We will serve the Lord. Four times in yesterday's reading, we hear "...and everyone in their household..." Our daughter's middle name is Lydia. This dealer in purple cloth (read super rich...not a Vikes fan) got baptized and so did everyone in her family. The same thing happened with the jailer. He and his family were all baptized, put their trust in God, and lived as they were really meant to live.
How are we really meant to live? Sue and Paul Grassey took a troubled boy into their home and now they have another son and a grandson. Christopher will be getting baptized tomorrow, but the Holy Spirit is moving in that entire family. Chris' dad will be sharing his faith story for our Confirmation kids in May. Between now and then, he'll probably get baptized and join our church with his girlfriend. He is passing on the faith to his son, because Sue and Paul passed it on to him.
Faith is a family. How can we draw more people into this family, so that it doesn't become a closed circle, a holy huddle? Jesus and his disciples were always reaching out. Throughout Acts, the church is constantly growing. Faith has that same opportunity. As your pastor, I will challenge you to give and serve...and it will make you uncomfortable. Discipleship has never been comfortable.
I hope we PACK Bruce and Cheryl's on the first Saturday in March (I'll be with 18 others at the youth gathering at Calumet). We're looking to form two small groups: one focused on prayer outreach, another to ground us in Lutheranism...the fact that we are saved by grace through faith. There is no better news in the world. Unmerited grace brings me to tears and compels me to sacrifice and serve my guts out. Please join us as we march through Lent, not to debate the issues, but to draw closer to God and his people.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment