Lent is rich in grace

February 22 is Ash Wednesday.  Lent is not about your giving, it is about God's giving of His Son for the life of the world.  Don't focus on giving up something if you're not "taking up" worship each week --even twice a week-- and the Lord's Supper.  You could end up attempting to justify yourself.

7pm Lenten Services will be held in our Chapel every Wednesday.  On Ash Wednesday the imposition of ashes will be available, and the Lord's Supper will be celebrated.  Our theme is...

And a simple supper is served down in the fellowship hall at 6pm, with a freewill donation for missions.  Join us.  

The Lord be with you.

Welcome Illinois State Lutherans this Friday

Friday, Jan 27, some of our friends from Wittenberg Lutheran Center in Normal will be coming over to spend the night here with us at our Center.  Just for fun and friendship.  Bible and Study and Prayer at the Close of the Day, too.  Come at 7pm and stay 'til breakfast the next morning.  Bring a pillow and blanket (or sleeping bag).  Good times!

Some Up Coming Events

Just a reminder for all of you about some up coming events:

- January 20th is the Game Night at the Student Center. It starts at 7 p.m. and is schedule to end at 10 p.m. We have board games as well as some video games that we can play. Feel free to bring your favorite game!  Snack food will be available too!

- January 25th is the Student Actives Fair. It's from 3-5 and LSF will be there, giving out apples, as usual. Stop by and say hi!

-January 27th is the annual Wittenburg Lutherans All-Nighter! This year the good people from Wittenburg will be coming to Macomb. This All-Nighter will start at 7 p.m. on the 27th and end at 9 a.m. on the 28th. The night will consist of games, yummy food, bible study, possibly even bowling.

So mark your calendars for these dates. God bless and have a safe weekend.

Let us pray ... and play

Almighty and most merciful God, we pray Your blessing on all who are gathered together at our university:  students, faculty, and staff.   Grant that we may so work and study, think and pray, grow and relax together, that we may be more perfectly fitted for the work You have given and will give us to do.  Help us to look wide, fill us with high ideals, give us love and good will for all people, and, above all , keep us faithful to You under the cross of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who died and rose that we might be Yours.  Amen.

(from the Devotional Companion for College Students, available for free at our Student Center)


Game Night, Friday, January 20.  7pm - ? at the Student Center.  Video, Board, Card, Ball ... what games would you like to play?  All are welcome.

Spring '12 Semester

Welcome back from Christmas break!

Our ROMANS Bible Study at 8pm Wednesdays resumes this week.  We'll meet downstairs in the LSF lounge. This is a fine time to start coming to this Bible Study of one of the most important parts of God's Word.  All are welcome.

Game Night this Friday, January 20.  Come to the Student Ctr at 7pm and we'll have snacks and games -- board games, video games, ping pong, pool, and foosball.  Hang out.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you (this semester)
Amen.

Advent

Welcome back from break.  Now you press on to finish the semester.  And we have a great way to help you in these busy days:  Advent.

Observe Advent by taking more time for worship, study, and prayer.  Add Wednesday evening vespers to your weekly routine.  Vespers at 7pm, and the Soup Supper at 6pm, are held at our Church across town at 906 East Grant St:

Our Advent Vespers theme is "Savior Of The Nations, Come!" from Isaiah 40:1-11.  These services are usually about thirty minutes long.

After Vespers, our Romans Bible Study will begin at 8:15pm, back at the Student Center (303 N Clay).  If you need a ride to or from the Church, we can help.  Just let us know. 

Saturday, Dec 3, come to the Student Center and help decorate for Advent/Christmas from 3-5pm.  And free supper afterward.  

Slow down.  Add worship, study, and prayer to your Advent.  

O Come, Let us adore HIM -- Christ the Lord.  

Special Service time this week

Hey, please don't forget.

This Sunday, November 6th, we will hold Service at the Student Center at 10am.  But don't despair, because you also have to set your clock back one hour before bed on Saturday night ... so you're not missing any sleep with this 10am start time.  This is our semi-annual "Joint Service."  Bible Study at 9am.  Worship at 10am.  And a celebration dinner at 11:30am.

A blessed Reformation Day to you!

Romans, Reformation, and "Fall Back"

Wednesday Bible Study (8-9pm) is now on the Epistle to the Romans.  Come study one of the most foundational books of the Bible! 

Reformation Sunday -- October 30.  We live by Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone.  And "Immanuel" (God is with us).  

On Sunday, November 6, we will hold just ONE Service at 10am -- on the clock.  Our whole congregation comes together in one Service at 10am at the Student Center.  But remember to "fall back" by setting your clock BACK one hour the night before.  The good news: your body will think it's 11am when you come for 10am Service.  Or, in other words, this is no earlier than any other Sunday! We'll have a free Anniversary Celebration Dinner following the Service.  

Go on Retreat with us November 4th -- click the link for that day in the calendar to the right.  

five weeks and counting

We're five weeks into the semester now, and we're thankful for...

...a visit from Pastor Ken Mangold and his family on September 25th for St. Michael & All Angels.  Pastor Mangold was baptized here at this font while a student at WIU, then was later ordained in the Chapel, too! 

...Dwight doing a "scary mummy" impression while Luke and Sarah add info to the map board.

...The Great Reformation Pumpkin: A blank slate right now, and ready for you to sign throughout October.  Bring your name and a Scripture passage reference.  We'll post a pic after Reformation Day.  

...Homecoming Week, and its theme, "WIU - Pastor Present, Future."

...Which leads nicely into:  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."  Hebrews 13:8

The eternal and merciful Lord bless and keep you in the faith! 

Catechism, Canoe, Koinonia

It was great to be back in Macomb for Services this past Sunday.  This week is replete with good things ...

• Tuesday night Horseplay (9pm)
• Wednesday night Bible Study (8pm, Law and Gospel)
• the start of a new series of Catechism Bible Studies on Thursday from 7:00-8:30pm at the Student Center.  Come to this study if you want to lean more about LCMS Lutheranism, or to review what you learned and confessed through Confirmation years ago.  ALL are welcome.
• A Canoe Trip on saturday.  Meet at the Student Center at 9am Saturday.  $5 gets you a canoe and lunch!  We'll be canoeing locally at either Spring Lake or Lake Argyle.  After canoeing, we'll make a fire and cook our lunch.  Sign up by emailing lutheran@macomb.com OR as a comment to this post.  You must sign up so we have ample canoes lined up. 
• Koinonia is the word for our LIFE TOGETHER as the Body of Christ.  We live in it at the Lord's Supper, in confessing the same thing in worship and in the Book of Concord, and Bible Study.  

This is a great week. Work hard, have fun,.  Confess Christ on campus.   

Best s'more of last year's canoe trip.  Nice.  

Pastor Bell here this Sunday

Our guest preacher this Sunday, September 4th, will be Pastor Larry Bell, who has coordinated our servant events in North St. Louis the past two years.  Here's a video of some of the work we've done there.  Come to the Lord's House this Sunday!  I'm sure some of you are heading home for the long weekend.  God bless your travel.  Finally, note that the location for Daily Prayer in the Union is the Chicago Room on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Come for Scripture and Prayer -- about ten minutes each time. 

get involved

"Get involved."  You hear that a lot don't you?
(Brooke is right in saying it in the intro video posted below.)

We want you to get involved here in worship, Bible Study, and fellowship events, because "what you feed grows, and what you starve dies."   Maybe you went through the one-page Bible study we sent out which  ended with those words.  It's true!

Feed the Christian faith God gave you in Holy Baptism.
To that end, please regularly use the Google calendar to the right.  It has all the news on what we have to offer -- Services, studies, daily prayer times, and events to foster friendship.

That's all for now.  God bless your first week of classes!

This week:

• Horseplay Tuesday at 9pm
• Bible Study Wednesday at 8pm
• Game and Movie Night Friday at 8pm
• Sunday Services, followed by a cookout at noon.  

"I will give to the LORD the thanks due to His righteousness..."  Psalm 7:17

Week one.

If you haven't already, scroll down and watch the video below.

Boy, it's good to have students coming back to campus.  The quietness of the summer is nice, but the start of another semester is even better.  People are moving into the houses in the neighborhood around the student center, RAs are buying supplies at WalMart (saw some Tanner RAs at 11pm last night and Kathy and I wanted to say to them, "hey, we met when we were RAs in Tanner 29 years ago!"), and we're getting the building ready for ministry again.

11am Sunday Service this week will bring new and old students, some parents who have stayed after the move-in, and congregational families together around the Word of God's Law and Gospel.  Some students might be with us in our 8:30 Service over at the Church, and that will be great, too.

After the 11am Service we'll have "Cinnamon Time" so you can stay and visit with friends.  Coffee and coffee cake.  Lutheran essentials almost.

Wednesday Bible Study at 8pm will kick off a six week study of Law and Gospel.  At least one student suggested this topic, because it teaches us all how to read the Bible for understanding.  It's also in conjunction with the 200th birthday of this man:

C.F.W. Walther.  He wasn't handsome, but he was wise, and he left us a legacy of reading God's Word in a way that truly comforts sinners with the truth.  Join us for Bible Study from 8-9pm on Wednesday.  The study will be great, and the fun and friendship complements that.

God bless you.  Welcome back.

watch our welcome

Take two minutes to get to know us ...

Welcome to Macomb and WIU!

New and returning students, we're looking forward to this Fall 2011 semester.  Welcome back!

Wrapping up the semester

Here it is again -- the end of the academic year.  Grads are ready to walk and to take up a new vocation.  Many are ready to move home for a few months, only to come back in the summer and begin another year of learning and campus ministry.  God bless you all.

The last two Bible Studies of the year are tonight and Wednesday, May 11th.  We'll wrap up our study of the Gospel of St. Matthew.

Come by the student center for a visit, coffee or tea, and for prayer.  I hope to see you all this Sunday, May 8th at 11am!  -- Pastor B

Alleluia! Special Service this week.

We preach Christ crucified and risen.  Risen. That's huge.  


Holy week Services were wonderful.  The easter Dinner at the parsonage included a table for 17.  It was delicious and fun.  And, of course, many students were able to home for Easter, so we missed you.  Welcome back.  here's hoping you finish the semester strongly!


Don't forget:  this Sunday, May 1st, there will be no service at the Student Center.  

Instead, we all gather at the CHURCH:   906 East Grant Street
at 10AM (one hour earlier than usual).  


Call the office.  We'd like to give you a ride!  309.833.5483.  

Holy Week

Palm Sunday was a rich beginning to this Holy Week.  Now, come together with us here at the Student Center for Wednesday's Bible Study (8:15pm), Friday's Noon Prayer Service, and Sunday's celebration of our Lord's Resurrection.  We also invite students to join us for an Easter Dinner at the parsonage following the 11am Service.

At the CHURCH we also have 7pm Services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

What a wonderful week!

Lent begins

The past four weeks have been replete with good things around here, we just haven't posted any of them here.  Sorry.  The Christ on Campus Weekend at Indiana was great, and so have the Bible Studies, Horseplay, and social gatherings.  The Lounge has been updated tremendously.  Use it for movie nights, gaming, and friendship.  The new carpet on the first level is wonderful.  And, we have been meeting for daily prayer in the University Union Chicago Room at 7:30am, M-F.

Now Lent begins, a time for meditation on our Lord's Passion, prayer, and mercy.  

Midweek Lenten Services are held in the Student Center Chapel every Wednesday night at 7pm.  Soup Supper begins at 6pm in the basement.  All are welcome.  Oh, and Bible Study in the Gospel of Matthew is at 8:15pm.

Our Lenten theme:  "Not Our Plans -- HIS Plan."  Come.

And, let us pray The Litany daily throughout Lent.  You'll find it on page 127 in the "Devotional Companion For College Students"  Pray it with others.  Read more:  http://mercyjourney.blogspot.com/2011/03/lets-pray-litany-daily-kyrie-eleison.html?spref=bl

Week 3, under a blanket ...

... of snow.  Which just may remind you of Isaiah 1:18, the promise of God's mercy and grace for all who repent.

It's a been a great week, with last weekend's trip to ISU, some time off, good reading, and nice help.  Thanks to all who showed up Wednesday night to help with the shoveling at the Student Center.  The snowblower died, and we had to resort to manual labor.  Thanks.

Next weekend is the roadtrip and retreat at Indiana University.  We depart at 1pm Friday and return Saturday night around midnight.  Sign up with an email or on the list in the narthex.  We must know how many are going.  It's going to be fun ... and a great topic:  "Law & Gospel" with Dr. Fickenscher.