Lent 2025: Christ Collides
Barbara Krehbiel Gehring
Lent begins this year on March 5 with our Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 pm. The season extends through six Sundays, includes a service during Holy Week, and ends on Easter morning. Our 2025 Lenten worship series—titled “Christ Collides”—uses texts from the Narrative Lectionary. The series’ authors write:
“We begin Lent not with a story of Jesus being tempted in the desert but rather with a parable that Jesus tells. Three of the six texts during Lent are parables. It has been said that the origin of the word parable is two things that collide, and if you, upon hearing a parable, do not feel the impact of the collision, you are probably missing something.
“The Greek word parabolē, from which we get the word parable, has two parts: para (beside) and bolē (to throw, from the verb ballein). In many parables, Jesus throws a surprise beside or in comparison with something else.
“Our writing team realized that not only Jesus’ stories (parables) surprise us—he also interacts with people in much the same way. So we formed this series around the theme of ‘Christ Collides.’ Each week’s texts offer a glimpse into how the content of his teachings collides with us and our world.”
In This Issue
God As An Artist
Nathan Perrin
I had an intentionally uneventful and restful sabbatical. As I will explore more in future articles, I spent this time immersing myself in Mennonite culture, deepening my knowledge of early childhood education, and envisioning the future of the Christian Formation ministry at LMC.
I also re-explored my creative side beyond prose writing. I resumed writing poetry and started doing calligraphy. I bought a fancy pen set and learned how to draw with the different kinds of tips. Practicing calligraphy helped me with my Arabic, too.
I was inspired by Jürgen Moltmann’s theology of play or, for non-theology folks, the idea that creating is an act of worship. (This theology is one of the pillars of my dissertation.) In this theology, it doesn’t matter if what you make is technically “good.” Rather, the act of creation and childlike joy involved is meant to be worshipful and that’s what is most important.
Art also reflects a graceful God who meets us where we are and doesn’t stop creating within us, no matter how flawed we are or how much we fall short. For God, the act of redemption and resurrection is art. If you don’t have a creative outlet where you can participate in this form of worship, I’d invite you to try it. It’s been a rewarding experience for me.
Much like creating, rest brought joy to my soul during sabbatical. I’m looking forward to how my sabbatical and spiritual growth these past few months will strengthen my ministry at LMC and beyond.
Multiplying Your Mission Support
Rebecca Huff
It’s March, spring is nearly here, and so is the opening of LMC’s Matching Grant window! The Mission Commission is excited to support your generosity toward ministries and organizations doing faithful and important work locally and globally. How can you increase your financial assistance in 2025 to these organizations? Apply for a matching grant!
The Matching Grant Program aims to enhance our support and involvement in ministries and organizations that align with LMC’s mission, vision, and values. Each year, the Mission Commission invites groups composed of at least three LMC regular attendees to apply for a matching grant to increase their support of a local/international ministry or organization. Accepted applicant groups then raise funds for the ministry they designated in their application. Each group then receives a grant from LMC to match the funds they have raised (between $500—$2,000).
With 2024’s matching grants, LMCers supported the work of Ten Thousand Villages Glen Ellyn, Radical Hospitality, Menno Haven Camp and Retreat Center, Nazareth Trust, and Peace and Hope International.
If you are interested in applying for a matching grant, please click the button. Applications are due by April 6, 2025. Please contact Rebecca or Jamie Huff (LMC Lay Ministers of Mission) if you have any questions about the LMC Matching Grant Application.
Parking Lot Update and Other Admin Projects
Jeremy Kropf
It has been a while since I’ve given you an update on our renovation project. We have a design for repaving the parking lot that we are ready to discuss with the Village of Lombard. If all goes well, the Administration Commission hopes to hold an information session for the congregation in April to discuss the parking lot, education wing enhancements, and energy efficiency improvements. We then would present the project scope at the May congregational meeting. Much more information will be coming your way before the meeting.
Education wing wall repair: Elite Masonry Group replaced the lintel above the lower-level emergency exit door and repaired the wall. Since the repair cost far less than anticipated, I asked them to inspect the rest of the building, where they identified a few areas that will need attention. We will address the most serious conditions soon and follow up over the next few months to replace the uninsulated emergency exit doors.
Volunteer opportunity: We still need three or four more volunteers to count the Sunday offering. Since most giving is done electronically, recording the offering and filling out the deposit slip usually does not take long. One of the two counters for the week drops off the deposit, if there is one, in the night deposit box at any Fifth Third bank branch. It can be difficult to find independent counters who don’t have other official financial responsibilities at LMC. Please contact Treasurer Eric Nelessen to volunteer or to ask any questions.
Remembering Rob
Evan Richards
Ed. Note: Our brother Rob McKenzie died on December 30, 2024.
Rob and his wife Peggy and son James were associated with LMC for over 25 years. Rob participated in multiple facets of church life, leaving me with many warm and colorful memories of him.
Rob was an ultralight flyer, who owned both a single and tandem seat flyer. I always enjoyed talking flight with Rob. While he and Peggy were Mentor-Mentee coordinators, they arranged for an ultralight outing, with training and flight for all M&M’s interested. Running down a hill with a kite on your back wasn’t as easy as it looked!
Rob participated in multiple Mennonite Disaster Service projects. I enjoyed working side by side with Rob, Dave M., and Don R. near Houston after Hurricane Harvey, building a house. Rob was a good guy to have by your side when lifting the heavy wall frames into place.
Rob and Peggy owned a farm near Camp Menno Haven, and for many years they hosted a barbecue in their Quonset hut to kick off the church retreat weekend. Rob loved driving his BMW Z3 convertible almost as much as his dog Baxter did. I went with Rob when he bought his Z3 and was privileged to ride with him later out to Starved Rock on a beautiful summer day.
Until Rob retired six years ago, he was part of the IT team at College of DuPage for 32 years. He was always eager to discuss the latest theories regarding health and financial trends. I found his financial theories quite insightful.
Rob was talkative and gracious when Mona and I visited him for the last time just two weeks before his death from pancreatic cancer. It was just like Rob to have Spirit in the Sky played at his funeral. I will miss him.