Pastor's Message
April 2013
Greetings in the name of our Lord,
What does it mean to be a welcoming, serving, relating, growing and worshiping community of faith?
“What does this mean?” This is the question Luther tries to answer when he seeks to explain the meaning of the Ten Commandments, Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed.
I wonder sometimes if we should write a response to this question when it comes to Emmanuel’s purpose statement in order to help people understand better God’s purpose for Emmanuel. Written definitions are eant to help people better understand the meaning behind that which is being explained. We can say, after we have read the meaning, “Yea, I get that idea now.”
We can then stop our struggle with defining or understanding more or less complex ideas. We have the answer and we may even find ways to measure up to such meanings that have been stated. There ends the actual problem with defining or explaining what something means. We can stop struggling and seeking to broaden or deepen our understanding of what has been defined.
What does it mean to be welcoming? What does it mean to be serving? What does it mean to be relating? What does it mean to be growing? What does it mean to be worshiping? I would summit that we must continue to struggle with defining these questions in order to allow them to evolve and to move us to expand our understanding of what it means to be welcoming, serving, relating, growing and worshiping.
We also have them defined for us far more often than we care to admit. The Bible already gives meaning to welcoming, serving, relating, growing and worshiping. We know that welcoming is synonymous with hospitality and letters like Hebrews 12:2 give us good reason to show strangers hospitality. Welcoming was openly taught by Jesus especially as it related to the reception of children. Serving is revealed on Maundy Thursday. Relating is talked about in stories like the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. Growing is discussed from stories about fig trees to ideas of transformation in places like Philippians 3:21 and Romans 12:2. Worshiping is our response to our God as creator, redeemer and life-giving/sustainer.
What does it mean to be a welcoming, serving, relating, growing and worshiping community of faith? In addition to the answers found in our sacred writings watch and remember your baptism and receive the Lord’s Supper to expand your understanding of Emmanuel’s purpose.
God bless all as we seek to live out God’s purpose for Emmanuel.
One of Christ’s servants,
Pastor David A. Hendricks - Child of God