever stopped to admire church steeples? Carla and I have. In
fact, we have a sizeable photo collection of churches we have seen as we
travelled. Sometimes we have parked the car and come inside to enjoy a few
quiet minutes in the spirit's presence in another of God's houses. Other
times we have snapped the picture as the car kept moving along the
highway…usually wondering about the congregation that meets in that place.
Perhaps the steeples I find most interesting are found on open roads, in
open country, far from any towns or other houses. I imagine those steeples
are like lighthouses, calling and guiding the faithful to gather for
worship, study, prayer, fellowship, and service.

Salem has a steeple. I wonder if its top is the highest structure in
Sycamore? You can certainly see it from a great distance in most
directions. Does it call God's children in this place to gather? For
worship, study, prayer, fellowship, and service? I confess I often drive
into the parking lot without noticing the steeple…perhaps we who are here
more often have taken it for granted and have stopped seeing it. Many of
the newer members at Salem share that the look of this building caught
their attention. That undoubtedly includes the steeple, so tall against
the heavens, as if reaching toward God. But God doesn't live only in
heaven. He is wherever his children are. While the building might attract
folks to come inside, what encourages them to come again is the welcoming
spirit they find. Thanks be to God; He is present among his children at
Salem, and we are learning to let others know that God loves them, too.
As our Lenten journey continues, let's try to be ever more open to God's
love in our lives. Let's ask God to use not just the steeple as a
lighthouse. Let God use us, and all the gifts he has given us, to do his
work of telling the world how much God cares.

Ron Vanatta

Calendar:
*Wednesday service at 2 followed by pie; Soup Supper at 6; Holden Evening
Prayer at 7. This week we look at the third petition of the Lord's Prayer.
*Weekend worship opportunities Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 8 and 10:30.
*The youth will be receiving shoes until Maundy Thursday. Help them reach
their goal of 1000 pairs.

Grace Notes, March 3, 2010

GRACE NOTES for March 3, 2010

Gifts gifts gifts. That word has been playing in my head for days now.
When I ask myself why that word? I start listing things. Things I am
grateful for. This makes Lent, for me this year, quite
unusual! For all of my life, I have thought of Lent as a somber period of
time, full of reflection, prayer, and penitence. And here I am feeling so
thankful! I hardly know how to be, feeling this way at this time.

I'm grateful for my husband who makes me laugh and for my sons who are
strong, decent, loving men. I'm grateful for our beloved Pastor Janet,
who is steadily God's Daughter in her faith and leadership. I'm grateful
for our Grief Support Group, who come and speak their hearts and share
their tears with compassion for each other. I'm grateful for Salem's
extra land next door, which we all have dreams about. I'm grateful for my
Mom's life, so diminished now due to strokes. She worked so hard yet was
the one who always set the table and lit the candles and placed the posies
just so. I'm grateful for the women in the monthly Bible study, who have
worshipped here for years and decades. They have also, cooked, cleaned,
washed, scrubbed, decorated, supported, sewed, knitted, etc etc etc for
the good of all for years and decades. I'm grateful for all the children
who are learning about Jesus, thanks to their wonderful, creative Sunday
School teachers. I'm grateful to Altar Guild, which does such an
impressive service to all of us by tending the altar with their attention
and care every weekend. I'm grateful for my Sibs and the Outlaws, 10
altogether, who have my back and are always caring and fun. I'm grateful
for the faintest whiff of spring in the air, for the rich black soil we
see so clearly now that the snow is melting. It's the best in the world
and we get to see it every day. I'm grateful for our freedom to worship
here in this beloved United States of America. God is so good.

This is a short list; I could go on, but you have your own list. I
encourage you to make it, write it down. Seeing all these gifts in black
and white is a blessing in itself.

What a Lent! I wonder if Jesus looked with special care and attention at
His mother, at His disciples, at the desert flowers where He walked. Maybe
His food had extra flavor to Him. He knew what was coming. Maybe He
savored every bless-ed moment He had on this beautiful earth of ours
during Lent, as I seem to be doing this year. What do you think?

COMING UP AT SALEM
Every Wednesday during Lent, we have Soup Supper starting at 5:30 in the
Fellowship Hall, followed by Holden Evening Prayer in the sanctuary at 7
PM. All are invited.

This Friday we celebrate World Day of Prayer at the Church of Jesus Christ
of the Latter Day Saints at 9:30 AM. This year the service was written by
the women of Cameroon; their theme is "Let Everything that has breath
praise God". Salem joins with the women of the Episcopal, Methodist,
United Church of Christ, and a few more from Sycamore to be together in
worship, song, and prayer.

Everyone is invited to bring in photos of past times at Salem, the old
building or the new, for our history collage in celebration of our 140th
anniversary coming up. Put your name on the back and you will get the
photos back!

We are gathering items for health kits, as all that were in store have
been sent to Haiti. They need more plus now Chile does due to its huge
earthquake. Toothbrushes, wash cloths & hand towels, bars of soap in
original wrapper, 6 band-aids (1/2" to ¾"), large-tooth sturdy comb, nail
clippers with file attached are needed. We would like to make 140 kits in
commemoration of our 140th anniversary. Thank you.

Every weekend we have worship at 5 PM Saturday and at 8 AM and again at
10:30 on Sunday mornings. Come hear, come see. All are welcome!