October 2025 Lightshine
“The Crop Walk and inviting Lazarus to come in.”
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feast sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus.” Luke 16:20
Dear friends in Christ,
The rich man had been given great financial wealth to manage. He never worries about his next meal. He enjoys life. He has a beautiful house and drives expensive cars. He goes to church. He and everyone else thinks that God must love and be pleased with him. Aren’t riches and good health signs of God’s divine approval? His lips spoke to God, but his heart worshiped the god of mammon. He had not learned to trust that the Lord will provide. He felt no need for he was secure in his wealth. His religion was purely formal. What could God give him that he didn’t already have? People who are rich frolic about and regal to prevent themselves from seeing that right next door to where they live. There is another world where people who have less live. Seeing Lazarus disturbed him. He couldn’t bear the thought this might happen to him. He lived in fear that he might lose it all. Lazarus also made him feel responsible, guilty. So from time to time, he gave him scraps from his table. But for the most part he just ignored him. He kept Lazarus at the back gate. Our first response to this parable is, “I would never do that!”
The truth be told we too have banished certain people to the backdoor of our lives. Sometimes this is necessary for our self-protection from abuse or another’s manipulation. We have a problem saying “No” and tend toward enabling behavior.
But that doesn’t change the truth that in one way or another each of us is rich and blessed by God. Some of us are gifted intellectually, street smart or a strong faith. Others of us are physically strong or just good looking. We catch ourselves looking down our noses at people who have less and do not share the same qualities or interests in music, art, sports, travel. Some of us are rich because we are loved by a spouse, our children and friends. But in our neighborhood there is a grumpy old guy who never talks to anyone since his wife passed away. He is so grumpy even little children don’t go to his house at Halloween to trick or treat. He stopped turning his light on. While he grows more bitter. The neighbors enjoy family and their friends and the support and help they give and receive apart from him. There is a person that we have just given up on. Or we battle prejudice or various phobias. And God help us if the other person is a liberal or for others a conservative, a Democrat or a Republican! We’ve given ourselves permission to stop trying or showing God’s love to another or acknowledging they even exist. In each case we’ve banished “our” Lazarus to the back door because we think that we are better. It is a picture of the rich man of the Bible who has created his own world and thinks that God is happy with him and lives in God’s favor. There is someone else he evades, God and his word. Which tells us that he should have invited Lazarus in from the gate to dine at his table! So must we!
This is hunger awareness month at Our Savior’s. We invited Lazarus last Sunday at the annual interfaith Crop Walk to raise awareness and to help the hungry. Because we believe no one should experience hunger. We assembled at the Sandwich Fair then walked to help those in our community and the world who are facing hunger and poverty. We can help to fund them, one step, one dollar and one meal at a time. We wanted to walk with those who walk miles for good, for clean water and a safe place to call home. We asked people to support us and contribute gifts of money. For some that is a tough request. But we’ve learned from experience that people can say, “Yes” or “No” and its O.K. We place the opportunity to give before them and let them choose for themselves. We prayed to invite Lazarus in and opened the gate.
This was our rousing sendoff cheer..
Leader: We walk to end hunger.
Walkers: “We walk to end hunger.
L: We walk for justice... W: We walk for justice.
L: We walk for hope... W: We walk for hope.
L: We walk for peace... W: We walk for peace.
L: May the steps we take build a better world for all!
W: May the steps we take build a better world for all!
We were off! Thank you for sponsoring us in this event. Your gift will help fight hunger. Thank you Cindy Fraser for chairing this event. Demand is growing. Food banks and food pantries are stretched thin as more people access them. Some of the proceeds from our walk went to Our Sharing Pantry and the Hinkley Food Pantry. May God help us invite our Lazarus in to the table and the poor into our lives. Would you pray and consider giving a gift to fight local or world hunger? God bless you. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday or Sunday worship on site or on the Web. In His love, P. Dave
“We can worry about many things, but we can risk forgetting that our first duty is to communicate the beauty and joy of knowing Jesus.” Pope Leo XIV.
PRAYERS FOR OCTOBER 2025…
Thanks be to God...
+ We are thankful for the gift of needed rain.
+ P. Dave and Joan announced after much prayer and reflection they are retiring from Our Savior’s in 2025 to begin the next chapter of their life. Thank you! See article.
+ Thank you Jim Hetzel for your work as Our Savior’s janitor. The church floors and windows shined under your care. May God lead you and bless your time with your grandchildren. Please welcome Carrie Iverson as O.S. new janitor. (a big sigh of relief goes up from all Our Saviors volunteer janitors!)
+Thank you God for the hard work and faith of Ms. Annie Butler and Ms. Mia Augustine who will confirm the vows of their baptism in October. These two precious teens are a gift! How we have enjoyed our Wednesdays studying the Bible and Luther’s Catechism growing in the Christian faith.
+ Thank you for the 2025 fall salad luncheon. There was a wide variety of colorful and great tasting salads, sandwiches, and delicious baked goods served with a smile. We learned that from our leaders Barb French and Geri Hall and our coworkers. People came and enjoyed the meal and visiting with family and friends in our beautiful dining hall. Thank you for the overflowing foods that were shared with our friends at the Sandwich Manor and in a bake sale. Thank you for contributing a salad, time and your donation. Is it sinful to just have fun being together in a beautiful place?
+ May God continue to be with our farmers who are in the fields bringing in this year’s harvest of soybeans and corn. Thank you for this year’s bounty and for your blessings.
+ Thank you for the rich life of Richard Brauer, loving spouse, father, proud grandfather, good friend, gardener, golfer, loved his church, never missed worship, hard worker on outside weed, trim bushes team, a man of faith, an encourager.
Prayers of healing and strength for friends....
+ Joan K.’s sister Ann is battling cancer and will begin her first chemotherapy treatment.
+ Aaron Brauer, son of Sarah and Dick Brauer is battling cancer and beginning his chemotherapy treatment.
+ Friends who are battling cancer.
+ Strength, patience, faith and guidance for friends facing challenging times.
+ A friend receiving physical therapy to build strength.
+ A friend receiving weekly kidney dialysis.
May God be with all who mourn the passing of loved ones being comforted by God’s presence and the promise of the resurrection to eternal life in Jesus Christ….
+ Burdell “Birdie” Thomas, mother of Becky Kinny, Carolyn Kedzerski, Rich Thomas - mother, loving grandmother and great grandmother passed away at the age of 98. She was born on a farm near Hinkley. She attended Sandwich High School. She married Ronald Thomas and they farmed south of Somonauk. She said that idle hands were the Devil’s workshop. They learned to work. Birdie worked her shift at Western Electric then returned home and jumped on the tractor to help on whatever chore was in season, plowing, planting, cultivating, spraying weeds, cutting hay and in the fall the combine. In her spare time, she raised a family and loved to garden. They once built a chicken house that held 600 chickens. Every night she would collect the eggs and candle 30 dozen eggs to fill the orders at local grocery stores. Later in life four things occupied her mind, Politics, Country Music, Religion and Family. Her son Rich placed the cross given in memory of August Menk on the Our Savior’s steeple at 215 South Main and then removed it for storage. Her grandson Chris Thomas would build our new steeple/gazebo and place that cross on the same steeple (1865) at 2465 West Sandwich Road. Thank you God for shared life with “Birdie” Thomas
Pastor Dave’s Letter to the Our Savior’s Congregation and Friends
September 24, 2025
Dear Our Savior’s family and friends,
Joan and I moved from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota to Sandwich, Il. in August 1976. “When I wore a younger man’s clothes.” (Billy Joel). We were called to be your pastoral family and to share Jesus Christ in word and sacrament ministry with you, the Our Savior’s family and friends and the greater Fox Valley Community. Church membership and resources were meager. We would place trust in God and serve in hope. And hope never disappoints.
With the passing of Joan’s brother-in-law Dennis in June and my sister Diane in July. Then Joan’s sister Ann was diagnosed with lung cancer and began immune therapy treatment in late July. I have decided that I must prioritize being present for Joan as we have sought to be present serving God with and for you, the congregation and our community.
We couldn’t leave when there was a mortgage to pay. Friends said, “Let’s work to finish it!” We joined them in a rousing Capital Campaign paying off the mortgage and the new sanctuary furnace. We celebrated together and thanked God!
There were projects that needed our support. Jim Swanson had invested money, time and himself completing a promise to construct the Steeple, Cross and Gazebo in memory of his beautiful wife Linda (Hallstrom) Swanson. Architect Len Mazanek designed it. We have a landmark and significant piece of our heritage, 1865, on the 11.5-acre site! Thank you for what you have given so this ministry would thrive.
The Sunday “Live” Good News Broadcast on O.S. Facebook page created in Covid times, sharing God’s love, forgiveness and life, has grown to 1000 views each week. It reaches Our Savior’s family and friends, the greater Fox Valley Community, relocated former members and friends and people throughout America. This allows us to worship both on site in our beautiful sanctuary and on the Web. Thank you Joan, excellent musicians, lectors and Mike Butler, David and Jamie Lausch, Heidi Popovich, Jennifer Johnson, Our Savior’s.
There is still a bell tower to build. There are drawings with Doug Stahl. We want to begin Our Savior’s preschool. For Sunday School, Confirmation, and preschool will assure our children have a great beginning foundation in Christ.
But that isn’t what kept us here for all these wonderful 49 years. It was you, the people of Our Savior’s, You, and this community are what matter most to us. We love you. We love seeing you, your children and grandchildren, your families at worship, Confirmation, Sunday School, baptisms, weddings and yes, sad funerals; the “Live” Nativities; and working together at fund raisers. We sought to serve God and help people to the best of our ability because God loves people. I enjoyed working with, and am indebted to, staff, church council, and so many wonderful people for you shared yourselves, your amazing skills, your generosity and faith in God.
Now Joan, our family and her sister must take first priority as we and Our Savior’s begin to write the next chapter of our lives. It is time for both of us to retire in 2025. The Rev. Jennifer Beamsley of The Northern Illinois Synod is available and will help lead Our Savior’s and the church council through this time of transition with an interim pastor. Each of you are part of our family and will always have a place in our hearts along with that box of mustard seeds on my desk. It tells me now much faith is needed for God to move mountains. And God’s Holy Spirit empowered and helped us to move some mountains.
The future lies in God’s and your most capable hands and our ardent prayers. We have a great foundation placing faith in Christ and this beautiful place in which to do ministry sharing Christ and inviting people to place faith in him. It will grow better and greater.
My thanks to God, to Joan and my family, to you for this opportunity to serve Christ with one another in love. St. Paul writes to the Corinthians in Chapter 16:13,14,23,24:
“Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love...May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.”
Pastor David and Joan Kaul
Would you pray seeking God’s help in beginning an Our Savior’s preschool…
Would you pray? We have wanted to offer a full or part-time preschool and made plans - just like the steeple cross- to include a special preschool room and play area in our building construction.
With the building construction loan paid, we can move ahead in this important ministry with young families
and preschool children.
Giving our tithes and offerings …“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.” Psalm 111:1
Like the rich man, we can want to hold back in fear. But we live in faith that trusts. As God provided my daily bread, so he will give tomorrow. So, I give like Abel who gave his best lamb to God as a first fruits offering. It was an act of faith and God always honors faith. Lord help me to give my tithe and offering with my whole heart.
1-You can bring your offering of thanks to God at worship or bring it to the church office during the week
2- Mail your offering to Our Savior’s, 2465 West Sandwich Road, Sandwich, IL, 60548
3- Give electronically at www.our-saviors.com and follow the prompts. May God continue to bless you. Thank you for giving your offering.
Volunteers ….
1-Important volunteers cleaning work to do at Our Saviors...
Cob and spider webs are over running Our Savior’s. We need to again sweep the basement of dirt and clean cobwebs from the windows. The task is too large for one janitor. Would you sign up to help in a cleaning week?
2- Time to plant some seeds for the first Saturday in December’s “Live Nativity”. Would you join our cast and set up crew?
Wine Night ….
Would you like to enjoy another wine tasting night?
It would include some cheese, crackers, Halloween candy, fruit, and ……?
Does Friday night work best? Barb French and John Hagemann would have to be present and bring some of their home creations! Look for a sign-up sheet in the narthex soon
The gift of new piano for the dining hall and story When David Graham came to tune the Steinway piano in the sanctuary. I asked if he would kindly look at the piano in the dining hall. O.S. pianist/organist Carol Hill had reported that it was broken. Would he tell me if it was worth fixing? This was a free piano and we soon found out why. Entering the dining hall David proclaimed, “I hope that piano is not what I think it is!” David once tuned and serviced the pianos at Chicago’s Lyric Opera and retired to take care of N. I. U. Pianos in the school of music. He raised the piano’s wood piece covering the keys and confirmed it. “I thought so! This is not a piano that you want to keep or worth fixing. What is your budget for a new piano?” I replied, “About $10,000 dollars max.”
Joan and I had given money to Our Savior’s in memory of my Aunt Carol and Uncle Dick Bethke and parents Jacqueline and James Kaul. Joan’s mother Flora and spouse Phil Dressler, her dad Bill Leidersdorf. We spent many Christmas Eves at Aunt Carol and Dicks house singing carols and music accompanied by their playing the piano. Dad played the trombone in the Army post band at the Officer’s club in WW2 then with Pinkie Tomlin Band. Pinkie wrote the song, “The Object of My Affection.” Dad sang in the church choir. Mom loved classical music especially opera. Joan’s dad’s favorite was “The Grand Canyon Suite.” Her Mom and Phil loved musicals.
David said that he was certain that he could find a good used piano in that price range. And he did. He contacted a friend who knew all about Sandwich, IL and sold pianos. He had come to the Sandwich Sunday Flea and Craft market and purchased the most unusual accordion. Now he wanted to learn to play it and started his collection of accordions. Our Savior’s was out of his area, but He had a lightly used Yamaha baby grand that would fit our budget. If we didn’t like it he would find another. Joan would make a contribution for her 2025 RMD to reach the $10,000. We purchased it so Our Savior’s would have another great piano to enjoy great music. When David came to tune it, he said this piano was a lightly played home piano and perfect for Our Savior’s needs. So let there be music and piano concerts at Our Savior’s. Let children plunk on it playing chopsticks as I once did! Let Our Savior’s dining hall ring with joy to God like the Christmas’s past our families celebrated. Our one stipulation is when Our Savior’s no longer has need of this piano we would make arrangements to return it to our daughter Heidi. She can play! Pianist Ann Chen will be playing the piano during coffee after worship once a month!
Our Savior’s Fall Auction is October 18th - November 1st …
We are receiving amazing one-of-a-kind items every week. You may donate your family’s item(s) by completing the 2025 auction form (forms at the church) or contacting us in the church office. Thank you.
Here are current items... more may arrive...we hope!!
2025 Auction Items:
~~ Collectible, Memorabilia ~~
* Framed 2025 Sandwich Fair Poster
* 2025 Sandwich Fair Toothpick Holder
* Framed, Autographed “Legends of Wrigley Field”
photograph
~~ Hand Crafted / Decor ~~
* Carved Meadowlark
* Carved Rose Breasted Goose Beak
* Hand carved Cottonwood Figurine
* Birdhouses (2)
* Polish Pottery Artist Series Plate
* Flower Arrangement on Tray
* Wooden Noah’s Ark w/animals
* Book – “Spiritual Warfare”
* Rattan Wicker Basket (*w/handles) full of Fall decor
* Decorative Pillows - 1 set Halloween / 1 set Christmas
* Baking Dish ‘Koozies/wraps” – for hot or cold dishes
~~ Edibles, etc ~~
* Chocolate Éclair Cake
* 2# Homemade Caramels (x3)
* Two (2) loaves of honey oatmeal bread
* Taste of Wisconsin Basket – Brats, beer, honey, cheese
& crackers…
* Liquid Apple Pie Basket
* Chocolate Chip Cookies in Jar
* $25 Santa Fe Restaurant Gift Cards (x4)
* Virginia Peanuts Basket
* 6-Pack of Spotted Cow Beer
~~ Gift Cards, Household, etc ~~
* Gift Cards: - Arts - $50 ( x2 ) and (1) $75
- Casey’s - $75 ( x2 )
- Panera - $20
- Dairy Queen - $30
- Lakeview Grille - $75
* Blackstone Grill Accessories Basket
* Outdoor - Double Folding Chair w/Umbrella & Cooler
Reformation Celebration
October 25, 26, 2025
Worship : Saturday at 5:30,
Sunday at 9:30
When Dr. Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on the eve of All Saints, 1517, he did not desire to leave and begin a new church, a purer church or form an alternative church. But that the church would share the good news of God’s love, forgiveness and salvation found in Jesus Christ revealed in the Scriptures and received by faith. In Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection, God had done for us what we could not do for ourselves. Come to worship and celebrate this special day in music, word and sacrament.
SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
“REACTION TO THE PROMISE”
Jesus’ Birth
Beginning October 26
ATTENTION
Christmas is cancelled!
The Grinch stole Christmas!
You will get no presents this year!
Jesus is missing from your Christmas!
Did you REACT with
WORRY… LAUGHTER… QUESTIONING… SADNESS?
Did you know that for every ACTION there is a REACTION?
GOD’S ACTION was to send God’s son, Jesus, into the world as a baby to save us.
Come to our Christmas Rotation and see the REACTIONS to Jesus’ birth by:
• The wise men while viewing the stars through your telescope in the star canopy
• Mary and Joseph and see how they REACT as they play “Let’s Make a Deal”
• And discover YOUR REACTION as you bake Promise
Shortcake and learn the fullness of the Promise.
MEET OUR TEACHERS: Pre-school – Carrie Iverson and Karen Lueck. Grades Kindergarten through sixth – Cindy Fraser, Alli Swanson, Krissy & Jake Ross and Bill Brubaker