From Pastor Keith

Christ the Lord Lutheran Church

A Reconciling in Christ Congregation

847-741-8141

FAX: 847-741-8165

Email:

Website:

AugustBridge deadline – July15, 2016

Send items to Karin K at or leave in mailbox on the top of the mail slots outside the church office.

Contents

July 2016

*COME ONE COME ALL*

*WORSHIP NEWS*

Sunday Morning Schedule

Scripture Lessons for July

*FROM OUR LEADERSHIP*

Pastor Michael Rothaar

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

From Our Deaconess

*GET INVOLVED*

Facebook Reminder

Communion Class

Analyzing and Understanding Systemic Racism Workshop

Summer of Service Opportunites

Friday, July 8, 2016 –

By-Stander CPR & AED Training

Community Clothes Outreach

Foster Care Opportunities at LSSI

Celebrate 150 Years of LSSI!

Protecting Our Children

Bound and Ungagged

May Financial Report

The Stewardship of Worship

Vineyard Breakfast

Prayerful Humor

Scrip Fundraising

*LEARNING*

Adult Study Groups

Morning Bible Study

Adult Forum – NO MEETINGS in JULY

*PRAYER REQUESTS*

*SPECIAL DATES TO REMEMBER*

*THANK YOU*

*CHRIST THE LORD LUTHERAN CHURCH*

*COME ONE COME ALL*

Save the Dates

For future events, be sure the church office and Bridge editor and Dss. Andrea receive date and time information so calendars and space needs are all correct! Please click on blue hyperlinks for more information.

(Full Calendar)

*WORSHIP NEWS*

Sunday Morning Schedule

9:30 a.m. Worship

11:00 a.m. Education Hour

Scripture Lessons for July

1

Sunday, July 3 –

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 66:10-14

Psalm 66:1-9 (4)

Galatians 6:[1-6] 7-16

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Color: Green

Sunday July 10 –

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Deuteronomy 30:9-14

Psalm 25:1-10 (4)

Colossians 1:1-14

Luke 10:25-37

Color: Green

Sunday July 17 –

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Genesis 18:1-10a

Psalm 15 (1)

Colossians 1:15-28

Luke 10:38-42

Color: Green

Sunday July 24 –

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

Genesis 18:20-32

Psalm 138 (8)

Colossians 2:6-15 [16-19]

Luke 11:1-13

Color: Green

Sunday July 31 –

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23

Psalm 49:1-12 (3)

Colossians 3:1-11

Luke 12:13-21

Color: Green

1

*FROM OUR LEADERSHIP*

Pastor Michael Rothaar

July begins with the Independence Day weekend. Once again we may want to reflect on the uniqueness of the American experience: “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” our founders agreed, “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Thanks to the multi-Tony-winning Broadway musical Hamilton, written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda as the Founding Father whose face is on the $10 bill (for now), American history is now in vogue. I hope (someday) to get a ticket! As one critic said, “It’s a marvel of a musical, mixing genres from Broadway anthem to hip-hop, staging cabinet debates between Jefferson and Hamilton as rap battles, drawing parallels between rhetoric then and now, between contemporary political issues and those that faced the Founders. It’s also highly literate, loaded with references to the Founding documents, the age of Enlightenment, Shakespeare, contemporary rap—and of course, the Bible.”

The cultural impact of this show is going to be far-reaching, especially through the empowerment and inspiration of a new generation of Americans, including those whose ancestral continent of origin wasn’t Europe. It’s so admirable that Miranda and all the producers are doing community outreach – especially making the show available to disadvantaged students.

There’s much to discourage us in these times, from the demeaning tone of our political battles to the struggle to fund social services and education in Illinois to the violence that is unremitting, from the streets of Chicago to the supposedly care-free life of Orlando.

As Christians, we engage in conversation about both the hopeful promise of our country and the demonic challenges that confront us. I read a good blog by Karl Vaters (Pivot: innovative leadership from a small church perspective) on the Leadership Journal site. He called it “5 Dumb Things Christians Must Stop Saying When Evil Strikes.” Let me borrow his main points.

In the face of evil (like Orlando) – not tragedy, not disaster, but evil – we may be inclined to make sense of it in our own minds. But we’re better off not saying;

1. “This is an opportunity for the church…”
   Evil acts are not opportunities. They’re just evil. Can God redeem them? Of course. That’s the central principle of the gospel. Yet we must never be opportunistic. “This is not the time to look for an angle. It’s time for prayer, grief, compassion and love without agenda.”
2. “This is God’s wrath for…”
   We live in a sinful, broken world. We’re the ones who broke it and we break it a little more every day. Evil acts like terrorism are prime evidence of that brokenness and of our inherent sinfulness. God does not send perpetrators of evil, no matter what they tell themselves.
3. “Did you hear…?”
   Rumors and conspiracy theories always abound. Partial and distorted information is often used for self-serving purposes. “Followers of Jesus must always speak with grace and truth. Not innuendo and rumor. Resist the urge to pass along any news that hasn’t been proven by reliable sources.”
4. “I don’t agree with their lifestyle, (or politics, or religion, or…) but…”
   When people are in pain, why even mention our differences? In the face of massive loss due to horrifying evil, we need to concentrate on our common humanity.
5. “Everything happens for a reason”
   No. It just doesn’t. Evil has no reason. It is anti-reason and anti-love.

Once again – we hold certain truths to be self-evident. And our nation celebrates the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as “unalienable".They are part of our very nature as human beings, and being gifts of God, can neither be granted nor taken away by any human being.

May your summer be peaceful and joyous. Be safe. You are precious to God.

Pastor Michael Rothaar

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

God’s work. Our hands.

June 13, 2016

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them.” Genesis 1:27

We are killing ourselves. We believe that all people are created in God’s image. All of humanity bears a family resemblance. Those murdered in Orlando were not abstract “others,” they are us. But somehow, in the mind of a deeply disturbed gunman, the LGBTQ community was severed from our common humanity. This separation led to the death of 49 and the wounding of 54 of us.

We live in an increasingly divided and polarized society. Too often we sort ourselves into like-minded groups and sort others out. It is a short distance from division to demonization.

Yesterday, we witnessed the tragic consequences of this.

There is another way. In Christ God has reconciled the world to God’s self. Jesus lived among us sharing our humanity. Jesus died for us to restore our humanity. God invites us into this reconciling work. This must be our witness as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The perpetrator of this hate crime did not come out of nowhere. He was shaped by our culture of division, which itself has been misshapen by the manipulation of our fears. That is not who we are. St. Paul wrote, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ.” (II Corinthians 5:17-20)

Our work begins now. We need to examine ourselves, individually and as a church, to acknowledge the ways we have divided and have been divided. We must stand with people who have been “othered”. We must speak peace and reconciliation into the cacophony of hatred and division. We must live the truth that all people are created in God’s image.

This morning your churchwide staff came together to mourn and to pray. We prayed for those killed in Orlando and remembered the Charleston Nine killed only a year ago. We prayed for the family of the shooter, for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and for our Muslim brothers and sisters who now face the threat of retaliation. And we prayed that the Prince of Peace will bring us to the day when we stop killing ourselves.

Your sister in Christ,

Elizabeth A. Eaton

Presiding Bishop

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

8765 West Higgins Road Chicago, IL 60631-4101 800/638-3522 

From Our Deaconess

Last week, I got a new Bible in the mail. It is the Inspire Bible NLT: The Bible for Creative Journaling. I love it! There are pictures and line drawings to color, lots of room to journal (with lines!) The font is relatively large for a Bible and it so nice to use! Not that I needed a new Bible, but every so often a new resource for Spiritual growth comes along that will inspire me and help me continue in my walk as a follower of Christ. I share this resource with you because maybe you to need a new Bible. On the other hand, if you need any other resource for your walk (devotional book, website, spiritual blog, etc.) let me know and I would be happy to recommend some of my favorite resources!

Serving Christ with You,

Deaconess Andrea

Report on the Twenty-ninth Annual Assembly
Metropolitan Chicago Synod, ELCA
(Download report as PDF)

The Metropolitan Chicago Synod met in assembly June 10 to 11, 2016, at the Tinley Park Convention Center, Tinley Park, Illinois. This year’s theme was Transformed and Transforming from Romans 12:2.

After devotions and the Order for the Opening of an Assembly, the parliamentarian was appointed, the agenda approved, and committees appointed. There were no elections at this year’s assembly. Synod officers, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, gave reports updating the assembly on items that had occurred in the past year.

The assembly heard feature presentations from our Full Communion Partners:

Bishop Sally Dyck, Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church

Bishop Jeffrey Lee, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, and

The Rev. Jorge L. Morales, Conference Minister, Illinois Conference, United Church of Christ.

After lunch and conference meetings, the balance of the afternoon included two sessions of hearings and workshops. Including a session on Saturday, two resolutions and one memorial were debated and passed:

RES. 02-16 Reactivating Lutheran Advocacy Illinois

RES. 03-16 To Support ELCA World Hunger

MEM. 04-16 African Descent Lutheran Lives Matter

A Celebration of the Holy Eucharist to which all were invited concluded the day’s events. The offering of $2,871 will be given to ELCA World Hunger.

Throughout the plenary sessions, participants heard eight mission moments, coordinated by the synod’s Mission Interpreter Network, telling the story of congregations and partner ministries making a difference in their local communities, nationally, and around the world.

After devotions on Saturday morning, Bishop Miller gave his report where he explored what it means to be an open congregation and the importance of justice in responding to the world.

The 2016 budget and updates to the synod's Strategy for Ministry with Latino Communities were adopted as presented.

The day ended with a closing prayer and the Order for the Closing of an Assembly.

*GET INVOLVED*

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do. – Helen Keller

Fox River Valley Initiative
Summer Issues Assembly
Saturday, July 30th, 2016
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm (SHARP)
Bethlehem Lutheran Church - Sanctuary
1145 N 5th Ave, St. Charles

Join leaders from our many member organizations and community allies as we work to garner support and commitments from elected officials on our current issues:

• Gun Safety – Do Not Stand Idly By Campaign
• Mental Health – Diverting those with mental illness from criminal justice system
• Expansion of Housing – affordable and permanent supportive housing
• Access to Resources for Special Education – creating a research team on this issue
• Access to Resources for Homeless Citizens – Making public spaces accessible for all

When we combine our people power in mass, we can create the changes we all seek.

Facebook Reminder

We have a Facebook page AND a group. You can see them by going to (page)

and (group), or by doing a search on “Christ the Lord Lutheran Church.” You can “Like” the page and/or join the group. Joining the group needs to get approved by the Facebook administrators from CTL. We would like to “hear” from you. If you want to post content, photos, and/or videos to the page and/or group, please do so. After the CTL administrators approve them they will show up on Facebook. Please be aware that the page and group are “public,” that is, anyone on the Internet can see what is posted. Thank you for your participation!

Communion Class

We will be having a communion instruction class this summer.

Saturday, August 27

at CTL

9:30 a.m. - Noon

This is for all children who haven't received instruction or for any child who would like a refresher!

Let me know if you have questions, or if you would like your child to participate! Contact: Dss. Andrea

Analyzing and Understanding Systemic Racism Workshop

An Analyzing and Understanding Systemic Racism workshop will take place Thursday, Saturday, July 28-30, 2016, at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, 1100 E. 55th St., Chicago, IL 60615. An in-depth look at race and racism in the United States, this workshop is designed to reveal how systemic racism creates barriers to true multicultural diversity and racial justice, and will:

• explore the historical development of systemic racism and its continuing effects in our society
• examine the ongoing realities of racism including the identity-shaping power racism has on People of Color and White people
• explore racism’s individual, institutional and cultural manifestations
• consider the link between racism and other forms of oppression

This is a 2 ½ day workshop–participants must commit to attending all three sessions: Day 1: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Day 2: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Day 3: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Registration

• ELCA members: Early Registration (by July 1) — $75; After July 1 — $105
• Non-ELCA: Early Registration (by July 1) — $360; After July 1 — $450

Registration includes workshop materials, snacks on Day 1, continental breakfast and lunch on Day 2 and Day 3. Register online at

Online registration ends July 23, 2016.
The workshop is sponsored by the Metropolitan Chicago Synod Antiracism Team ( and is presented by Chicago Regional Organizing for AntiRacism.

Summerof ServiceOpportunites

Sunday, July 17 11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.Lunch, Service project, Advocacy and Me…what can I do? ALL AGES!!!

Wednesday, July 20

Feed My Starving Children

Join the CTL group on Wednesday, July 20th, from noon to 2:00PM to pack meals for children offered through the Feed My Starving Children organization.

Sign up by going to the website: volunteer.fmsc.org/Register/Group/JoinGroup.aspx?gid=892152.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Dss. Andrea. Thank you!